Today's Design Secret

What: Make a home addition feel like part of the original

Seen In: A DC home by Darryl Carter

How-To: In a home where a historic facade was joined by building additions including a new family room, office, and kitchen (seen here), Darryl Carter employed his favorite "connective tissue" of creamy walls and ceilings in a dozen shades of white, contrasted with espresso-stained oak floors.

What: Make A Room Seem Taller

Seen In: A Manhattan brownstone by Cristina Azario

How-To: Invest in architectural features like bookshelves or cabinets that span a wall from floor to ceiling. It creates a sense of greater room height. Azario used the visual trick here with her kitchen cabinetry, using a library ladder to access cookbooks and storage spaces.

What: A Genius Way To Choose Colors

Seen In: A Miami living room by Lars Bolander

How-To: "To bring the outdoors in, use fabrics that complement the view," says Bolander. "[Here,] I used blues, because of the sky and water. If you live in a house surrounded by trees, use fabrics with green tones.”

What: How To Choose The Right Paint Finishes

Seen In: A Manhattan apartment by Matthew Patrick Smyth

How-To: Smyth generally uses three finishes of paint in each room: flat on the ceiling, eggshell on the walls, and satin on the trim. This gives the room visual depth and added texture.

What: The Paint Trick That Instantly Brightens

Seen In: Caroline Cummings Rafferty's Manhattan apartment

How-To: Rafferty chose a neutral taupe for the walls of her daughter's room, but found it "depressing" once it was up. She had her painter add high-gloss white horizontal stripes, giving the room a more vibrant look.

What: The Trick To Displaying A Large Collection

Seen In: Juan Carlos Garcia-Lavin’s Manhattan apartment

How-To: “Unifying things in one place makes them look like a single unit,” says stylist JC Garcia-Lavin of his arrangement of flea market finds and pieces by friends, which at first appears to be one immense work of art. “That way I can get away with owning a million things.”

What: Why You Should Try Dark Floors

Seen In: Claudia Benvenuto's cottage

How-To: A dark-wood finish makes older floors look better and a small space look larger, partly because the legs of dark-wood furniture disappear into the color of the floor.

What: An Easy Way To Make Your Home Feel More "Together"

Seen In: Ted Tuttle's Washington home

How-To: Tuttle used the same minimal window treatments throughout most of his house: white matchstick Roman shades. “I like to use one, possibly two window treatments in a single project,” says Tuttle. “It’s one way to unify a home.”

What: When To Use Antiques

Seen In: Darryl Carter's parents' Florida home

How-To: Rather than throwing in an antique to get the right mix, think carefully about how the piece can actually help the space be more useful. For example, Carter prefers antique bedside tables since they're generally larger than new ones on the market.

What: How To Add Faux Paneling

Seen In: Designer Alidad's London Home

How-To: Want the drama and panache of paneled walls but lack the actual architecture? Take a cue from Alidad and apply braid work (a corded trim from your local fabric/ribbon shop will do) to the walls in a contrasting color—we especially love this red/gold combo.

What: A Quick Way to Add Pattern and Personality

Seen In: Ellen Pompeo's LA home

How-To: A patterned screen is a great way to add an exciting detail to a room without too much commitment. If you get tired of it or think it doesn't mesh well with the room anymore, just place it somewhere else in your home. Plus, it also can create "zones" in your room to help define different areas.

What:Wallpapered Closet Doors

Seen In: A Manhattan Victorian townhouse designed by Sheila Bridges

How-To: Breathe new life into your closets by wallpapering the doors. It's a stylish and unique update. And if your room has few windows, add a view with some scenic wallpaper!

What: A Reno-Free Way To Maximize Efficiency In The Bathroom

Seen In: A NYC loft designed by Richard Mishaan

How-To: A second sink makes any bathroom a much friendlier place for couples getting ready in the morning. But you can create a similar situation at a lesser cost (and with less effort!) by bringing in a small table the same height as your sink, covering it with a large tray for make-up and accessories, and adding a matching mirror at the same height as the one over your sink. At last! A second get-ready space without ever calling a professional.

What: Creating a beautiful space under the stairs

Seen In: A Texas home designed by Mark Cunningham

How-To: There's no wasted space in the front hall of this Texas home. The area under the staircase features Stickley armchairs, a Belgian Art Nouveau drop-leaf table, and a small art collection. When adding pieces to a smaller nook, consider furniture of similar color and style, and keep art displays to scale.

What: Extra-large art

Seen In: Ellen Pompeo's Hollywood Home

How-To: Instead of a bold wall covering or a gallery display of many pieces, an oversized black-and-white photograph sets the tone in this California kitchen, designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard. Focusing on one statement piece can bring depth and movement, add color, or make a space seem larger. Let extra-large art lean for a relaxed look, or hang with care.

What: A bold doorway

Seen In: An 18th-century French farmhouse entryway

How-To: When designing around neutral elements, adding a bright color can warm the space and bring it to life. With stone walls, and original oak ceiling beams and terra-cotta tiles, there's no denying the effortless beauty of this rustic space, but it's the vivid aqua door that offers the perfect contrast and brings the room together. For an inside-out statement, paint each side of your door the same shade.

What: Adding a bright white table

Seen In: The kitchen of a Chicago apartment

How-To: In this Chicago home, a high-gloss white table from CB2 brightens the kitchen area, giving the vintage pine cabinet, traditional rug, and neutral sofa a modern look. In many rooms, adding an element of crisp white can refresh the space and create contrast.

Editor's Pick: The tripod table by West Elm. $199; westelm.com.

What: A statement gallery wall

Seen In: Lindsey and Kristen Buckingham's Los Angeles home

How-To: An art collection grows over time to include pieces of different styles and varying subjects—each inspiring on its own, but stunning when displayed in a group. Here, many of the Buckingham's favorite pieces create a bold, energy-filled gallery wall that brings color to the room and includes works by James Rosenquist and Jasper Johns. Designer Kristen Buckingham used the entire wall space and was sure to stager the works by color, size and frame type.

What: A cabana-like entryway

Seen In: The Southampton home of @OscarPRGirl Erika Bearman

How-To: The tented ceiling in this whimsical Southampton beach house is papered with turquoise-and-white stripes to replicate the look of an ocean cabana. Like-colored wallpaper by Lee Jofa, and high-gloss painted floors complete the look. The room's matching ceiling fixtures are by Circa Lighting.

What: Beautiful art in small spaces

Seen In: Photographer Nathaniel Goldberg's Hudson Valley home

How-To: In this cozy Hudson Valley bath, like-framed photographs by Marcy Robinson hang side-by-side, close to the ceiling. The room's minimal, neutral color scheme and absence of window treatments highlights the artwork, and the pieces displayed above the window allow the entire wall to become the focal point.