Your home is your sanctuary, the place where you feel safe and want it to be as beautiful as your thoughts, but you lack interior design experience. Don’t worry! There are some tips that can help even a seven-year-old succeed. So how do you go about creating the interior design that will wow your friends and family? And how are you going to create a positive environment for your home? Here are some tips:

1. Choose a theme. Let’s say you are a passionate butterfly collector. Why hide it? Choose this theme to decorate your home. Butterflies go well with flowers and other elements of nature: leaves, ferns, and trees. Put an original painting of a butterfly on the wall you want to set the focus on. You can also display your butterfly collections in a special arrangement. Your hobbies add the personal note that each room sorely needs and that many so-called designer rooms lack.

2. Choose your colors. Use a color scheme to help you choose the best colors for your home. You should wear the colors that make you feel good; after all, this is your home and you don’t need some fancy designer telling you that pink doesn’t go with green. Use a few color accents to “spice up” the room. But remember: a single color should dominate around 75% of a room. Don’t color your rooms too much as it could put you in a negative mood.

3. Choose your patterns. As for the colors, you can use the one you like the most, but don’t overdo it! Three’s a crowd, but an acceptable crowd. More than three patterns will lead to chaos. For your butterfly theme, you could use flower and circle patterns. Vary your scale: some small, some large. Spread them around the room and create a balance of color and pattern. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Let your heart decide. Believe it: your heart knows best!

4. Keep it simple. You need a place to relax, a place of comfort after a hard day at work. So keep it simple. Too much furniture adds weight to a room: your feeling of freedom disappears. An overly furnished room is often gloomy and boring. Keep it simple, keep it functional, and you’ll be on the right track.

5. Light means life. You don’t want to live in a dark room. It has nothing to do with fear of the dark (perhaps you are not one of those who are afraid of the dark) but light is essential, especially in its natural form, since it kills bacteria and viruses, due to its UV emissions. Artificial lighting must be chosen carefully. There are enough manufacturers that offer cheap lighting objects. Choose LED or other inexpensive lamps. Better opt for a more expensive product that has an extended warranty. Why should you pay for inferior quality? There is one rule that you should never ignore: you get what you pay for.

These five basic tips won’t transform you into an interior designer overnight, but they will certainly help you decorate your home with taste and a sense of professionalism.