Whether you are renting an apartment or moving into your very first single-detached house, the interior design of your home should give you comfort and peace of mind. After all, between work, commute, and just the demands of day to day, your living space should be your solace from all the stress.
Sprucing up your home is a good way to refresh your mind and soul. It is a great form of self-care that comes with a lot of benefits. With that said, we understand that not everyone can endeavor in a full-home renovation. Especially if you are renting, just boring holes in the walls of your apartment can be the difference between getting or not getting your security deposit.
For those who are itching for a change but do not want a long-term commitment, we have a one word solution for you - furniture. The right pieces of furniture are very important in determining the overall vibe and aesthetic of any space. Some interior designers even venture in saying that furniture is the most important design element.
Unconvinced? Below are a few reasons why choosing the right type of furniture should be your priority if you are planning a home redesign:
Furniture for Form and Function
For the most part, even the name of the room alludes to its function. A bedroom has a bed for sleeping. A dining room has a dining table for eating and entertaining. Furniture is important because it determines the function of a space. But more than fulfilling the needs of an area based on the name of the room, your furniture should also fulfill your specific need for any given room.
For instance, most people who work from home need visual limits to where and when they work. It can be difficult to put a full-stop on working when you live, sleep, and eat in the same space as your work area. Having said that, placing a work desk in the bedroom isn’t a good idea if you want a separation between your work life and home life.
In the same breath, if you are the kind of household that enjoys entertaining guests, investing in plenty of sitting options would make having guests over easier and a lot more enjoyable.
It is important to figure out the purpose of an area before buying furniture. The pieces that you purchase can determine how functional a certain space can be.
Find your Flow
Aside from defining the purpose of a space, the arrangement of your furniture also plays a hand in guiding the flow in which you would traverse your home. The right pieces can be the difference between being productive and feeling suffocated in your own house.
Keeping flow in mind, it is important to remember putting ample pathways between pieces of furniture. No one likes squeezing themselves between a sofa and a bookshelf just to get to the other side of the room.
Moreover, if you are looking to break up a big space to serve several functions, furniture can help you do that without breaking out power tools. The right piece can act as a divider. This way you don’t have to choose between having an office and a living area. You can do both once you understand how furniture can determine the flow of your home.
Balancing Act with Furniture
Not all spaces are created equal. There are rooms that feel cramped because of the low ceilings and there are spaces that are too narrow because of the limited floor area. Especially if you are renting, there isn’t much you can do to change the layout of your space. Thankfully, you have furniture to create a balanced visual weight.
Visual weight is an interior design concept that pertains to how heavy or light a particular space in a room is perceived. With that said, grouping large pieces with smaller decorative furniture is a good and easy way to create a balanced look. Likewise, using vertical or horizontal space instead of keeping everything on the wall or on the floor can make the room bigger and more comfortable.
You do not have to be an expert to achieve visual balanced through furniture. Taking a step back and looking at a room from a bit of a distance is already a good start.
A Home that is Truly Yours
Again, renters know it well - not being able to renovate or make considerable changes to your apartment can be stifling. It can prevent you from feeling truly comfortable in your own home.
While you might be itching to paint an entire room yellow at the cost of your security deposit, adding pieces of furniture that would reflect your bright and sunny personality can have the same effect on any given space. The right pieces of furniture would enable you to make a house into a home.
It is all about determining your personal style and picking out functional pieces that reflect that.
As discussed above, furniture is a very important part of interior design. It can make or break the aesthetic you are trying to achieve. With that said, below are a few ways to spice up your home with the right pieces:
Pick a Theme
There are very few things in interior design in 2020 that is as daunting as walking into a room and getting dizzy over the competing aesthetic. In every decorating project, the first step is picking out a theme. This could be a color, a print, or even an emotion. Before buying furniture, you want to have a clear picture of what you want the space to look like and how you want to feel when you are in that room.
Word of the wise is to choose two words that would be the central theme for your project. Do you want the room to be calming and relaxed? Or do you want it to be bold and edgy? Doing this step would make the buying process less complicated. You already know the general theme of what you are looking for. You don’t have to spend hours in malls and warehouses.
Jazz Up What You Already Have
People often are scared to redecorate because of the price tag that is attached to the project. However, unbeknownst to many, decorating with furniture doesn’t necessarily mean that you break your budget trying to purchase new ones.
Start with punching up the pieces that you already have. If you are going for a light and feminine look for your bedroom, sanding and painting your dresser with a pastel color is a good way to bring the space together. Likewise, installing contact paper on your dining table can change its look without having to buy a new set. If you are wary, you can start even smaller. Changing the knobs in your cabinet can lend to the interior design vibe you are trying to emulate without endeavoring in a big, laborious project.
Stretch your imagination and get your creative juices a-flowin’.
Rearrange!
Similar to revamping the pieces that you already have, switching where they are in your home can also be a thrifty means to redecorate. Sometimes, a piece of furniture doesn’t reach its peak potential because it isn’t placed in the optimum spot.
It is important to remember that like in art, there are no right or wrong ways to decorate your home. Just because a piece of furniture is meant to be in your living room doesn’t mean it wouldn’t go perfectly in your bedroom. Spend a weekend mapping out your home and swapping pieces. You will be surprised by how drastic the change can be!
Have Fun and Take Your Time
At the end of the day, spicing up your home with furniture should be a fun activity. You are designing a space that is truly yours. You should be able to be as bold and creative as you want to be.
In as much as you want the changes to happen over the weekend, redecorating for fun could take some time. It doesn’t make sense to feel stressed over creating a space that is relaxing. Take your time, purchase only the pieces that you love, and create a home that speaks to your soul.
Using furniture in order to revamp a space is a smart and efficient way to tackle both form and function. As with any interior design projects, the world is your oyster. The tips and tricks above should guide you but they are not set in stone. You are free to build a sanctuary in your home. We, however, hopeful that we have helped!
