By Justine Oliver
Deciding on a theme for your home does not need to be as challenging and tedious a task as you may think. With an endless array of fabrics, designs, and patterns available, planning and decorating your home has never been more enjoyable.
As with any project, planning is key. It does not make sense to go and buy the most expensive decor items available on the market only to realise that instead of creating a central theme for your home you’ve created a stark contrast, with decor items that do not gel well together.
Your home should be a reflection of your personality and your character, and the decor you choose to grace the interior of your home should emulate this.
Therefore it is pivotal to do your own research – visit home stores, speak to interior designers, browse through pages of interior magazines, and find a specific style that speaks to you.
Also make a list of your likes and dislikes. Once you’re able to differentiate between the two, and know more or less what kind of style you like, it will be easier for you to visualise the kind of theme you are searching for – all decor elements such as ornaments, artworks, and furnishings included.
Schanè Anderson, of olàlà! Interiors, says: “Fabric is the ultimate tool to soften, create interest and personalise any room.” There is nothing better than at the end of a hard day’s work to come home to a place of refuge, your very own sanctuary which defines the very essence of beauty.
With that being said, choose to view your interior as a blank canvas, where you are the artist about to create a wonderful masterpiece – the difference being instead of hanging this masterpiece in a gallery you will be able to live in it and experience it every day, whether you use the help of an interior decorator or choose to do it on your own.
“Ignore trends, go for what gives you that warm, happy, fuzzy feeling,” advises Schanè. “You are going to walk into that room every day of your life. It must be gorgeous.” While one particular theme creates a seamless flow throughout your home, and is always a great idea, a central colour theme for your interior is a good alternative.
If you choose to decorate with one colour (that being a neutral or earthy tone), adding a vibrant colour combination through the use of soft furnishings such as scatter cushions, curtaining, rugs, even paintings and ornaments, can significantly create an alluring ambience in your home.
Although striking and bold colours make for great focal points, try to keep your furnishings simple so as to not create a colour contrast or have an over saturation of colour.
Speaking of colour, accent walls are also a great way to introduce colour into your home. Adding a vibrant colour to one wall in particular, especially a colour around which the furnishings revolve, adds a dynamic element into an already existing theme. Play around with the colours you like, colours which speak to you.
Don’t forget about the wallcoverings. Wallcoverings add extra texture and dimension to the overall look of a home. “It adds life to a dead wall,” explain experts from Design Time.
If, however, you prefer to have a neutral colour on your walls then introduce colour through your furniture and soft furnishings. Often having a dual-colour combination throughout your interior such as black and white or red and black is not only simple in design but adds a sleek yet elegant appearance to any abode.
From vintage to retro, contemporary to antique, Victorian to eclectic – there are numerous themes to choose from. While colour plays a major role, so too does the chosen furniture style.
Nooreen Sarkhot, of Compositions, says: “It is important to strike a balance between maintaining a sense of warmth and comfort in a room. To me, contemporary furniture seeks out the sleekest style while adding a touch of warmth and comfort.”
With that being said, lighting is also a pivotal factor for any interior. Low key mood lighting is always great for a more intimate and relaxed ambience. Setting the correct lighting should also accentuate the theme you have chosen.
Choosing a theme for your home has never been easier. Whether you choose to decorate using a specific theme or style, or simply to use the vast world of colour combinations, the decision ultimately lies with you. After all, your house is more than a home, it is your own personal sanctuary.
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