Guest Blogger: Shay Geyer, The Designer Detective!

Here are the amazing Shay Geyer's Five Tips for Creating a Unique Interior for Your Home:

1. Invest in great art. It doesn’t have to be a Picasso or cost millions of dollars. Be on the look out for local or up & coming artists. Buy pieces that you love & you feel a connection with. Art is a fabulous way to express your personal style in your home as well as bring in color.

2. Hand painted finishes on furniture are a marvelous way to add a unique touch. Whether you custom order a piece with a special finish or find a fabulous vintage piece & paint it yourself, a piece like this can add lots of style to your home. One of my favorite furniture lines, Hickory Chair, allows you to customize their pieces with any Benjamin Moore paint color.

3. It’s ok to mix & match. If you don’t fall into one of the traditional design style categories, it’s ok to blur the lines. Traditional looks are getting a fresh update these days with cleaner & more modern lines. The transitional style was born out of a desire to mix traditional pieces with more modern or contemporary looks. You do have to be careful though. A mixture of too many different styles can easily become busy & confusing to the eye. Some styles also don’t mix well. Shabby Chic & modern would not complement each other in the same space. There still needs to be a cohesive feel to your design. A neoclassical console table with a refined straight edge can be balanced with a more transitional sofa with a track arm and straight back. The straight angular lines of the pieces are what help tie them together.

4. Select pieces with designer details. Not every piece in your room has to be custom, but it’s nice to have some of your larger pieces tailored to your liking. Designer details such as tapes, nail head designs, contrasting welt cords & unique finishes help create a truly one-of-a- kind piece that will have your signature on it. Custom does not have to mean expensive either. It helps to work with an interior designer to create custom furniture so that they can help you stay on target with your budget.

5. Every home needs great accessories! Accessories are like jewelry for your home. Lamps are a MUST! There are so many gorgeous lamps in the market. This is such an easy way to add instant style & freshen up a room. I also love to pick up unique finds while I’m traveling. Displaying items that have a special meaning to you help tell your personal story & add character throughout your home. Less is more! Not every inch of your tabletop or bookshelves needs to be covered. Pick the accessories that have the most significance to your home. Use items that relate to your color palette & design style. My favorite must have accessory is coffee table books. You can stack them to vary the height of your other accessories. I also love to use geodes, hand blown glass & fabulous photo frames.