You might be looking to upgrade your entire interior from “meh” to a completely “meow,” luxurious look and feel, or you might simply want to add some luster and up-scale appeal to your already gorgeous living environment to make the space look grander and more welcoming – whatever it might be, it’s important to know that true sophistication lies in the details. It doesn’t take much sprucing up with simple decor solutions to bring a shabby room to its former shining glory, nor should creating a luxurious look be a costly endeavor, as described by Chloe Taylor in this guest post. Be sure to read Chloe’s full bio at the bottom.
Instead, all you need to do is to know exactly where to position certain focal points, how to mix and match the décor elements and the eras, and how to utilize the power of colors and patterns to mold the ambiance of every room. Here are the five simple decor solutions that embody true sophistication.
Mix & Match the Eras
Luxury comes in numerous forms, and while it might seem like luxury equals a pool and a couple of Bentleys to the inexperienced eye, it can actually take on quite a personal look and feel. After all, a sophisticated living environment is an extension of your own personality, and your unique sensibilities. With that in mind, don’t blindly do what Architectural Digest tells you, instead, make your up-scale setting personal and unique.
You can combine modern and vintage décor to create a beautiful and striking eclectic blend of several eras, and make the place truly resonate with your own passion and flair. Choose your décor elements wisely, and always have a dominant design in the room instead of trying balance the elements perfectly. Remember, have at least 60% of your room follow a vintage approach, and devote the rest to its contrasting design – or vice versa. This will allow you to frame the design.
Choose Neutral Colors, Colorful Accessories and Bold Patterns
Color can make or break the ambiance in the room. Choose the right hue, and you can imbue the setting with the exact look and feel you’re going for, but be wary, making a mistake can portray an entirely different aesthetic. With that in mind, always remember that you can’t go wrong with neutral shades. Paint the walls in neutral hues such as white and off-white, or even charcoal, before choosing a bold wallpaper pattern.
Matching the wallpaper to the color scheme in the interior is a delicate process, and choosing the right pattern will allow you introduce a distinct hint of luxury. Imagine a statement wall boasting an ornate pattern in the living room behind the couch with coordinating colorful pillows – it’s a striking contrast to the surrounding neutrals, and it gives the room its unique, up-scale flair. Choose your wallpapers and accessories wisely, and they will bring a luxurious interior to life.
Pay Special Attention to the Finer Details
We mentioned earlier that true sophistication is a reflection of the finer décor elements in your home. These are the elements that stimulate more than one sense: such as touch and vision, or hearing and smell. It can be a combination of two, three, or more senses, but it’s important to that these details tease these senses instead of overwhelming them.
Start with the hardware. You can completely transform the look and feel of a room by simply replacing old door handles with high quality door handles that boast an expert finish and have a distinct texture that will appeal to the sense of vision and touch. Likewise, replacing the handles on your cabinetry and all of the drawers can make an old piece of furniture suddenly look and feel like a luxurious statement piece that embodies vintage appeal with modern luster. Use this mindset to introduce various smaller accents around your home that tease two or more senses and mold the ambiance as a whole.
Balance the Accents and Focal Points
Strive for some kind of balance. It can be quite easy to get lost in all of the decorating and all of the up-scale design choices, when in reality, the key lies in connecting all of these elements and making them work together. Concretely, if you have a focal point, don’t try to put another one right next to it – pretty simple and straightforward.
Let every room enjoy its unique aesthetic appeal, but be consistent throughout your home in order to frame the design of the whole interior. There’s nothing worse than making every room look so unique that there isn’t any connection with the rest of the home’s design.
Choose Ornate and Unique Shapes
And lastly, a sophisticated living environment should enjoy a few unique shapes here and there. Choosing ornate furniture is one of the best ways to break the monotony of the setting and truly make it unique. You can introduce sloping sofas or a high-quilted armchair in the reading nook to create a striking focal point and give the rest of the décor a contrast that will allow the entire design to gain a distinct look and feel. Don’t be afraid to go for an “out there” shape, but don’t overdo it either.
Luxury can take many a form, and the beautiful thing about it is that you can use a variety of décor elements to create your own, unique look and feel in your home. Follow these tips, and you will have no problem creating a sophisticated interior on the very first try.
Many thanks to Chloe Taylor for another great article to feature on Slipcovers for your walls!
About the author:
Chloe is an interior design consultant from Adelaide, South Australia and a regular contributor to Smooth Decorator. She loves everything related to decor, aesthetic and lifestyle topics. She is also passionate about photography. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world and take some stunning photographs of beautiful places. Beside all this, she enjoys drinking coffee and reading a beautiful book from time to time.
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