Beautiful And Functional Ways To Decorate A Bi-Level Home

In a bi-level home, the general living spaces are open-plan and can usually be seen from the second floor. This can be a problem in terms of how you decorate a space—a spot may look too empty, especially if you see everything at once, or cluttered if you use too many styles. To guide you through the process, homeowner Karen Pacheco shares tips on how she was able to style her family home properly: 

IMAGE Michael Angelo Chua

1. Everything has to be cohesive. 

"Since you can see the whole space at any point, the furniture, color scheme, and theme should go together," says Karen. "Color harmony is key." 

2. Source pieces from different places if you have to. 

"I had a particular look in mind, and I couldn't get all the pieces I needed in one store," says Karen. Don't stick to retail stores in malls—consider searching for specialty suppliers as well. 

IMAGE Vincent Coscolluela

3. Use lighting and color. 

Karen bought her furniture per piece, not knowing if they would all look good together, but her use of lighting and color-matching makes everything look cohesive.

4. Don't overdo it. 

Know when it's time to stop with the decor and make sure to edit your display every now and then to keep the look fresh. 

This snippet originally appeared in the November 2016 issue of Real Living Magazine.