The house in which you live always tells a story, no matter what. Your family home will naturally fill with the clutter of day-to-day living, and even if you are careful to keep things tidy, the history of your home and who’s been living in it will exist in the cupboards and drawers.
The choices we make about what furniture we buy and how we arrange the space in which we live are really important. One piece of luxury furniture can change the dynamic of any room, and even just one well-chosen item can give an insight into what matters most to you and your family.
It’s so important to take stock every once in a while, and when it comes to buying furniture you should always consider that you will be looking at it, sitting on it, lying on it, putting things in it and so on, every single day for years and years to come.
Choose A Colour Palette That Matches Your Energy
Different colours have different meanings. Historically and culturally, these meanings change, and everyone will have different feelings about different colours. From time to time, we redesign our rooms to freshen things up. If you would like a change but aren’t sure where to start, think about what colours might have some important meaning to you and why. Think about how to make the most of those colours in the room that you are redesigning.
Blues are often related to the sky or the sea, and represent open spaces, wisdom and depth. In so many cultures, blue represents calmness. It is easy to get lost in blue, and if you want to design a room around a blue centrepiece, the contrasting colours that it sits in must be chosen carefully. If you like deep blues, make sure the other colours you use alongside it are lighter — whites are wonderful for this.
White can be an incredibly freeing choice of colour when used right. A favourite of minimalist Pinteresters the world over, keeping it simple and minimal with white can be difficult. As an idea, white is pure and beautiful, but in practice, things might not be so easy. Muddy footprints, the general wear and tear of daily life, these are all things that make white a colour that requires work — in contrast to what the colour represents.
The boldest colour choice might be red, and a lot can be told with red furniture. In Chinese culture in particular, red symbolises good fortune. This stands in opposition to many other cultures, where the colour red typically signifies danger. In Chinese culture, however, red is closely related to fire, and a red piece of antique Chinese furniture gives the impression of strength and vitality.
Who Uses The Room? Focus On Them
As previously mentioned, it’s probably not the wisest move painting and decorating in white if you have an active, young family, for example. Another consideration is what impact pets may have on your furniture. Further to the points made in our blog post about adopting an adult cat, one of the considerations you may have had is whether you can trust an animal not to destroy the upholstery on your sofa!
Beyond these very practical considerations though, you should think about reflecting those who use the room most in your choices of furniture, or even just through how much furniture there is in the space. A sparsely decorated room could suggest minimalist living, or it could be an indication that a lot of space is needed for your big dog or set of children! It is your space, it will tell your story.
(If you face one another rather than the television, you’re gently reminded that your home is about each other, and the relationships you share.)
The layout of the furniture will also give clues about what’s important to you and may dictate how you and your family live together. You can encourage eye contact and talking, for example, if you position your sofas in front of each other, with a coffee table in between. Changing the focal point of the living room can truly change the spirit of that space.
The Past Reflected in the Present
What you choose to keep over time, even if something’s primary function is no longer relevant, can be a window into your past. If you have the skills, you can recycle old furniture into new, and keep the memories attached to that piece of furniture alive in a unique way. In this way, the milestones in your family’s journey can stick around even when the children grow up or move out.
(This is a beautiful idea for recycling an old cot to make a table.)
Asking a professional to make a piece of bespoke furniture from something no longer used is a way of keeping the past alive in a creative way even if you do not have the confidence or experience of making something like this for yourself.
You Can Create History
Over the years, you can accumulate a lot of furniture — a side table passed down from a grandparent, a desk lamp from a friend that moved home — and although it is good to keep memories alive in this way, it is important to think about the choices that you make when buying new furniture as a means of creating history. What you pass on to others and choose to no longer keep in your home is as important as what you bring in. But what you do bring in is like adding a chapter to your story as a household.
Something as simple as getting the whole family involved in the design of a room will mean that room will forever be a part of the family, and vice versa. An ornament with sentimental value, chosen by a member of the family, can do so much to make you feel joy whenever you spend time in the space that it occupies.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.