By Jill
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2015 2:50 AM
When it comes to decorating your home, do you have a knack for knowing which colors, styles, and textures work well together to create the perfect décor? Or does the prospect of decorating a new home or updating your existing one seem completely daunting?
Most people probably fall somewhere in the middle. Maybe you have ideas about what you like, but you’re not exactly sure what will work best in your home. Today, there are more ways than ever to find your perfect decorating style. Websites like Pinterest and houzz have literally thousands of room scenes to view. There are entire television networks devoted to home makeovers. Many manufacturers like Armstrong and QuickStep offer tools on their websites that allow you to design your own virtual room to see how their products fit into your decorating scheme. And, you can always grab a good old-fashion home design magazine to pull ideas. But, sometimes, too many options can make your head spin. To sort through it all, here are a couple of tips to follow when planning your next home remodel.
Pick one key element, and build from there.
When you look at room scenes you like, is there one thing in particular that catches your eye? For instance, do you find yourself gravitating toward rooms with dark hardwood flooring? Or maybe you’re drawn to certain colors such as gray tones or warm browns and reds? Rather than picking all the furnishings for a room at once, try starting with that one key feature, such as the room color or the flooring, and then build the room’s décor from there.
A big trend in flooring right now is using one flooring material to cover a lot more space. If your home has an open-concept design where one room flows into another, this can be a great way to create a cohesive look. Using the same flooring throughout a large space also adds an element of simplicity to your design and can give your home a more relaxed feel. For this look, consider a neutral tone. Gray continues to be the hot neutral color in interior design right now – and flooring is no exception. From carpet to hardwood flooring to laminates and luxury vinyl tiles, grays are everywhere. A big reason is that gray mixes well with many color pallets. For a more natural, earthy décor, gray flooring coordinates beautifully with brown tones. Lighter grays can also brighten up a dark space, while darker grays will add more visual interest to lighter-toned furnishings.
Or for a more traditional feel, you can go with hardwood flooring or laminates in warmer brown tones. Dark browns can add a more contemporary vibe. And flooring in medium-brown shades gives rooms a cozier feel – and may do a better job of hiding the signs of every day wear in busy homes.
Add a pop of color.
Looking for an inexpensive way to give a space a little pizazz? Try adding a bold color. When choosing a room’s color palette, many design experts recommend using the 60-30-10 rule, whereby roughly 60% of the room includes a more neutral shade, 30% applies a secondary color, and the final 10% showcases a bolder accent color. Try adding an area rug or bold-colored accent pillows, which can easily be replaced as your tastes change. Painting one wall red (or a favorite color that works) can also be a great way to add a pop of color to your space. To be sure you pick a color you love, test out a few paint samples on the wall of your room.
What you like and what you can live with may not be the same thing.
Keep in mind that sometimes styles you are drawn to visually may not be the most practical choice for you. You may love the sleek, modern look of ebony-stained hardwoods. But if you have pets with sharp claws or who shed, you may soon wish you chose flooring that was a bit more camouflaging. It’s also important to think about how you want your new room to make you feel. You may be drawn to more formal room settings with ornate chandeliers and beautiful marble floors. But ultimately, a room with a more laid-back rustic décor may be where you will truly feel “at home.” For this reason, when customers come in to our showroom and select flooring they like, we encourage them to take samples home. You need to see how the flooring will look against the backdrop of your space. How do the textures and colors work with the overall design elements in the room? How is the flooring affected by different lighting, etc. This is really the only way to be sure that the styles you like are also ones you can be happy with in your home for years to come.
Have Questions?
Have questions about your next flooring purchase? Ask one of our Barry Carpet flooring experts. Or visit our Barry Carpet showroom in West Los Angeles to see our broad selection of flooring options from many of the industry’s leading manufacturers.
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