Post by Erica Minutella
If you haven’t already downloaded the Design Home app, you might want to give it a try. The app sets a series of interior design challenges for its users by presenting a series of unfurnished virtual rooms in need of a few finishing touches. The user can then select from an array of furniture and home decor items and begin populating the empty rooms with personality and comfort. It’s a challenge infinitely more satisfying than anything Candy Crush can throw at you, but it comes with some additional benefits you wouldn’t necessarily expect – like learning how to break out of your design comfort zones, all while sticking to a budget.
Here are four of the interior design lessons I learned in my few weeks of experimenting with Design Home, in the hopes that they might inspire you to approach your real-life home design challenges with courage and creativity.
Don’t Be Afraid of White
Up until recently, the idea of allowing anything white into my home – from wall paint to furniture staples – was the equivalent of hanging up a sign in the room that reads “I know nothing about color.” But when a whole new world of previously unknown furniture designers and architectural styles opened up to me through Design Home, I quickly learned that white doesn’t always mean giving up. Sometimes it means recognizing both the limitations and the possibilities within a space. It also leaves room for bolder experimentation elsewhere in the room, like a large-scale piece of art or a funky accent chair.
Sometimes Two Accents Colors Are Better than One
When I moved into my first home about a year-and-a-half ago, everyone was quick to offer me advice. One of the most oft-repeated being: When redecorating a room, choose your staple color, and then an accent color to compliment it.
But with the never-ending opportunities that Design Home afforded me to make mistakes – and then just start over – I began playing around with using two to three accent colors at a time, with results that brought more cohesiveness and distinctiveness to a space. It wasn’t long before I started bringing that freedom of thought into my own home by giving it some much-needed DIY updates.
Every Room Deserves One Statement Piece
Most of us can’t afford to splurge on furniture staples that already cost a bundle to begin with. But if and when you find a good deal on some of the larger home necessities, like your bedroom set or sofa, it leaves you a bit of wiggle room to experiment with some of the smaller pieces that aren’t top-of-mind, like accent tables or floor lamps. Even a piece of furniture that doesn’t take up much space can say an awful lot, so don’t be afraid to consider some pieces that might normally be too bold for your taste. They can enhance other pieces you may have been forced to compromise on.
A Rug Binds a Room Together
I had a similar opinion of area rugs as I did of white walls: that they were simply an easy-way-out to adding pops of color to your space without really trying. But as I experimented with accent colors and unusual furniture designs, I realized that a tasteful rug can bind the bolder choices in a room together. Not to mention that in rooms where hard surfaces like wood or marble make up the floor, the thought of a cushy rug to dig your feet into achieved extra appeal with the more living rooms and bedrooms I designed.
So whether you’re a homeowner new or old, if you’re stuck in a creative rut, Design Home might be the answer to kickstarting your redecorating goals.
If you find yourself in need of other fun home tips, reach out to Christina Briglia at 267.231.5484 or phc(dotted)christina(at)gmail(dotted)com.