Have you ever wondered why the spaces in your home don’t flow? Or why stepping from your kitchen into your living room gives you a jarring sensation? Here are 5 ways your home’s decor can be more cohesive.
Have a Whole House Color Palette
A whole home color palette is essential to creating a cohesive look. Without this defined color palette, your rooms will not flow and your entire home will feel disjointed. Of course, this is most important when your house has an open floor plan but even behind closed doors, a sudden change in color can be jarring.
Choose a neutral (a shade of white or cream, gray, greige or even a pale version of a more saturated color) and 3 – 5 accent colors that you love and that you will use consistently. Don’t worry about trends. It’s important that these are colors that you really love since you will be committing to them throughout your home.
Now – this does not mean that you have to paint every wall the same color. In fact, you want to vary the ratio in which the color is used. If navy blue is your dominant accent color, it may be a couch in one room, an accent wall in another and a rug in yet another. The same color is reflected throughout your home in different ways, creating a sense of flow and cohesion.
Consistently Use Wood, Metals or Neutral Elements
Yes you can mix metals and different woods as long as they appear several times and look intentional. However, I suggest picking one and keeping that as the dominant “earth” element in that room. It’s always a good idea to try to work with the undertones of these elements, too. For instance, if you have a lot of woodwork with warm red undertones you may want to add some complementary colors to help neutralize those undertones. If you are dealing with lots of brass (think yellow!) you may want to use more shades of blue which are a wonderful complement to yellow.
Have a Defined Style
When it comes to decorating, many people don’t have a true sense of their personal style. As a result, their homes lack cohesiveness and reflect a certain uncertainty about the design choices being made.
The best part about defining your style is that it helps narrow your focus and certainly makes shopping for decor a heck of a lot easier – you will never again question if that purchase will match your existing decor!
Don’t Be a Slave to Trends
We live in a time of inspiration overload thanks to Pinterest and shows like Fixer Upper. With so many beautiful and inspirational spaces out there, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being a slave to trends. Think long and hard before incorporating that latest trend into your home. It may be completely out of fashion within the year but you may be stuck with it for the next ten.
Knowing and understanding your own home decor style as well as having an established color palette will help keep you focused on what will work in your home.
Decorate With Intention
Before you start to dream of paint swatches or the perfect pop of color for that room – figure out how you need that space to work. Will your living room be an adult only space for relaxing? Or will it also need to serve as a playroom/work area/homework area? Will your dining room be used every day or just for formal occasions? This will not only help you decide what types of furniture you need but how to best arrange said furniture to make the most efficient use of the space. A formal dining room or living room that the kids will rarely be in can afford to have cream upholstery but an eat-in kitchen where a messy toddler runs wild may need surfaces and materials that can be quickly and easily wiped down.
Without defined spaces that function as they need to your home will never be cohesive and flow or function the way it should. Deal with the clutter, reassess your space and make the most efficient use of the room – this may mean moving furniture around or separating rooms into different zones.
