When INSIDER polled interior designers on the biggest mistakes people make when decorating their homes, they chimed in with responses ranging from cookie-cutter matching furniture to open storage revealing untamed clutter. If you’re looking for ways to create a cohesive look in your home, the good news is you can do it without the need for a ton of new furniture and accessories, nor the price tag of a professional designer.
But it does take more than a fresh coat of paint and a thoughtful throw pillow to give your home a refresh. Here are five ways to pull a room together while still keeping it easy, fun and affordable.
1. Choose a color palette
Get down to business by first choosing a color palette. Winging it with white on white won’t necessarily make your room look like a fresh and breezy beach. Instead, it could just leave it looking sterile. HGTV suggests plucking out colors from the largest pattern in your space. If you’re working on transforming your living room, look at that upholstered ottoman or rug, and look for colors that speak to you. You can also grab a color wheel and use it as inspiration with that pattern you choose. One idea is to contrast warm and cool colors.
2. Focus on small furniture
Your sofa and armchairs are likely the largest pieces of furniture in your living room. It’s easy to overestimate how much space you really have and keep looking for big pieces to complete your room. In reality, smaller furniture can work better and maximize your space. The end result is making your room look bigger and less cluttered.
3. Find the right accessories
One mistake designers see people making is forgoing the home accessories altogether. Leaving a room barren doesn’t evoke a warm feeling and can leave your home feeling less than welcoming. Rely on small accents to tie together the room from colorful vases to wall hangings and a photo gallery. Working with accessories is also an ideal time to experiment with color. For example, a canary yellow light fixture could look fantastic in your dining area with a fresh coat of white paint on the walls.
4. Refresh your floors
Dusty and worn floors aren’t pleasant to look at and won’t do much to inspire your refresh. There are several things to try including painting the existing floors or putting down new hardwood planks. A sky blue floor in your kitchen or entry area can turn an average room into a refreshing gathering spot where everyone feels inspired. Or skip the paint altogether and grab a throw rug with a geometric pattern that incorporates your favorite color palette to jazz up your room and pull it together.
5. Utilize your windows
Instead of going for demure window coverings that fade into the background, refresh them with something bold that makes a statement. Choose curtains with prints and patterns that complement the colors and accessories in your room. For just a pop of color to tie everything together, look for window coverings with a stripe of color at the top, middle or hem to draw your eye without overwhelming the room.
Think of pulling a room together as an opportunity to re-inspire your home and experiment with your favorite colors and styles. You can start small with the ideas on this list and slowly venture into new furniture and bedding as you master the art of pulling a room together with ease. With that said, there are many other ideas available on the web that you can visit and make use of while you go to discover your own. Keep in mind that there are always many ways you can do it but these are our five easy, fun and affordable ways to pull a room together.
