I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again—throw pillows are critical. If they look cheap, it all looks cheap.
Don’t go monochromatic—your photos won’t pop!
Don’t show the spines of books. They are too interesting.
No cream colors on the walls—go white.
Don’t show a dirty garage floor. Paint it! It makes a huge difference. There’s special garage floor paint. The gray is really nice!
Don’t overdo it on the fake plants. They usually look fake, even if you think they don’t, and they attract attention. The more organic the vibe, the better.
Don’t worry about matching all your metals. Mixed metals are in.