It can be difficult to walk into a store (or browse online) and know which pieces you want to bring into your home. However, there are some best practices when it comes to interior design shopping that can help you stay on track. Keep reading below for my 5 tips on how to choose home decor and train your design eye to spot the best pieces for your space.
I mean, I didn’t deserve any back-patting…I just selected these items; I didn’t design or make them! Praise should go to the furniture, wall covering, textile, table top, and décor makers. These are the people who make all these cool products that we artfully place. They are the real tastemakers. We certainly don’t deserve all the credit!
But the more I thought about it, I realized that there still is some credit to be claimed by interior designers. I mean, I did pick these items among the voluminous choices out there, didn’t I?
A room comes together by mixing the right amount of comfort, color, shape, material and novelty. So, there is some skill to shopping for home decor and selecting the right furniture pieces. Here are five things I ask myself when I am interior design shopping.
1. Do I like the shape of this (insert couch, vase, glass, whatever) and is it sized right for the space?
There are so many ways to customize products these days, it can be hard to know just how to choose the right home decor and furniture pieces for your home.
To begin, the shape and scale is something that must be right from the start. Ask yourself if this is an item that you want to be classic, or novel? For prominent furniture, like a bed or sofa for example, pick something where you like the underlying shape. It’s no problem to reupholster your favorite chair when the fabric goes out of vogue as long as it’s a shape you like. If it’s a décor item, look for things with interesting, sculptural shapes.
2. Do I like the material it comes in and how will it look in a few months?
This is especially important when you are doing semi custom pieces from one of the big retailers like Pottery Barn or West Elm or picking among available finishes of an item, like a faucet. You want to really pay attention to the materials, and how they will wear over time. Copper and teak, for instance, look very different after they are exposed to the elements.
3. Is it unusual?
Not every design moment is one where you want something interesting or unusual, but you do want to imbue your spaces with “style” and that usually comes with having a few elevated or surprise elements. Is the piece a novel take on a classic design? Is the color or finish unique to the item? Here’s where you can really elevate a classic by finding it in a new colorway or finish.
4. Can I make it better by customizing it?
Sandra Lee had a cooking show where she taught us all how to take store bought food items and elevate them. She called it “semi homemade.” The same trick works really well in interior design. Find a cool dresser while interior design shopping? Awesome. Now elevate it further with interesting leather pulls or put a wall covering inside the drawers. Make it “semi custom” and unique for your space.
5. Is this a good value at this price?
Suppose you find a really cool item but it’s super expensive. Sometimes we splurge, but more often than not, we can get someone to recreate something pretty similar. Designers are always imitating things they see, and typically for a lot less money. So always shop with your camera and a tape measure, and ask around for a great upholsterer or furniture refinisher.
I hope you enjoyed these home decor styling tips. If you have any questions or would like to discover more about finding your style, please feel free to contact me or take my True Style quiz to learn more about what you like and why you like it!