The One Decor Trick Most Adelaide Homes Miss (And It Changes Everything)
It’s not wallpaper, cushions or furniture placement. The secret to a better home might be hiding in plain sight — right outside your window.
Let’s be honest: most Adelaide homes are playing it painfully safe. Beautiful bones, great light, lovely people… and then you look out the window and — boom — it’s all fence, hot water system and regret.
If you’ve ever sat on your sofa thinking, “Why doesn’t this room feel as good as it should?”, it’s not because you need more cushions or another beige throw. It’s because you may be ignoring the single most powerful decor trick you already own: the view.
I spend my days helping Adelaide homeowners reframe what they see — literally. One design power session and you’ll never look at your windows (or your neighbour’s fence) the same way again.
The One Important Decor Trick Most People Miss
There is one decorating principle that most homeowners overlook — yet it can completely change the way a space feels.
It’s not furniture. It’s not paint colour. And it’s definitely not another beige cushion (please… we’re better than that).
The one design trick most people miss is the view.
Yes, the view.
Australians love their homes and we love our gardens. In places like Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills, indoor–outdoor living is practically a national sport. Yet surprisingly, many homeowners never consider what they actually see when they look out their windows.
When clients hire me as an interior designer in Adelaide, they usually expect help choosing colours, furniture and layouts.
But one of the first things I analyse is something far less obvious:
the function of the room
airflow and ventilation
acoustics
and most importantly… the view
Because every window is a frame. And what you see through it matters.
Why the View Matters in Interior Design
You don’t need a million‑dollar ocean view for this trick to work.
Even in the leafy Adelaide Hills where I live, not every home overlooks rolling vineyards or towering gums. Sometimes the “view” is a neighbour’s fence, a shed, or an air‑conditioning unit that looks like it survived a cyclone.
But here’s the design truth:
A view can be created, framed, improved, or redirected.
When you move through your home, notice what your eyes naturally land on. Ask yourself:
What do I see from the sofa?
What’s visible from the kitchen sink?
What do I wake up looking at in the bedroom?
Those sightlines quietly shape how your home feels every single day.
And most people never design for them.
Five Ways to Improve the View From Your Windows
These simple interior design tricks will help you maximise good views — and disguise the not‑so‑glamorous ones.
1. Bring the Outdoors In
Position furniture so it connects you with whatever outdoor view you have.
Place a reading chair near a window.
Turn a sofa towards natural light.
Position a dining table so people can see the garden.
Even small glimpses of greenery can boost mood and wellbeing. Humans are wired to respond positively to nature — which is why indoor plants work so beautifully.
If your outdoor space is limited, add trailing plants above window frames or small clusters of succulents on the sill.
A little greenery goes a long way in strengthening the indoor–outdoor connection.
2. Expose as Much Glass as Possible
One of the simplest upgrades is removing visual clutter around windows.
Allow curtains and blinds to fully clear the glass when open. This might mean:
installing longer curtain rods that extend beyond the frame
mounting curtains higher
choosing minimal window treatments
The goal is simple: maximise visible glass.
More glass equals more light and a stronger connection to the outside.
3. Crop and Frame the View
Think of your window as the frame to an artwork.
What you include — and what you exclude — matters.
For example:
A window might capture climbing roses along a fence, but also the neighbour’s bulky air‑conditioning unit.
Strategic landscaping can crop that view. A small tree, climbing plant or pergola can hide the ugly elements and highlight the beautiful ones.
If your yard lacks a focal point, create one. A small outdoor setting with cushions, plants and candles can become a mini “scene” that looks beautiful from inside.
4. Paint Problem Areas Charcoal
This is one of my favourite designer tricks.
If you can see an unattractive fence, shed or wall through a window, paint it dark charcoal.
Colours like Dulux Domino or tones similar to Colourbond Monument work brilliantly in Australian gardens.
Dark colours visually recede, meaning they blend into foliage rather than standing out.
Instead of drawing attention to an ugly structure, the eye moves naturally toward plants and greenery.
I even use this trick on window frames themselves. Dark frames help visually merge the window with the landscape beyond, making the view feel larger and more seamless.
Cream and pale green frames simply don’t achieve the same effect.
5. Light the Garden at Night
Designing a view shouldn’t stop when the sun goes down. Adding solar fairy lights to trees, shrubs or pergolas can transform your evening outlook. Suddenly the garden becomes a softly glowing backdrop rather than a dark void outside the glass.
Lighting directs the eye toward the most attractive elements and away from anything less charming. It’s one of the easiest ways to extend the visual life of your outdoor space after dark.
A Designer’s Perspective
When I redesigned the window frames in my own Adelaide Hills home, I painted them Dulux Domino inside and out. The transformation was instant. The dark frames disappeared visually, allowing the greenery outside to take centre stage.
Instead of looking at a window, you feel like you’re looking straight into the landscape. That’s the magic of designing with the view in mind. Interior design isn’t just about what sits inside a room. Sometimes the most powerful element in a space is what lies just beyond it.
If You Scrolled Too Fast
Here’s the quick takeaway:
The most overlooked interior design trick is designing for the view.
Position furniture to connect with windows and outdoor spaces.
Maximise glass by allowing curtains to fully clear the frame.
Treat windows like picture frames and crop unattractive elements.
Paint fences or sheds charcoal so they visually disappear.
Add garden lighting so the view works at night too.
If you’re now side‑eyeing every window in your home… good. That discomfort you’re feeling? That’s your design standards levelling up.
You can absolutely DIY some of these tricks — move the sofa, paint the fence, add the fairy lights — but if you want a ruthless, expert eye to walk you through your rooms, your views and your impossible spaces, that’s where I come in.
Book a Design Power Session with me and we’ll:
Audit your sightlines and views (the good, the bad and the “who approved this?”)
Create a clear, practical plan to fix what you’re looking at day in, day out
Prioritise the high‑impact changes so you stop wasting money on decor that doesn’t move the needle
Ready to stop living with accidental views and start living like it was all on purpose?
Book your Design Power Session now and let’s give your Adelaide home something worth looking at.
Love, Penelope xx
Interior Designer + Author of ‘Don’t Get Ripped Off By Your Reno’ and ‘A Home With A Pulse’. Both available on my e-book interior design and renovation resources page on my website.
Plush Design Interiors uses AI‑generated imagery to help illustrate design concepts and possibilities in a fast, flexible and cost‑effective way. These images are inspirational visualisations only and may not represent final selections, exact colours, finishes or products available in Australia. All real‑world Plush Design Interiors work, including all design, specifications, selections and purchases, are curated by a human interior designer and are confirmed with clients using accurate samples, supplier information and detailed documentation before any work proceeds.
FAQ’s on a decor trick for Adelaide Homes
What is the most overlooked interior design trick?
One of the most overlooked interior design principles is designing rooms around the view from windows. Positioning furniture, landscaping and lighting to enhance the view can dramatically improve how a space feels.
How can I improve the view from my window?
You can improve a window view by framing attractive elements such as plants or garden features, hiding unattractive structures, and positioning furniture to face natural light.
Why do interior designers focus on sightlines?
Sightlines determine what your eyes naturally land on when entering or sitting in a room. Designing for these views makes spaces feel more intentional, calming and visually balanced.
Should curtains cover the whole window?
Curtains should ideally pull completely away from the window frame when open. This maximises visible glass and allows more natural light into the room.
Why do designers paint fences dark colours?
Dark colours recede visually, which helps fences or sheds blend into the background. In Australian gardens, charcoal tones work particularly well with greenery.
How can I create a better night view from inside my home?
Adding solar lights or garden lighting to trees, pathways or shrubs creates a beautiful illuminated outdoor scene that can be enjoyed from inside the house.
