9 Brilliant Decorating Tips to Borrow From the 2025 REAL SIMPLE Home

For the eighth annual REAL SIMPLE Home, we decided to renovate not just one space but two. We snagged two stunning spaces in a fabulous Lower Manhattan high-rise building and welcomed a pool of talented designers to help decorate and turn them into our dream homes. With a penthouse and an annex apartment fully decorated, we’re showing you just a few of the highlights, with tips on how to incorporate some of the ideas into your own home.

Follow the Shape of Your Room

When it came to designing the showstopping penthouse living room, New York City–based home stager Jason Saft leaned into the room’s natural curves. “Square and rectangular pieces would interrupt the natural flow of the space,” he says. “So the coffee table, rug, and sofa are all rounded to echo the curved walls.” 

Bind Your Gallery Wall Together with Color

Gallery walls are a visually stunning way to decorate a large empty wall, but there’s a trick to making so many elements feel cohesive. When gathering artwork for the gallery in the dining room, Saft grouped pieces that felt dynamic when paired together. His advice: Mix different styles and sizes, but stick to a similar color palette to tie everything together.

Combine Bold Colors and Rich Textures

“A lot of people think that if you want a wow factor, you have to go all out with a bold color,” says New York City-based designer Alvin Wayne who was tasked with designing the penthouse primary bedroom. “But just adding texture to the walls gives depth and interest that makes a big impact.” Wayne chose earth-toned plaster for his backdrop combined with gorgeous jewel tones of the bedding to make for a sophisticated, serene space.

Layer on Top of Wallpaper

Los Angeles-based designer Mandy Cheng blew our minds with this wall design trick in the penthouse office. She crafted a showstopping checkerboard pattern by alternating framed mirrors with identical empty frames against a backdrop of toile wallpaper. “At first glance, you’re not supposed to know what’s a reflection versus what’s the actual wallpaper showing through,” Cheng says.

Mix Geometric Patterns

Candace Griffin, a Chicago-based designer, used a variety of geometric patterns in the kids room to make it playful enough for the younger ones yet tasteful enough for adults. With checkered wallpaper, striped wainscoting and sheets, and geometric bedding and art, the final result is a cheerful room with a charming sense of movement.

Use Wallpaper as a Guide to Picking Furniture

If you’re adding wallpaper to a room, let it inspire the rest of your décor. That’s exactly what Toronto-based designer Alexandra Gater did in the penthouse den and game room. She pulled the warm, antique-inspired tones from the wallpaper to guide her furniture choices, pairing plush velvet pieces with rich wood tables for a look that feels perfectly cohesive.

Incorporate Pieces From Different Eras

In the annex apartment, Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox Home used a mix of styles to make the room feel sophisticated and unique. “I incorporated pieces from different eras and countries, giving the room an almost worldly feel,” he says. These pieces include a French sideboard, Danish chairs, and a German daybed to create a layered, collected look.

Add Molding for a Vintage Vibe

If the vintage look is your dream aesthetic but your home is lacking architectural charm, Mallory Fletchall of Reserve Home has the perfect solution. She added crown molding and a chair rail to the walls of the annex apartment’s office, bringing instant character to the modern build. She even added molding to her faux built-in cabinets for a custom look. (Read all about her DIY here!)

Pile on the Texture

For a bedroom that feels warm and lived-in, Bay Area–based DIYer Valeria Jacobs recommends adding millwork, texture, and pattern. In the annex apartment bedroom she designed, Jacobs drew her color palette from the surrounding buildings—think earthy burnt orange, soft green, and warm cream. But the real game changer was the grass cloth wallpaper. “The moment it went up, the space instantly felt richer, as if it had looked like this for years, instead of days,” she says.