It seems to happen every year right after the holidays. All the decorations come down and there’s a serious lack of glitz and glam left behind. Gone are the twinkling lights and shiny baubles.

No more Hallmark movies about the woman who breaks up with her fiancé and heads home to open her long dreamed of cupcake shop in the small Northeast town she grew up in.

Cut to me goofing on Hallmark. (You know I watch every one of those movies.)

Anyway, the point is that there’s always that deflated feeling that follows you into January. Can you relate?

It’s like there’s something missing and that something is the wow factor!

I suspect, since so many of us decorated for Christmas super early this year, we’ll feel it even more once everything is packed up and put away.

If we dissect what the wow factor is, it’s pretty clear that it’s something surprising or unexpected.

During the holidays, friends that stop by get to be surprised by a giant Christmas tree in your house or some new sparking decorations that add to your home’s whimsical charm.

It’s safe to assume you don’t have that added layer of sparkle and shine the other 10 or so months of the year, right?

Well, having a permanent wow factor doesn’t have to be packed up after the holidays and schlepped to the attic or basement.

If you’re familiar with the show, Trading Spaces, you’ll know that the wow factor was the secret weapon the show’s designers relied on for most of the makeovers.

It was a planning and execution of something unexpected to knock the homeowner’s socks off.

(Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much. You might recall Hilde’s feather wall episode…?)

I promise there will be no mention of feather covered walls in this post.

Instead, I’ll focus on giving you 8 impactful and easy ways to create that wow factor in any room.

Let’s dive right in, k?

Make an Impact with Mirrors

This is honestly one of the easiest ways to elicit that audible gasp from anyone visiting your home.

Better yet, think of it as something that makes you swoon every time you walk in the room.

A super large mirror in a spot you wouldn’t expect is a surprise to say the least.

First, large mirrors will make a small space seem much bigger because they trick you into thinking the room goes on. This is especially true if the mirror is custom fit into a space like a niche or the walls on either side of a fireplace.

It works best when there is a minimal frame around the mirror so that it looks like you could step right into it like Alice through the looking glass.

The effect is dramatic and will check the wow factor box immediately.

If you don’t want to invest in a giant mirror that covers an entire wall, you can easily get a large leaner mirror and tuck it behind a sofa table or credenza on a wall that needs some umph.

Give it a try and you’ll see an immediate wow effect.

Stencil a Focal Wall

This is another inexpensive way to bring in a ton of wow to any room.

For the price of a gallon of paint and a stencil that you can create with a Circuit machine or a stencil from a craft store, you can have a beautiful focal point.

I love this option because it can be applied to any wall, living room, dining room, bedroom, hall, bathroom. If you have a wall, you can do it!

The other fantastic thing about this is that you are not limited to a certain color like with a peel and stick wallpaper.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good wallpaper, but a painted wall stencil can be any color you want.

You can do a very subtle tone on tone application or a completely contrasting color or pattern for a super custom wow factor.

Some paint, a stencil and a weekend afternoon and you’re in business for a custom wow factor that you can show off with pride!

Add Paneling to a Plain Wall

Now before you come for me on this one, I’m not talking about the paneled walls everybody and their grandmother had in the 70’s…Although, give that one about 10 more minutes and it will be back and with it bell bottoms and butterfly collars…

I’m referring to paneled walls that add a dimensional accent to your flat walls.

I love batten and board paneled effects. They can lean a bit on the “traditional” side but you can jazz it up with paint and additional molding to bring out a funky vibe with a fun contemporary feel.

There’s still a craze going on with wood paneling in random patterns.

It’s basically taking strips of wood that are the same width and cutting them into different lengths and attaching them to the wall. You can plan the arrangement out inch by inch or throw caution to the wind and let your fluid creativity guide you. Either way, it’s a pretty awesome technique.

So, an inexpensive mitre box and saw, some elbow grease to cut thin slats of wood, and the result is a dramatic and textural wall that can be a gorgeous backdrop made to catch an admiring eye.

Add Some Plants to Green Things Up!

If you want a living wow factor, plants can provide a lot of interest in a space.

Large plants will give you drama and height.

Small and medium plants congregated together can give you an instant focal point.

I love the look of two large Rhapis palms in identical pots flanking a picture window. Something like that will add dimension to a natural focal point. It reinforces nature by bringing the outside in.

If you want to exercise that green thumb even more, try adding a living wall to an interior wall or a patio space.

It will be extraordinary and adds a wow factor in a snap.

If an extravagant display like a living wall isn’t an option, try creating a display of plants clustered together on a shelf or in pots or pockets that fill a smaller wall.

This is a super easy way to add some life to an underutilized wall while creating a fun and unexpected moment.

Include Something Out of the Ordinary

Speaking of the unexpected, adding a literal element of surprise is a great way to create a wow factor.

This is where your creative imagination can really shine.

Go ahead, get a little weird or quirky.

Perhaps you have mostly transitional furnishings and style but you throw in a contemporary sculpture that contrasts everything else.

Source: Jamie Beck, Design by Elizabeth Martin

This is interesting and it gives guests a chance to wonder, that’s interesting. They’ll probably even ask you about it, so it’s a great conversation starter.

Another way to showcase something out of the ordinary is to create a vignette of items.

Maybe you have a beautiful collection of amertrine crystals that you display in a glass case or hutch.

Think about how gorgeous that would look if your display cabinet was lit up to highlight the crystals. That’s a wow for sure!

Including something out of the ordinary can make any space special and interesting. So, get courageous and make an impression!

Get Some Art Up, ASAP!

One large piece of art can create a focal point on any wall.

I especially love using very large pieces of art in smaller rooms because the combination of the size and subject matter can instantly create a moment.

A large black and white print can provide an interesting and dramatic focal point in a small space, especially if it reinforces a neutral overall color scheme.

Yes indeed, neutral décor can be very interesting if you spice it up with some dramatic black and white art.

On the flip side, art can also provide an opportunity to reinforce the overall color scheme in a room.

Think about that same large piece but this time it’s replicating the colors in an area rug or the accent color you’re working with throughout the space.

Or, you can contrast the color scheme by bringing in a complimentary color that isn’t already occurring in the rest of your décor.

Art is so personal and no matter what vibe you prefer, subtle or bold, it can make a truly spectacular wow factor for any room.

Get Some Dramatic Lighting in That Room!

Lighting in any room is one of the most important design elements a space can have.

We need light to do all kinds of tasks.

We use light to illuminate or diffuse space.

We use it to work and play in all the rooms in the house.

When you’re talking about creating a wow factor with lighting, that’s a different story.

Lights can be placed behind objects to highlight its shape or to subtly draw attention to the item.

Take, for example, the potted plants I mentioned earlier. A can light placed behind the plant and next to the wall shining upwards. This creates shadows on the ceiling, which draws attention. This dramatic lighting creates an instant vibe that becomes an automatic focal area.

Spotlights aimed at wall art or a sculpture do much the same job, they draw your attention to that area by giving the viewer a cue, this is important and where you should look.

In a small space, lights placed in strategic areas will often give a room dimension and can also make it feel larger.

So, you can use light to highlight certain areas or to elevate a mood in an entire room.

Highlight the Ceiling

Ceilings are the forgotten spaces in many rooms.

Most of the time we paint them white and forget about them.

Don’t let that fifth wall be a missed opportunity to add some wow.

Using shiplap, contrasting paint, stencils, or moldings can create a ton of interest for a little cost.

If you want a more formal way to highlight the ceiling, install a coffered paneling or faux beams to give the area a lift.

These work really well on high ceilings, but they can be scaled down to work on lower ceilings as well.

How about a tin farmhouse ceiling in the kitchen? That’s a spectacular way to introduce some attention above and it’s also perfect for reinforcing that farmhouse aesthetic throughout.

When you bring some focus to the ceiling, you capitalize on a chance to capture a fun and unexpected moment.

So, leave the builder basic white ceiling paint at the paint store and think outside the box for a wow ceiling instead.

There you have it, 8 impactful and easy ways to Create that wow factor in any room:

Make an Impact with Mirrors
Stencil a Focal Wall
Add Paneling to a Plain Wall
Add Some Plants to Green Things Up!
Include Something Out of the Ordinary
Get Some Art Up, ASAP!
Get Some Dramatic Lighting in That Room!
Highlight the Ceiling

How about your space? Is there something you do to bring attention to certain areas? Have you created a wow factor space in your home? Tell me how you did it in the comments below.

8 Impactful and Easy Ways to Create that Wow Factor in Any Room pin.png

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“This man is a plant shaman. He not only designs beautiful rooms, he’s got a green thumb that works like magic! My peace palm never looked better.”

— David K.

“Michael Helped me to get my home office in magazine ready form. Thank you a million times for helping me figure this room out. It’s now my favorite room!”

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Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.