Like fashion, furnishing styles are cyclical and constantly evolving. (Except seeing your family’s old sofa model in a vintage furniture store is much less depressing than seeing a young person wearing a (19) 90s costume for a retro school day.)
However, there are a number of factors that determine the way we decorate our homes, including our budget, aesthetic preferences, and health concerns. While some trends come and go, others have morphed into generally accepted conventions that many people do not want to question – despite the fact that their original purposes may no longer be relevant.
Let’s take a look at some examples of outdated interior design rules and myths that you can appropriately ignore Ruth Doherty at Homes & Gardens.
Small rooms must be painted white (or at least a light color)
The idea here is that if you paint the walls white (or some other light shade) you can fool yourself and your guests into thinking that a tiny bedroom is actually a spacious suite. But interior designer Brianne Bishop has a different attitude.
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“Dark color doesn’t make rooms any smaller. I actually use this trick the other way around, ”she said tells Homes & Gardens. “Adding depth to a wall creates the illusion of pushing the wall back and feeling bigger.”
Every room should look like a department store
Over time, not only have furniture and home decor styles evolved, but the way we shop for these items too. Once upon a time, The Thing To Do went into a special furniture or department store, bought a matching set of furniture, and then decorated the rest of the room accordingly.
But this is your home that we are talking about. Set it up and decorate it so that you are happy and comfortable. Even if things traditionally don’t go together. “Mix it up with complementary colors and bring in special pieces in a different style or vintage to spark interest in the room,” says the interior designer Mark Lavender tells Homes & Gardens. “A room doesn’t have to be sterile.”
Never mix metals
There’s no reason why you need to pick and stick to a metal finish for all of the furniture and furnishings in a room (or an entire house). If all of the standard lighting fixtures in your rental apartment are made of silver and you’re a fan of brass, get this mid-century modern brass lamp that you have been keeping an eye out for. Don’t let silver fittings be the cheapest type available when your building was being built, and dictate the style of what is now (at least temporarily) your space.
Not only that, but mixing metal surfaces can make an otherwise boring, revamped look stand out. “As long as you stay in the same family of cool and warm, you can mix metals, and black goes with both warm and cool metals,” Bishop said tells Homes & Gardens.
