The 3 Things Every Pulled-Together Room Has in Common

A room that feels pulled together doesn't happen by accident - but it also doesn't require a huge budget or starting from scratch. Most of the time, it comes down to a simple framework I use with every client: three things that, once you see them, you can't unsee.

Spaces that work are cohesive.  Not in the “everything was purchased at the same store” or the “everything is the same design-style” kind of way, but in the “this room feels right” kind of way.

I use a 3-part process to help clients develop a cohesive strategy for their home and the rooms within:

1.      A common colour thread

2.      Varied textures

3.      Intentional negative spaces

A common colour thread

A colour theme works best when it’s not obvious.   It may be disguised in a pattern, a piece of art, or even in the undertone of a neutral sofa.  But the colour thread is there and it makes the room feel good.  For my own home, my colour thread is blue. If I’m considering a piece to add to a room, it needs to work with blue.

Shades of blue are found in the painting, the sofa, the lamp and the dining chair. 

Varied Texture

A variety of textures in a room is what provides interest and keeps the eye moving throughout the space.  This could be something shiny - like a glass table, plus something rough - like a rattan tray, plus something living - like a plant.

Think soft velvet on a sofa mixed with wood legs plus a metal coffee table.  When combined intentionally, the mix can be so interesting.

Glass, wood, velvet, linen, marble and a textural wall treatment work beautifully in this space.

Image courtesy of Alice Lane Interior Design

Intentional negative space

Our rooms can become really FULL without noticing it.  For decorative items and smaller pieces of furniture, taking a day every few months to really edit a space (picking everything up, moving it out of the room and then putting back only the pieces that make sense) can give you a fresh perspective. 

This seems counterintuitive - and you may feel the urge to run to HomeSense to buy something to add - but try it.  More space really can equal more beautiful.  Think of the art galleries, hotels, boutiques you’ve visited that felt really beautiful.  Often these spaces have lots of breathing room to let the pieces that are on display really shine.  Removing the clutter and leaving the only the objects you truly love allows them to take on a more significant role in the space.

The goal is to let the room breathe.  Allow empty spaces - you may love it.  See what feels good.

Besides the large furniture pieces, there are just 4 tabletop items on display in this room: flowers, a thin volume and a couple of vessels.

Image courtesy of Athena Calderone

Once you start noticing these three things, you'll see them everywhere - in the rooms you love at a friend's house, in the hotel lobby that made you stop and look, in the corner of a café that just felt right. That's the goal: not to copy what you see, but to understand why it works. That understanding is where your own style begins.

These three things are a starting point. If you want to go deeper, that's exactly what I help clients do.