Choosing the Right Furniture & Décor for Your Home
Furniture and decor are pivotal when setting the style and ambiance of a room and your home as a whole. When choosing the right furniture and décor for your home, it’s essential to settle on a style that suits who you are, your lifestyle and the interior of your home.
Traditionally designed homes adorned with quality wooden furniture often convey a classic look and feel, while furniture with sleek lines might be the go-to choice for a modern condo. That said, one question that many homeowners ask is whether they need to use the same style of furniture throughout their home. Is it okay to mix and match furniture pieces?
Of course, it’s good to have uniformity throughout your home. However, mixing up styles is something that can be done, and can look very impressive if it’s carried out appropriately. Let’s look at how to choose the right style furniture for your home, as well as other crucial aspects of decorating your home, such as mixing furniture styles and avoiding décor that matches too much.
Choosing the Right Style Furniture for Your Home
When you have a blank canvas in front of you, filling it can be daunting to say the least. It’s imperative to take time and plan out what style of furniture suits your home and tastes. In addition, it’s important to set a workable budget — and learn how to adhere to it as costs can often build up when you find your must-have pieces.
A good initial idea is to make a rough sketch of each room, as well as the general types of pieces you want in it. For example, in the living room, you’ll likely want a sofa, chairs and side tables at the bare minimum. Depending on your room size, you might also find a coffee table, bookcase, desk or ottoman essential.
Now, once you’ve sketched out your loose plan, you’ll have more of an objective to aim for, as you’re able to see how each piece of furniture should fit and work within your room. You also need to consider that each piece needs to fit into the space available for it while allowing room for people to move about the room freely.
After you’ve confirmed that your loose plan should work, consider the following tasks when choosing the right furniture and styles for your home:
- Measure your room. Although this may seem obvious, many people buy pieces for their homes on impulse, but then find there isn’t enough room for them. For this reason, it’s imperative to take accurate measurements of the space you’re working with. Add a note of the dimensions to your sketched-out room.
- Consider the size of potential pieces. Now that you know the room size you’re working with, think about choosing pieces that work well within its dimensions, in addition to working nicely in terms of their size and relationship to each other. Choose furniture that fits the size of your room. Bigger items tend to look better and less imposing in big spaces, and vice versa.
Simply put, ensuring the little, but massively important details are taken care of, such as making sure your coffee table is the same height as your seating, will bring your room together both practically and aesthetically.
- Choose furniture for utility. How many times have you bought an item for your home because you loved it in the store, but then never used it? Consider the number of people who will use the room, as well as how you’ll use the room. Choose furniture that will work with rather than against it.
A cute little two seater might be pretty, but it’s not going to work if you have a large family, unless you also consider other complementary seating solutions, for example. About 60 percent of employers reported offering telecommuting in 2016, according to the Society for Human Resource Management’s Employee Benefits Survey, so pieces like a computer center and wooden file cabinet might make perfect sense in your living space
- Use detailing to your advantage. Once you have an idea of the furniture you want in your space, think about adding some accent pieces in similar styles and colors to bring the place together. The right lighting, curtains and soft furnishings can add extra style and warmth to your room.
- Make a statement piece a focal point. Choosing a bold statement piece and placing it somewhere obvious can make a plain room far more interesting.
Choosing the Right Décor for Your Home
By choosing your décor to reflect your tastes, you can give your home a unique, personalized touch. Your home can be an extension and reflection of who you are, so choose colors, lighting and other home interior design options that reflect you and your lifestyle.
Color
When choosing a color palette for your home, it often comes down to personal choice. However, there are still some rules of thumb to follow:
- Choose a color scheme that’s related to the largest pattern within your space. Say you have a beautifully upholstered chair, such as the Westboro Chair that comes in a variety of eye-catching fabrics.
Focusing either on the chair upholstery pattern or the color or shape of the stars, you can bring your room together by hanging curtains or using throws in a similar design. The color scheme, whether it is pulling the red or maroon from these pieces, can also be extended to the walls, carpeting, or other accessories.
Remember, if that all sounds a bit too much for your tastes, you can never go wrong with quality furniture set against a backdrop of neutral colors and walls.
- Decorate from the floor up, dark to light. Follow nature’s rules and having darker floors, like the earth, medium colors in your mid-range and lighter colors “skyward”, you can ensure your room will look great.
- Begin with the public areas of your home. Focus initially on your entrance hall, dining room and living room. After choosing your color scheme for these areas, take one color from the scheme and use it to accent other areas of your home, thus pulling the whole look of your living space together.
- Think about the color wheel. In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton essentially identified the world’s first color wheel when he conducted a prism experiment whereby he figured out that pure white light embodies a full color spectrum. By using harmonizing colors that are close to each other in the color wheel, such as green and blue, you’ll find your décor flows beautifully and is consequently a relaxing place to spend your time.
- Keep your favorite colors in mind. If yellows and oranges make you happy, incorporate these colors into your decorating. Similarly, if you never wear green, perhaps that green paint in your bedroom won’t feel right to you.
- Contrast cool and warm colors. Contrast will stop your space from appearing too one-dimensional.
Lighting
Lighting is often an afterthought when you’re decorating your rooms, but it should never be overlooked. Lighting reflects and deflects color, making it change throughout the day and night.
A beautiful mirror-backed curio such as the 54” Leda Curio, available in oak, maple, cherry and more comes complete with LED lighting and showcases your treasures, as well as brightens up a dark corner. The mirroring also reflects light back into your room and opens up a small space.
There are many décor-related tips that can turn an average-looking space into a beautiful one. With the right strategy, your home will be a beautiful space.
How to Mix Different Furniture Styles Together
Years ago, mixing furniture was seen by many as something that should never be done, or taboo if you will. However, nowadays, with boho chic, eclectic and less formal styles being embraced, it’s perfectly acceptable — and desirable — to mix up the furniture styles within your home.
Keep in mind that even though mixing and matching may sound easy, in reality it is trickier than purchasing formal sets of furniture. With this in mind, here’s how to make mixing furniture work in your home:
- Choose furniture in pairs. When you match your chairs in pairs, for example, your room will look balanced, rather than looking as though one random piece of furniture has been placed there. Of course, it is fine to have one odd chair in the room, but if your room size permits, try to pair up chairs or side tables, for instance.
- Ensure at least two pieces of the same style are in the room. If you have an ornate fireplace mantel surround, team it with an ornate lamp or chandelier in the same style and color scheme. Similarly, if you have a pair of wooden chairs, such as these beautiful rustic Lodge Chairs in hickory, tie the look together by also finding room for this Lodge Ottoman, which is also available in hickory.
To mix this up, add a sofa in a different, yet complimentary style, such as the Arlington Sofa in oak, then add pops of your signature color in the form of cushions and throw pillows.
- Place your items in your room so they’re balanced. Creating a balanced space should be your top priority. Focus on the placement of your items and determine where they’ll look best along with the other furniture in your room. It’s usually best to space your items out against walls, in a triangle configuration or similar layout. Use your creativity and eye for design to find the best way to balance your pieces.
How to Pull Off Different Furniture Styles
We’ve looked at some tips on how to mix different furniture styles together. If you still don’t feel confident enough to mix up the furniture in your home, take a look at the following styles for your living room that can be mixed and matched.
Chairs
Is your preferred style casual, traditional, contemporary, country, modern or eclectic? There are plenty of chair styles to suit your taste:
- Recliner, such as this push back Arlington Recliner in oak.
- Glider, like this beautiful solid oak Bent Glider.
- Upholstered chair, like this quality Sleigh Chair in oak.
- Chair bed, such as this attractive and functional Mission Chair Bed, that sleeps one person, and is available in a range of woods, including, oak, cherry, white oak, maple and rustic cherry.
- Armchair, like this comfortable Morris Chair that can be purchased with a matching
ottoman for the ultimate in luxury and comfort.
Other popular chair styles include minimalist slipper chairs without armrests and overstuffed club chairs. There are many styles to choose from, but it’s crucial to do your research and figure out which best suit your home.
Sofas
As with selecting your chairs, when choosing the perfect sofa for your living room, remember you will be using it. If you have young children or pets, buy a sofa that’s durable and stain resistant. Consider the following styles:
- Loveseats, like this solid and beautiful Franchi Loveseat, with its beveled fluted straight legs and mission panels on the back and sides, make a welcome addition to any living room, and can be mixed and matched with other pieces to give an eclectic feel to your space.
- Sofas, such as this Mission Sofa in oak, can be ordered in a variety of fabrics and stains so that they will fit every interior design look with ease. Also consider this traditional Chippendale Sofa, a classic upholstered sofa in a style that is available in a wide range of fabrics.
- Sofa beds, like this Mission Sofa Bed, are beautiful pieces of functional furniture during the day, as well as a comfortable place to sleep at night.
- Futons, such as this Morris Futon that is available with or without storage — are very useful all-round furniture pieces.
Other attractive styles of sofa to choose from include settees, chaises and more modern pieces.
Upholstered Stools and Ottomans
When buying an ottoman or stool, remember to consider storage capability, stain resistance, durability and portability. Consider the following styles:
- Rectangular, like this Durango Morris footstool comes in a range of woods, as well as fabrics.
- Glider, such as this solid wood Amish Glider, featuring a built-in gliding mechanism to allow you to stretch out any time of the day and night. This piece is available in different fabrics to fit into any home.
- Square, such as the J Mission ottoman, which is both compact and attractive when it’s on show in your home. It’s available in leather and fabric top.
You could also purchase a circular upholstered stool or ottoman, if you prefer a softer edge to your furnishings.
Accent Tables, Side Tables and Coffee Tables
Something to keep in mind when choosing tables is their portability, durability, storage, and shelving. Choose from the following styles:
- Square, including this Boulder Creek End Table as it is a robust and well-made piece that would suit any living room.
- Rectangular, like the Magazine Lamp Stand combines solid wood style with functionality, and can be used in any living room décor.
- Circular, such as this beautiful Buckingham High End Table, which is an interesting piece to use in the living room.
- Oval, for example this high quality Jefferson Study Table that adds a touch of class to any room.
You can easily mix and match any style. Remember the golden rule and always buy chairs of the same style in pairs when mixing and matching, unless you’re buying an accent chair. And, don’t have too much mismatching, as this will give your home an unbalanced feel.
Do’s and Don’ts of Mixing Décor Styles
If you’re into the idea of mixing up the style of your home, you’re probably looking for more information and what you can and can’t do in terms of mixing and matching the styles within your home. Mixing up the décor and furniture in your home takes far more planning than buying a suite of matching furniture. If it’s not done with thought, your room can end up looking like a cluttered mess.
Through following these simple do’s and don’ts, your home can look eclectically designed and beautiful:
- Do use texture and color. If you’re new to this type of décor design, it’s easiest to begin by utilizing a neutral color palette on your walls and bringing other brighter, accent colors into your chairs, sofas and accessories. You can also use textured, patterned fabrics to pull everything together.
- Do accessorize. The eclectic mix and match look is dependent on different pieces. Think about adding some interesting lamps for your end tables and pairing a sleek modern table with a traditional sofa, for example.
- Don’t use too many styles. You want your home to have that wow factor, not to look like a garage sale, so choose only a few styles and adhere to them.
- Don’t over-style. Although you may be tempted to make many purchases of pieces you love, keep in mind the dimensions of your room, and remember to scale your décor and furniture accordingly. Eclectic styling can be tricky, but when it’s done correctly, it can make a good room great.
Tips for Mixing Furniture Styles
If you’re still feeling worried about mixing up the furniture styles in your home, remember that finding common ground is one of the best ways to succeed in this type of styling. Too much mixing will look confusing and will not be conducive to a relaxing atmosphere.
These ideas can help you successfully mix furniture styles without making your room look disjointed:
- Color. Through color consistency, you can have a cohesive look to your home. For example, if you have a traditional armchair, but want to add in a more modern-looking sofa, choose furniture that’s in the same shade, and you’ll find that it’ll match beautifully.
- Scale. Ensure the scale of your furniture is similar and uniform. This will allow different combinations to work well in your rooms.
- Balance. Creating balance is imperative when you’re mixing and matching furniture. With this in mind, try to place pieces of equal visual weight in a balanced way throughout your rooms.
- Equal distribution. If you’ve chosen your two different styles for your room, you need to distribute the pieces equally. For example, if one half of your room is Shaker and the other half is Victorian in style, it’s going to look strange. Always incorporate multiple styles strategically throughout your rooms.
- Shape. Ensure your pieces have similar shapes and lines to create a good flow and consistency in your room.
- Room purpose. Before you design your room, think about how it will be used. If it’s a place where you enjoy kicking back and relaxing, ensure your mix of furniture is informal. If you only use your room on special occasions, you can afford to mix up a few different formal furniture styles.
How to Avoid Décor That Matches Too Much
Having a room that matches too much can be equally as unattractive as one that contains too many different styles. Aim for a balance in terms of your home décor. One color or style often spells boredom and a lack of imagination. So, what can you do to avoid décor that matches too much?
Ideally, you want your room to coordinate and contain many different aspects that are interesting and attractive on their own, while also working together as a whole. A coordinating room contains variations of tone and different prints, textures and materials that will show as cohesive and balanced.
Adding statement accessories and pieces breaks up a room that matches too much. Don’t forget that cushions, rugs and curtains can add much interest to a room too, especially when they include interesting fabrics and complementary colors. Variations in materials and texture add layered and stylish interest that draws you in. A defined and deliberate color palette creates a cohesive room.
Amish Outlet Store Can Help You Pull Your Home’s Look and Style Together
Whether it’s for your living room, bedroom, workspace, kids room or some other room, if you’re in the process of choosing the right furniture and décor for your home, take a look at our selection of exceptionally high-quality wooden furniture at Amish Outlet Store. With so many products to choose from, you’ll have your home furnished in style in no time.
Remember that home décor and furniture is very much a deeply personal choice — but solid wood furniture is timeless. By investing in some key pieces, as well as following the advice and tips above, your home will look beautiful and welcoming for years to come.
If you need help putting together your complete home furniture and décor, contact an AmishOutletStore.com representative for assistance. We’re here to provide you with solid wood furniture and interior design ideas.