Nº135/Decorating Your Home in Style

Creating a cohesive interior design for your home isnít that hard if you know some of the basics. Decorating your home so that all the various elements combine to create the look youíve always wanted can be a lot of fun.

The following are some proven tips to help you turn your house into a designer home:

Taking the first step

As they say, letís start at the beginning. Chances are good that your home is a mish mash of furnishings, art, accents and accessories that have been collected over time. To create the perfect designer look, you want to first consider the purpose for each room, how you want it to look, your tastes, features that can and canít be changed, and finally, the budget you have available. 

Start with the key elements

The success of a roomís design lies in the balance you create. The basics of good design are proportion, balance, contrast, rhythm, pattern/texture, and harmony. Knowing how these elements work together will help you design your space so that itís not only beautiful, but comfortable and functional as well. 

Proportion

Scale is one of the most important things to consider when creating the look of a room. A room that is proportioned correctly will feel welcoming while an incorrectly portioned room will just feel crowded and unfriendly. The trick is to match pieces in terms of their scale. A large overstuffed sofa needs an equally large end table or coffee table; otherwise, these accents simply disappear as the sofa dwarfs them proportionally. When considering scale, look to the other rooms in your home for furniture that may be a better fit with the focal pieces you have in your room. 

Balance

When creating balance, thereís two ways to go here. The first is symmetrical design, where everything is perfectly balanced. With symmetrical design, thereís roughly two of everything or items are mirrored in the room. For instance, one chair is placed exactly opposite another one just like it. While this creates balance, it can also make a room look static and lacking any visual interest or energy. Experienced designers use asymmetry to create this interest. Objects balance well because they are judged by their visual weight, not pairings. For instance, you may have a large sofa on one side of the room that is balanced by two large overstuffed chairs with an accent table in the middle and floor lamp behind. These pieces balance the sofa visually, even though they arenít equal in size or shape. The design works because there is balance in the asymmetrical layout of the furniture.

Contrast

Imagine walking into a white room with white carpet and white furniture. Pretty boring, huh? Contrast helps draw the eye around a room through the intelligent use of color. Bold use of colors creates energy while the use of muted shades in complementary tones creates calm. The more contrast you create, the easier it is for the human eye to follow the intended design of the room, moving visually from one space to another, guided by the use of color and contrast.

Rhythm

While creating contrast with the use of light and dark tones can be effective, it can also create boredom. To keep the room connected, you want to use rhythm. This means reusing specific colors, patterns, textures or themes throughout the room. Pick a couple main colors and repeat them in different ways in your paint scheme, fabrics and accents.

Pattern & Texture

As the eye moves about a room, it picks up specific patterns. These are grouped together, so a blue wall is combined with a striped piece of fabric that has the same blue in it. Patterns that donít fit create conflict in the mind, compromising the appearance of the space. Again, you want to pick one or two primary patterns or textures and vary them within the color palette youíve already created for the room. Right alongside the elements of contrast and rhythm in home decorating is pattern/texture. 

Harmony

If youíve ever heard three singers sing different parts that sound amazing together, then you already know what harmony is. The same is true for the harmony in your home. Different colors, different designs and different proportions combine to create a new look that was never there before, just as new notes are created by singers singing three different parts. The room is suddenly complete. It has a look that if you remove just one element, wonít have that harmonic feel to it any longer. When youíve achieved harmony, youíve achieved your design goals.

Please feel free to contact us through our website or by phone to schedule a consultation. We would love to hear more about your project and discuss how we can help.

Additionally, remember to check out our shop for an exquisite selection of decorations that can enhance the look and feel of your space. We have everything you need, from lighting to accessories, to create a beautiful and functional environment.

Thank you again for considering ARCHDEKOR®. We look forward to working with you and bringing your design dreams to life!