Midcentury modern. Art Deco. Farmhouse chic. With all the ways to design homes, you could probably pick a different look for every room. But walking from a cottagecore dining room to an industrial edge living room may be a little jarring for your guests. The best way to make your home’s décor flow is by focusing on cohesion.
In this context, cohesion refers to unity of design from one area of the home to the next. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an interior designer to make it happen. All you need is a keen eye and these tips for improving cohesion in your home’s design.
Find Elements You Can Repeat
One of the cornerstones of cohesionis repetition. Just like a film score composer who adds similar tunes to different scenes of a film, you can use similar elements throughout different rooms of your house. Here are a few elements you can consider repeating.
Colors
In some cases, homeowners choose one color scheme for their whole home, but this isn’t necessary. Even if different rooms have different schemes, you can choose one color to weave in and out of them. For example, an interior paint trend of this year is using jewel tones. You can paint your foyer a dramatic sapphire blue, then add sapphire drapes in your dining room and a sapphire couch in the living room.
Textiles
Textiles are anything woven from fabric, for instance:
- Upholstery
- Tapestries
- Blankets
- Throw pillows
- Rugs
- Drapes
- Art
Each textile adds a unique color and pattern to a space. Choosing different objects made from similar textiles or printed with similar patterns will create a subtle sense of unity throughout the house.
Architecture
The architecture of a house isn’t completely in your control. Still, you can highlight these elements as a way to improve cohesion in your home’s design. You can feature the woodwork or trim throughout the home. You can also choose furniture built in a similar style for different rooms of your house.
Note on Contrast
Remember: repetition does not mean rooms with identical designs. Having contrasting design elements is valuable to cohesion, too. The trick is to choose pieces that compliment as they contrast. Don’t be afraid to mix up the flooring or lighting in a room or choose a different accent color.
Identify an Overarching Mood
One way to strike a balance between cohesion and contrast is to focus on the idea of an overarching “mood” you want to create in your house. That way, even if the rooms vary, they will all be true to the design of the home. Think about creating a home that is airy or tranquil. Or you can head over to Pinterest and immerse yourself in the boards of your favorite aesthetic.
