Furnishing your home? Here are 3 things to look out for!
Tags: Furnishings, Home Improvement, Interior Design, Furniture, Furniture Design

We all know furniture is one of the main components that make up your interior space. In this article, I’ll show you a) how to know if the furniture is in the right proportion for the space you have. b) How the furniture visually impacts your space (it makes it appear smaller or bigger).

#1: Placement of your Furniture: A common mistake made is placing furniture along the walls of the room to create huge empty spaces in between. Creating a chunk of empty space in between is not going to help bring a sense of spaciousness. It is important to create a layout such that your movement around the space is not affected, but this can be achieved without having to place them against the walls. Create spaces that embrace the activity the room is for.

For example, a common mistake that people make in the family room is placing all their sofa and chairs all facing the TV! The TV is not the only main subject or the activity of the room! The family room is for the family to engage in conversations and the best way to encourage that is by placing furniture facing each other. Place the larger piece of your couch perpendicular to the TV instead, so you can use it as a daybed on a lazy morning!

#2: Furniture style: There are numerous styles of upholstery and designs to choose from. Classical, Indian, Moroccan, country, Scandinavian, mid-century modern, etc. To comprehend different styles and learning to put them together is going to take a while, so let me give you a DIY trick to judge furniture that will suit your home and your style.

The style of any furniture can be judged by the features on its legs. Ball and claw-footed curvy lines, sleek tapered legs; glamorous gold and silver finishes will tell you the style of the piece. Classic silhouettes, curved lines, deep wood finishes represent a traditional style. These features can add visual weight to the furniture while expressing grandeur. If you are looking for a formal yet timeless style to your interiors, these pieces will resonate with you.

Some pieces sit low on the floor. These give off a bulky yet cosy feel to the piece. Gold and silver legs can also add to the visual weight of the furniture. So if you’re going for a soft comfy look, go for a chesterfield sofa or a tub chair, etc. If you are trying to go for a look that makes your space look larger, try ones that have long slender legs, and clean lines without intricate upholstery details like futons, chaise, Lawson and mid-century modern.

#3: Colour and Texture: If you’re looking to keep your room appear more spacious than it is, go for dark colour upholstery/shades of wood. Also, choose ones that are raised at a considerable height from the floor so that the floor space is visible making it seem spacious. Dark colours often give a sense of compactness to the furniture further enhancing the space around it. Keep patterns simple and straightforward. If you’d like to create a warm cozy look, go for neutral-toned cushion colours on your furniture. You can play with bold colourful patterns on the upholstery and rugs. Different fabrics of the same colour can act differently too. For example, a dark velvet upholstery on a chair looks heavier than a dark blue jute or polyester fabric. Leather looks heavier than microfiber. Choose your fabric accordingly, and don’t be afraid to layer them to boost visual interest.

#4: Don’t spread out a collection:

Gone are the days when all the pieces of furniture in the room matched each other. Mix up your pieces of furniture and don’t spread a collection of the same style throughout the room. This could result in a flat design and become boring. For example, when picking out furniture for the living room, choose the main three-seater furniture in a lighter or medium neutral tone and a grand curvy silhouette, choose a chair to compliment the silhouette and accent colour for the room.