Look around the room you’re sitting in right now. Does it feel finished? Comfortable? Stylish? Perfect?
People often struggle to identify the reason their home isn’t just quite right – no easy feat by any means! Here are some dos and don’ts, to help you avoid the Goldilocks story, so you can find yourself a little closer to your very own dream-home-come-true.
DO START WITH A SIMPLE BACKDROP
Simplicity can offer a number of benefits when it comes to your interiors. Let’s start with the base – which typically includes the walls, floors and cabinetry. Opting for a clean, neutral palette of colours and materials gives them longevity in the face of rapidly changing décor trends.
This approach to decorating also allows you to layer in those timely trends as desired. If you love that bold new pattern or “colour of the year” simply just get a few new accessories and your space is instantly au courant.
TIP: Don’t over-complicate your home’s backdrop. This will make decorating or updating your space simple rather than a challenge you dread each time.
DO AIM FOR SYMMETRY
Whatever your design aesthetic or style, balance is an element you will want to incorporate.
Be mindful of creating balance when it comes to height, weight, colour, pattern and material of objects and finishes. Focus on the even distribution of all of the above when trying to create a hierarchy of furnishings and accessories. You can achieve this by integrating natural focal points such as fireplaces with symmetrical seating in front or on either side.
TIP: Incorporate odd groupings by positioning the tallest piece at the centre and work your way down. Be careful not to concentrate too much of one thing in one place, like a single colour, material or “clump” of furnishings.
DO LEAVE BREATHING ROOM
Speaking of balance, the empty space in your home is as important as all the content you bring in. This “emptiness” between your furnishings, art and accessories is what puts them into context. It gives your eyes a chance to rest and it elevates your featured items.
From a practical perspective, white space also enhances the function of your furnishings and accessories as well as the areas around them, allowing you to pass in between with ease, and use them with comfort.
Pablo Picasso said you should learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist – and this certainly rings true in the world of interior design. Some rules are meant to be broken, but others are in place for good reason. With our simple guidelines we hope we can bring you a little closer to that “dream-home-come-true!”
