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Clutter has become the boogeyman of all things interior design related as of late. Even when you’re aiming hard to evoke a certain style or scene, you’re well warned to avoid overstuffing the room with things that tend to draw the eye away from key elements of design. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to work with the barest minimum. Here, we’re going to look at how your keen attention to detail can work even without the clutter.
Pretty up the practical points
Prettiness and practicality are the ideal. We have heard a lot about avoiding putting too many knick-knacks on bookshelves, coffee tables, mantelpieces and the like. However, if the room has a practical space like the desk or storage cubbies, this can the perfect place to accent with one or two knick-knacks. You still want to avoid overdoing it, but practical spaces by themselves look a little bare and unfun, so those extra details can help give them some much-needed life while keeping other surfaces clean and simple. You have to know when to let the furniture speak for itself and when it needs a little help.
Making existing elements match
When decorating the room, we tend to look at the big picture first. The walls, the flooring, the major pieces of furniture. If you want to really appeal to those who can pick out fine details, you have to update the other elements, too. Choose the right window treatments and shop by drapery hardware material to make sure that any curtain rods match. Update the wall art when you update your walls. Don’t neglect to accent the room with matching area rugs and throw pillows even if you’re opting for a more contemporary style.
Mismatch with care
Mismatched home décor is all the rage these days, but many people are rightfully wary of it. Get it wrong and it can look like you came into a room with no plan at all. Instead, the right idea is to keep the majority of your furniture and fittings in one style. Then you choose a few individual elements of different materials and textures to apply on top like a single layer. Keep those mismatched elements consistent with each other, however, to ensure that the effect looks intentional, not like an unfortunate accident.
Stick to the color scheme
This is a simple rule, but it’s one that needs to be reinforced time and time again. The room should rely primarily on two colors, and everything should fit into or around that palette. Online room color pickers can help you test out different colors and its best to work your way up. Rather than choosing wall colors first, pick your central piece of furniture and choose wall and floor colors that contrast nicely with it.
Learning to add detail is all about being selective. Make use of the core elements and permanent (or semi-permanent) parts of the room. Above all else, stick to the core style and color scheme.
