Choosing decorative homeware for your house is a tricky process. Get it right and you can transform a space, making it feel lived in yet artfully put together. Get it wrong and it can look incredibly tacky – it’s a thin line between both sides, and it can feel impossible to know which side you’re stepping on. However, by asking a few simple questions before buying an item, you can ensure that it fits in perfectly with your home.
Will it go with your home?
The first question you want to ask yourself when looking at a piece of decorative homeware is this: will it go with the rest of your home? It doesn’t really matter how beautiful the item is on its own – if it doesn’t fit with the rest of your design theme, you shouldn’t get it.
For example, a beautiful old rustic wicker basket may not fit well in a sleek, angular modern home. Likewise, a modern chair with harsh yet beautiful metal lines would likely look out of place in a house that’s trying to achieve something along the lines of cottage design.
Does it fit your personal style?
The next question you need to ask is if the item matches well with your personal styling preferences. You might spot something that looks great in the moment, in the setting you find it in, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s quite you.
This can be a tricky one, as it’s difficult to say with certainty why you like any given item – there’s a whole branch of philosophy dedicated to the question, and even those experts can’t quite seem to agree on how to do it. However, if you spend just a little time thinking about it, we’re sure you’ll come up with an answer that works for you.
Is the size appropriate?
You also need to see if the item is of an appropriate size. If it’s too big, it could easily dominate the room, taking away from the overall look rather than adding to it. On the other hand, if it’s too small, it could get totally lost in the rest of the room.
Think about the space you’re going to put the item in, and how the item would look. If you’re buying it online from a store like The Sculpts, look up the dimensions and make a little cardboard cutout to see how it’ll look in real life! It doesn’t have to be a perfect replica, just something that’s roughly the size and shape (except 2-dimensional rather than 3) to allow you to see how it’ll fit with the rest of your furniture.By asking these simple questions while you shop, you can maximise your chances of finding something that fits in absolutely perfectly with the rest of your home decor. Remember to take your time and get creative – decorative homeware items aren’t meant to be safe, they exist to add that certain je ne sais quoi that other practical decorative measures just can’t create.
