The interior design choices you make for your home are among the most difficult and important you will ever have to make. Now that might sound dramatic. Of course, there’s an argument to say that the furniture, fixtures and fittings we fill our homes with—at the end of the day—are just ‘stuff’. The material possessions and worldly goods we have in our lives are not what really matters it’s the people in our lives that really count.
A house becomes a home
But it many ways, it is those interior design choices we make that enable us to transform the basic bricks and mortar of a house into a genuine home. It is our choice of furniture, colour scheme and room layout that dictates the level of functionality, comfort and pleasure we get from our homes. If you want to just kick off your shoes, put on your pyjamas and slippers and relax on the sofa for an evening—your interior design choices can determine just how comfortable, relaxing and cosy your evening is. If you want impress all that set foot in your home with stunning feature pieces of furniture that demand everybody’s attention – your interior design choices can help you do that too.
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Is there too much choice?
You can never really have too much choice, but the fact that there is so much choice out there when it comes to interior design can present its own problems. We go from lifestyle programmes on the TV to glossy magazines and, of course, let’s not forget the font of all knowledge that is the internet. We are bamboozled by an incredible array of advice, opinion and options. We can be pulled from pillar to post with a myriad of different styles, looks and dos and don’ts.
Rules? There are no rules!
Confusing or conflicting as it can be sometimes, it is great to have so much interior design advice at our fingertips. But it is also important to remember that there are no rules. Interior design is simply a matter of taste—your taste at the end of the day. With versatile furniture, you can create ‘classic’ farmhouse kitchen, vintage or contemporary looks—anything is acheivable. If you want to go the whole hog and create those styles, you can. But you can blend vintage with modern to good effect too.
Of course, there are broad principles that are worth bearing in mind. Although it doesn’t mean that you have to cover the floor to ceiling (light shade and all) in magnolia, if you are planning to sell your home, then keeping things fairly neutral is a good idea. It’s also worth bearing in mind that many homebuyers (despite all the good advice given to the contrary) find it hard to see beyond the existing decor and design style of a room when they are viewing properties. Anything that is too wacky or individual is probably best avoided.
But there are no rules. And when it comes to furniture, the only restrictions you really have are the size and layout of rooms and your budget. There are always ways to get around those potential problems too. Choosing a few keys functional furniture pieces that are functional and simple, that will blend into any motif regardless if you redecorate—that is the trick.
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Versatility and variety
All homes have a basic foundation and design infrastructure the kitchen cabinets, bathroom fittings (and any fitted wardrobes) that you may have. From that starting point, you essentially have a blank canvas on which you can create and mould your own style and stamp your own personality. Options are slightly more restricted however, if you have a small home or room to work with.
With that in mind, versatility and adaptability in furniture can be a real bonus. A CD/DVD rack is obviously perfect for housing such items, but it doesn’t have to be its only use. A staple furniture piece such as a cupboard can be as suited to a conservatory or child’s bedroom as it is in a lounge. A lamp table can easily be utilised as a bedside table and vice versa. By using adaptable furniture you can negate any clutter or overstuffing within your room, versatile furniture for small spaces is the best option. Dual purpose furniture is also key in more restricted spaces, try and make sure the pieces you select have multiple functions within the room, for example a footstool that doubles as a coffee table. When looking at furniture pieces, you should consider their features just as much as their overall aesthetic appeal. Drawers, shelves, cabinets and cupboards. Which do you need more of? How could you use them? Which room would be best for them? These are the questions you should be asking yourself.
Hallowood is an oak furniture provider who pride themselves on producing furniture ranges that offer you the choice to create a complete and coordinated look for any room in the home. Their mission is to offer genuine storage solutions and pieces that have a wide variety of potential uses. To find out more about Hallowood’s quality products, visit their website: hallowood.co.uk/
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