4 Hard-to-Give-Up, Outdated Decor Ideas (That Are Worth Saying Goodbye To)
There are some decor ideas that take hold of our interiors and don’t let go. The kind of ideas that after awhile begin to seem like design rules, things you can’t break (even if you want to). Keep an open mind, evolve your style and say goodbye to these outdated decor ideas in your interiors today.
1. You have to have art (or something) on every wall
You do not need to fill every one of your walls with something hanging on it. Let us repeat: Not every wall in your home has to have something hanging on it! Yes, variety is the spice of life, and a blank wall can be a bummer. But as with anything in life, moderation is the key to creating beautiful spaces with the right balance of blank wall space to art. If you’re already starting with a home full of art on every single wall, try taking a few things down strategically to see how it feels.
→ Your Home’s Negative Space: What It Is and How To Use It to Your Advantage
2. You have to match the ______ in the same room
Large, grand, open spaces with a lot of square footage and too lofty of a feel might need help establishing defined living areas, and those areas can certainly be tied together by the addition of rugs under the furniture. You know what can really mess up a perfectly great idea like that? Sticking to the old notion that all the rugs in one space have to match. (Complement, sure, but match? Just not necessary). Same idea applies to wood types and colors. Or metallics. Look, we’re not saying you don’t have to take these different elements into mind (and when mixing, you should opt to complement or really emphasize the differences) but by sticking to the idea that everything has to match, you could be creating rooms that feel old, stuffy and boring.
3. Every room needs…(a rug, curtains, etc.)
Let’s just make this clear right here, too. Living rooms don’t have to have sofas (a handful of chairs can work just as well). Not every room needs curtains (why cover up gorgeous windows or a great view if you don’t have to?). Think you have to have two nightstands? Nope, you don’t. Forget all about convention and what’s expected in a room and instead focus on figuring out what you need in a room to best function for your needs.
4. Rooms that stick to very limited color palettes
While a smart, compact accent color palette is certainly sharp — sticking to only two or three colors (and making sure every element that comes into that room only features those colors) can be a fast track to feeling hemmed in when it comes to creative decorating. Simply put, have your main colors that you wish to be the bulk of your color palette, but then feel free to let other colors find their way into the room.
→ Creating Your Perfect Color Palette
Re-edited from a post originally published 7.16.15-nt