May Journal: A Cohesive Home
Welcome to our May Journal! One question we are frequently asked is how to make a home feel cohesive and ensure everything flows from room to room. There are many methods to this madness and even a lived-in, casual aesthetic requires the proper curation and attention to detail. So, this month, we are giving you the inside scoop on a few ways to achieve this.
Spoiler Alert: Consistency and repetition are key
# 1 Pick a Palette
…and stick to it! When working on a color palette for your home, we like to recommend a neutral base that you can carry from room to room, then layer on color and pattern in soft goods, artwork, and accessories to create visual interest and depth. Select 3-5 neutral colors and 3-5 accent colors to work from, depending on the scale of your home. When setting a color palette, ensure that the undertones are all the same. White paint can have several undertones (warm, cool, yellow, blue, pink, etc.) and any accent colors selected need to share the same undertones. Whatever accent colors you choose to bring into one room, intentionally carry into the others in your home. This does not need to be done so in a bold or in-your-face manner, but even small inserts of a consistent accent color can go a long way. Once you are happy with your color palette, don’t deviate!
#2 Mixing Styles
Believe it or not, mixing styles can be a great way to bring visual interest and depth to a home AND make it feel seamless when done so intentionally. The key word here is intention. We love mixing old and new among different styles because it’s what gives a home character and personality. The overall look must be curated so that one room does not feel too dissimilar from another. If you want to mix styles, do so within each room. What we don’t recommend is styling your dining room in modern pieces and your living room in antiques, or for one space to feel significantly more formal than another.
Mixing metals and different wood finishes is another topic of conversation. We are not against mixing woods or metals, again ensuring that the undertones are the same. A red oak floor and a cool gray coffee table will never jive. When it comes to metals, we recommend selecting 2-3 to repeat throughout your home, depending on the scale. Next, ensure the finish is similar, i.e. polished brass and polished nickel or aged brass and burnished bronze. Keeping this consistent from room to room will aid in making your home feel cohesive.
#3 Visual Balance
Well-defined spaces feel so because they are grounded, well-balanced, and visually coordinated. This should be the case throughout a home to ensure it flows smoothly. If one room is overcrowded with bulky furniture and dark accents while another is styled to be bright and airy with delicate furniture, the two will not feel balanced.
Keeping millwork, trim, and cabinet styles consistent is also important. In many older homes, you may notice different crown molding and baseboards in each room. This changes the scale of the space and disrupts visual balance. Updating these to match throughout your home will make a huge difference. It is this attention to detail that makes a house feel like a home. A very intentional and cohesive home, indeed.
