What’s Missing? 5 Ways to Complete Your Room
Have you spent countless hours searching for just the “perfect” item to finish up your home décor only to get it in the intended spot and discover it still isn’t quite right? As an interior designer, I hear this comment far too frequently, so you aren’t alone. Here are some tips that might help you with the process of completing your décor.
1. Accessorizing is the most difficult task for most.
– Accessorizing can be so difficult and time consuming that it is the area most left undone in the home décor, thus creating the #1 cause for a space feeling incomplete. The most common design principles overlooked in the process of accessorizing are scale and proportion. Often, too many small items are used together and include nothing of particular importance or interest. Select an area to accessorize; start with one item that will be the statement piece and then pull other items that complement that one piece. Splurge on common areas, i.e. dining tables, cocktail tables, kitchen islands, powder vanities, with a grouping of unique items or one that is a star. IBB has the best assortment of accessories available for you to take on approval, and one of the designers is always willing to help with the selection.
2. If the space isn’t feeling cohesive to you, start back at the focal point.
The TV is often the center of the focal point (fireplace) in the living area, and it can feel finished with placement of beautiful glassware or sculptural accessories used on the mantle or hearth. If there is not a focal point architecturally, then it’s important to create one. You can achieve this with an interesting piece of furniture (oh, and sofas aren’t generally interesting enough to do the job!) i.e. a beautiful bed, a chest, or a fabulous piece of art. Focus on something that will draw the eye and anchor the space. Complete the area around the focal point; then use this as a guide as you work on the remaining areas of the room. It will make the selections for the next areas less complicated.
3. The open living concept is quite common in homes today, and it has many benefits,
but it can also be overwhelming to decorate. Get a plan for each area, and work the plan as the budget will allow. Trying to do a little in each area will not give you a feeling of accomplishment. Tackle each area at a time. Consulting with a professional designer can be helpful in creating a plan that will save you time and dollars in the long term.
4. Most people forget to address the ceiling and the area above the immediate eye-level, so the room feels unfinished.
Look for areas to add a single or a pair of light sconces. The light adds drama and interest to the space and will force the eye to travel farther up into the space. There are some remarkably interesting chandeliers for high ceilings and ceiling mount light fixtures for the over 9-foot ceiling heights that will add a unique finishing touch. Draperies are another way of moving the eye up into a space, and nothing adds the finishing touch to any room like the perfect textile. We have an almost unlimited selection at IBB with our own custom workroom to make your draperies and have your room complete in a few short weeks.
5. A common mistake I see in décor is furniture placement.
Generally, there isn’t enough furniture for the amount of space, or the space hasn’t been utilized effectively. Keeping the traffic flow in mind, be sure to incorporate more than one area of function in a space whenever possible. This may be easier to accomplish in the living area or the master bedroom, but be creative in all common areas and in the bedrooms. Guest bedrooms can often be small, but adding a desk and chair in the appropriate scale adds interest. A console instead of a heavy chest will open the space. Add a bench or stool with it for functional storage and seating. Consider creating a separate sitting area in a family room by position a pair of chairs with a larger, taller side table or with an ottoman behind a floating sofa or at the foot of the master bed.
Come visit IBB, and let us help you with these and other finishing touches to your home!