'Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style'
When we redesign our home or design a new space we often tend to get carried away with the unlimited suggestions and choices available and end up either with too much or too little of what we originally planned. Here are a few tips on what not to indulge in while adorning your dream house!
- Too much perfection is for museums not your own space: While you want your home to look beautiful and appealing, remember that trying to achieve too much perfection will make you end up living uncomfortably in your own home. Let it looked 'lived in' even if it means a little bit of "out of place" messiness. Allow your own house to be inviting for you as well as for your guests!
- Don't follow decisions; just suggestions: It is your own house. Remember that and do not try to follow every suggestion or temptation that comes before you. You can take help, advise too if the need be. But be your best judge and decide on how you want your home to look. Even if it means not having the most contemporary pieces. You might want to stick to your roots!
- Don't go haywire with paints: The colour of your walls and home more or less define the look of the house. It's a very critical decision and cannot be taken based on a small chip of colour presented in the bright lights of the paint store. Paint a small patch of your wall before you decide on any colour. Check the colour in natural light as well as your evening lamps. It is not necessary that your favourite colour would best suit your home. Find a way to incorporate your favourite colour in different sections of the house. Decide the mood of each room before you chose the colour. A bright colour for the kids/play room, a relaxing colour for your bedroom and a serene but interesting colour for your living room can be a good choice. And of course you have to think of your furniture and upholstery to go with the paint. Its always helps to chose the paints last, after you have decided on the other components of the house.
- Don't overindulge in trends: While it is not advisable to go cheap and buy an attractive piece of furniture based on its eye-pleasing colours or style, it is also not recommended to buy expensive trendy pieces by going overboard your budget. Look for interesting styles and lines that suit your room as trends come and go. Look for pieces that will go on for a while. To gratify your fashionable or trend loving instincts add accessories (lamps/vases/artefacts) and rugs that can totally change the look of your room without making a whole in your pocket.
- Don't crowd the furniture near the walls: Furniture placed in groups towards the centre gives your room an aura of warmth and friendliness rather than arranging it all around the room near the walls. You can opt for it if you have no alternative but the former option makes it more inviting and comfortable. If you have large room you can have clusters of pieces for conversations and seating.
- 6. Don't crowd your room with mismatched furniture: In case you have many different furniture pieces make sure to arrange them in a way that an area should have matching pieces rather than a crowd of varied components. You can paint or change the upholstery of odd pieces to make them go with the overall look. However at times a few contrasting components might present an interesting enhancement to the room. Take a decision on how well you can place them!
- Don't just add; learn to remove too: Just because you have had a certain piece since many years doesn't mean it still is appealing enough for your space. Learn to get rid of things which are now a sore in the eye. You can move it to a different room or just stack them away for a while. Alternatively try and refresh your furnishings by changing the colours and covers.
- Don't overindulge in display of personal valuables: While its fine to display a few family photographs and some memoirs in the form of antiques, don't make your rooms a display area of your past memories. Especially avoid displaying a lot of your own pictures which gives a notion of self obsession.
- Don't forget that little additions make a big difference: Where the grand furniture pieces decide the structural appeal of your space it's the small accessories that enhance the overall ambience and add a touch of your personality to your home. Add small interesting pieces like table linens, dishware, glassware, sconces, flowers, lamps, vases, artefacts, plants and other ornamental bits. Adorn your room with splashes of colour and of course combine it with your good taste. It's worth the extra effort.
- Don't go for more when less is fine: At times one small piece of jewellery can attract more attention than a fully jewelled dramatic look. The same is true for decorating your space. Too many good things can really be too much. Don't cover your space with a variety of things that end up looking like a zoo rather than your personal abode. Add a little of this and a little of that but do not place too many variations of colours, woods, metals, wallpapers or gold leafs. Make sure to use less but elegant to add the 'feel good' factor to your home!
