How to Ensure Your Space Feels Like You.
There are hundreds of theme ideas and decoration guidelines available online. If you’re hesitant about your interior decorating skills, you can even hire a professional to do the work for you.
But no matter how impeccably a space is decorated, following a pre-set guideline can often leave it feeling impersonal and cold. The feeling of home is hard to quantify, but the warmth you feel when you walk into a space, you feel comfortable in is something that all of us crave.
However, it can also be challenging to make a space feel more welcoming and homely because it's hard to quantify. One of the most important ways of ensuring your comfort in any area is bringing a sense of “you” – your personality, your likes, and dislikes – into the design concept. At the same time, you undoubtedly want to stick to your theme and make sure you don’t compromise your vision for the space.
If you’re wondering how to balance a desire to bring personality into a space with the want to stick to your design concept, here are some tips that can help you create a gorgeously coherent space that still feels like you.
Display Art
Art pieces are often an extremely personal choice. You may have a theme to guide you when deciding on the type of art you wish to display in your space, but you will have to make the final decision.
With the variety of art available, it is easier than ever to stick to the theme and still bring in a touch of your own personality into your space. For example, if you have a classic design theme and an eclectic personality, you may choose to go with prints from a lesser-known Renaissance artist. Alternatively, you can add a touch of modern art to serve as contrast. Art also allows you to play with colors and shapes in a way that you might not be able to with the rest of the furniture pieces in a room.
Finally, art is often impermanent. You can keep swapping prints or pieces for each other, allowing you to create an ever-changing space that is still quintessentially you.
Adjust Lighting
When creating a design concept, many people tend to overlook the effect of lighting. However, the lights you choose and the way you decide to illuminate your space can play an important role in creating feel and ambiance.
You can play with lighting to create cozy corners and brighter focal spaces in the room. For example, if you are an avid reader, you may choose to create a small reading nook that you can escape to while also ensuring that there is a larger, brighter space for people to gather in when you are hosting friends or family. This allows you to create a space that feels like your own without compromising your design aesthetic.
Display Knickknacks and Personal Items
Most of us have small, personal items that mean a lot to us. These might be souvenirs you’ve collected during travel, a unique piece of furniture from your childhood, a toy that you’ve kept close for years, or a music box that plays a song from a special moment in your life.
You can also display some of your favorite books or bring in small plants to add a touch of greenery to the space. Whatever you choose, these small touches will help make your design scheme seem less impersonal and help bring your personality to the room. It can help the room feel more personal, welcoming, and more like you, all without affecting the rest of the theme or concept.
More than the pieces you choose, the budget you have, or the theme you have fallen in love with – what truly makes a space feel welcoming and homely are the personal touches that you add. When designing, it is important to keep this in mind and make sure the room you are working on not only looks great but also feels like you when you are done styling it.
