When wrestling with the big ideas of interior design, that tends to be exactly what we focus on: the big ideas.

The color scheme of the room, the right pieces of furniture, the focal points – these are what keep our attention. But what about the little details? All too often, we lose focus on the little issues, which can undermine the look of the whole room. Look a little closer at your home decor and consider these smaller details.

Add a touch of paint.

When it comes to changing the color scheme of a room, you can’t forget about the need for a change in paint or wallpaper. However, painting your walls isn’t the only way you can improve the color coordination of a room. The door, wooden furniture, baseboards, and other pieces of the room can be painted to keep a strong sense of identity and cohesion. Of course, be aware of any specialized paints you need to work with certain materials, or whether you need to strip the wooden furniture down first. (And remember: white isn’t the only color option for trim and furniture!)

Make it shiny and new.

Don’t get all caught up with the pieces of furniture that are shiny and new without taking a look at the older, longer-suffering pieces they’re going to be joining as well. When you’re restyling a room, you don’t have to get rid of anything. With things like wood stain and leather repair products from places like ctisupply.com, you could keep some of your favorite pieces for much longer and help them retain some of their vitality. Learning how to maintain leather and repair small imperfections in wood can help you stop wasting money on new furniture over what could be an easy fix.

Find the cracks.

Sometimes the very home itself might be suffering a little wear and tear that could use extra attention as well. If you spot cracks in the wall, investigate a little further by hiring someone to inspect your foundation. If it’s not a serious problem, then it could be a simple fix as shown at sfgate.com. A new patch of drywall really isn’t too hard to replace. The longer you let a smaller crack linger, however, the greater the chance of it turning into a big crack.

Update your buttons and switches.

We don’t often think about these details, but the truth is that they are some of the first to fade and, depending what they’re made of, repairing them can be tough if you leave it for too long. The door handles, the light switches, the cupboard handles and such all tend to wear and dirty much quicker since they are the parts of the interior that our hands are most often in contact with. Make sure that you take care to clean them regularly. They might not have the biggest impact on the aesthetic of the home when they’re working fine, but when they degrade, it becomes all too easy to notice.

Attention to detail is crucial if you want full control over how your interior spaces look. The next time you’re making big changes, think about how the smaller features work with those changes, too. And, as always, share your thoughts in the comments about other overlooked details that often need some TLC!