Designing the interior of your home should not be thought of as a theme. Choosing all your decorating choices to match one specific theme can quickly turn overdone and visually uninteresting.
An exception to this rule, could be a child’s space…a playroom, bedroom, etc. For example, when you choose something such as a cabin, jungle or nautical theme, it can come off as too much of one thing. While it the look can be quite cute in this type of space, this isn’t typically the type of cute we want to curate throughout an entire home.
The picture above (courtesy of canadianloghomes.com)
for example, is very cute and well done for a child’s room, but can be over the top for an everyday livable look through an entire home.
The bathroom to the right illustrates a very themed bathroom.
So, if a theme can be defined as a visual look centered around one specific idea, what is decorating with style? For me, a decorating style is to design in accordance to a characteristic with reference to form and appearance.
Combine these elements strategically to create a consistent mood and aesthetic in your home, then blend this together with a variety of elements that are important to you.
Instead of choosing one theme, weave influences of that theme in with a few other subtle items you love, especially those that have meaning and tell the story of who you are. The key is to use your theme without being so strict. Choose the colors, textures, patterns, images that curate the theme. Next, build the style that fits by mixing and matching these with other decorative style elements and place them strategically throughout your home.
The image below illustrates use of a rustic theme paired nicely with other style elements.
Now go curate your home with style!
