How to Use Home Furnishings to Your Best Advantage

When it comes to decorating your home, the only limiting factor is your imagination. Even on a budget, you can come up with unique ways to decorate your home that reflects who you are and the type of home you want to live in.

Choosing home furnishings

There are some home furnishing styles that stand the test of time and their popularity remains because they are so eye-catching and easy to live with. You could adopt a particular style for your whole house or mix it up with a few different styles in different rooms or on different floors. It is a good idea to choose a style first, as this makes it much easier to narrow down your search for the right products.

Of course, you may have some specific requirements for home furnishings, especially if you have to consider the needs of a disability or elderly infirmness. This can usually be accommodated easily as there are a great range of home furnishings that provide a practical purpose like adjustable beds and riser chairs that come in a range of styles to fit well with any furnishing scheme.

Common home furnishing styles

Often, people like to reference the past and a Victorian style home is popular. People may not adopt it as an exact copy but make nods to the style of the era, which includes plenty of silk fabric, with stripes and floral patterns. Velvet and brocade also features heavily and furniture is small and elegant. Use porcelain and dried flowers to accessorise and accentuate.

Cottage style furnishings are always popular and definitely suit quaint country houses, but that is not to say you could not adopt it for a more suburban or city home. As soon as you step in the door, a cottage style home will have wicker furniture, usually white and with plenty of cushions to give the impression of comfort and a welcoming atmosphere. Floral prints, patchwork and pastel shades are common against a white or neutral backdrop. Windows are dressed in net or gauze.

Bring sunshine to your home with a Mediterranean style home. A mixture of warm earth and bright and vibrant colours are used to create a fun environment. The prevalence of colour on walls and floors means that fabric tends to be simple, perhaps just lined with a little bit of gold or silver accents. This all mixes well with natural wood furniture in simple styles.

An Oriental style furnished room can really make an impact. This is a dramatic and eye-catching style with distinctive patterns and vibrant colours, dominated by red and gold with a darker background. Furniture is dark; try to find teak and lacquered pieces which go well with the intricacy and vibrancy of Oriental rugs, prints and silk.

Don't forget that a traditional style has endured for years because it is easy on the eye. Prints, plaids and damasks are common in textiles. Furniture tends to be mahogany and curtains made from heavy materials. China and crystal ornaments are common. Whatever you choose, define it well with carefully chosen pieces.

AUTHOR BIO

Peter Smith writes regularly on home decorating for a range of home lifestyle and furniture websites and blogs. He recommends relaxing riser chairs, which blend in with almost any furnishing style.