They don’t teach home decor in school, so we have to learn from examples around us and the magazines. If you want to update your home’s interior makes sure you know these fundamentals before you get started.
Have a focal point
It is vital to have a focal point in any room. You need something that will bring the room together and can reflect the changes in seasons easily. A good focal point mantlepiece. It can be decorated for the holidays or display ornaments throughout the year.
If you decide to get a mantelpiece whatever you do make sure that you get a fire too. There is nothing so sad as an empty fireplace. There are some lovely electric log burner styles available at the moment. Or you can go for a real fire or one of the popular gas fireplaces available, so you get the real fire look without the smoke and ash.
Keep it clean
The next design fundamental is to keep things clean. I don’t mean clean as in hygienic, although that is important too! I mean keeping the look of the room clean. Make sure that your decorations are all on a similar theme. For example, you may choose several things that are rustic looking, like lamps and picture frames make sure that you continue that theme in the rest of the room. You don’t want to mix it with other styles. Don’t combine two styles unless you are an advanced designer that understands how to make an eclectic look seem cohesive.
Colour or shape for drama
Another fundamental of home decor is that you can either use color or shape for drama. Don’t use both. So if you pick out a couch in a dramatic modern design, keep it in a neutral color like black or white. A less dramatic design can be brightened up with those of a bold fabric or print. You can clash prints too, but the secret to doing that it’s that all the patterns must contain the same colors.
Money doesn’t matter
Another decor fundamental is that it’s not money that matters. All your furniture can be custom made, but that isn’t what makes you stylish. You can use the few pieces you can afford from Target in the right way, and be the most stylish person ever. A few pieces arranged well, will speak volumes. Whereas a house crammed full of stuff you never use will be as useless as it is ugly. So choose wisely.
Storage is everything
Lastly in home decor, storage is everything. Having all the rubbish from your day to day life on display may be practical, but it is not pretty. If your bathroom is full of shampoo bottles and your dining room is covered in books, do yourself a favor and get some cupboards with doors on. Not only will they stop all your stuff getting dusty and faded by the sunlight. But it also presents a much calmer visual aspect to the room, without your eye being drawn here there and everywhere.
