A cohesive home is one where each room seamlessly blends and flows together, creating a unified look throughout the rest of the house. This can be achieved by choosing a unified color palette, using multiple textures, defining spaces with rugs, incorporating vintage and modern furniture, using pieces you love, incorporating repetition, and considering contrasts.
To create a cohesive bedroom and bathroom design, start a whole-house ideabook and choose a unified color scheme for both the bathroom and bedroom. This will give your home a more intentional look and link rooms with color. Repetition of favorite materials, paint colors, and textiles can make your home feel cohesive. Matching the style of the bedroom with the bedroom can also create a warm and welcoming design.
To create a cohesive bathroom design, plan with a moodboard, coordinate your colors, fix on fixtures, create rhythm, and balance matching. To maintain a cohesive theme, select key elements that resonate with you and strategically place them in both the bedroom and ensuite. Focus on cohesion of hard materials, such as flooring, countertops, door and cabinet hardware, and windows.
In summary, a cohesive home is one where each room seamlessly blends and flows together to create one unified look throughout the rest of the house. By following these tips, you can achieve a cohesive bedroom and bathroom design that meets your unique style and needs.
📹 10 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK COHESIVE | DESIGN HACKS
10 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK COHESIVE | DESIGN HACKS Interior Designer: Kristen McGowan In this video I’m …
How to make a room look put together?
A Decorating Den Interiors personal decorator can provide advice on how to create a cohesive home decor. They suggest adding a splash of color, such as a rug or throw pillows, to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. To bring the walls to life, hang appropriate drapery, keep bookshelves organized, and perfect lighting. Neutral tones, such as brown, tan, and driftwood, can be complemented with subtle accents like frosted blue or leaf green.
These hues complement neutral tones and can be used for drapery, throw pillows, or other home accessories to create a visually appealing and inviting space. By incorporating these tips, you can create a more inviting and inviting atmosphere in your home.
How to make a bathroom look cohesive?
Before designing your ideal bathroom, it’s essential to identify your style, preferences, and desired atmosphere. Moodboards are a visual tool that helps you coordinate colors, fix on fixtures, create rhythm, and balance matching and distinction. They help express the mood of your idea and potentially the specific components you will use in your final design. Moodboards are beneficial for creative professionals and homeowners as they offer a clearer way to articulate your vision than words alone.
They allow you to begin piecing together colors, finishes, and feelings that you identify with, while still allowing you to refine and rearrange further during the process. By following these tips, you can create a cohesive bathroom design plan that reflects your personal style and preferences.
Should tile in all bathrooms be the same?
Matching tile designs in every bathroom can help maintain a consistent aesthetic and save money. If the bathrooms are similar in size and shape, matching tiles can create a cohesive look. However, if the bathrooms have different purposes and layouts, distinct themes may be needed. There is no right or wrong approach when it comes to tile matching. Master bathrooms may benefit from upscale designs and intricate patterns, while guest bathrooms can be simpler and more minimalistic. Children’s bathrooms may benefit from bright colors and playful patterns.
How to design a bedroom like an interior designer?
It is recommended that a chronological plan be followed when assembling a room. This plan should begin with the identification of a decorating hero, followed by the selection of a general color, the creation of a space plan, the incorporation of major impact items, the focus on the rug, the intentional placement of art, and finally, the painting of the walls.
How to have cohesive interior design?
In order to achieve a cohesive look, it is essential to begin with a neutral base, select a color scheme that is consistent with the overall design, utilize complementary hues, maintain a uniform flooring, incorporate rugs, avoid repetition, and create contrast where appropriate.
Should all bathrooms in a house be the same?
The answer to whether it is necessary to match master and guest bathrooms is “no”, unless you want them to. A neutral theme is typically preferred in guest bathrooms, while an ultra-modern look is ideal for the master bathroom, which is typically an adults-only facility. However, there are no set rules for matching elements in both bathrooms, such as color or paint. To achieve a cohesive look, choose a classic style that fits any bathroom.
It is not necessary to install the same hardware fixtures in both bathrooms, but it is important to ensure a cohesive look. For example, use the same type of metal in both bathrooms, but mix warm and cooler metals to create a sense of different themes. Most contractors do this without considering it.
Do all rooms in a house have to match?
Mixing styles in your house can create a unique and inviting look by combining furniture styles and on-trend color schemes. This allows you to create a signature look that reflects your personality and unique taste. However, achieving this can be challenging and requires careful planning and creativity. Choosing not to match all rooms in your house allows for greater freedom in decorating each room. For example, a traditional living room can be combined with a modern kitchen with an ultra-chic Slice Oak Dining Table from viesso. com. The possibilities for decorating each room are endless.
How do you arrange a room layout?
Room layout is a crucial aspect of interior design, impacting both the appearance and functionality of a space. It is often the most time-consuming aspect to perfect, especially when dealing with awkward shapes or dimensions. To create a layout that works for you and your lifestyle, start by detaching yourself from past layouts or estate-agency or house-developer plans. Starting from scratch allows you to focus on what works best for you. To begin, map out an empty room using floor-planner software, which can be free or even turn 2D plans into 3D models. You can also use traditional methods like paper, a ruler, and a pencil.
Focus on creating a layout that is functional, visually appealing, and practical for daily use. Start by mapping out an empty room using floor-planner software, which can be found online or in paper. Remember to consider traffic flow, sight lines, and bring items in from the walls to create a visually appealing and functional space.
In what order do you decorate your house?
To decorate a room, start with the ceiling and paint from ceiling to floor to avoid splash marks. Move onto the walls, then paint skirting boards, window and door frames, and finally, paint the doors. This step-by-step guide helps avoid creating more work if you put the wrong foot forward. To avoid splash marks, paint from ceiling to floor and allow at least two hours of drying time between coats. This will ensure a clean and organized space. Remember to follow the right order for decorating your room to avoid creating more work.
How to make rooms flow together?
Interior designers suggest five tips for creating a seamless flow between rooms: pick one design style, mix in materials you love, choose a color palette, consider scale, and keep flooring consistent. This can enhance any home, whether it’s a suburban house or a city apartment. The key is to make strategic decisions and ensure that the flow is consistent across all rooms. This can be achieved by choosing a color palette, considering scale, and keeping the flooring consistent.
Can you mix interior design styles?
Tip 6: Mixing design styles is allowed in interior design, as contrast is what makes a room interesting and inviting. Avoid getting too hung up on any one “rule” and focus on creating a home that looks right to you.
There are several types of home décor styles that can mix well, such as traditional and industrial. The clean and angular look of industrial style pairs well with classic and sometimes ornate elements of traditional design. For example, a neutral color scheme and a mixture of wood and metal characteristically industrial can be combined with an elegantly detailed rug and curved silhouettes for added charm. Remember, your home should be a place you enjoy looking at and being in, and if it looks right to you, it’s right for you.
📹 How to Make Your Home Look Cohesive
In this video, I talk about how to make your home look more cohesive! This is something that I know so many people struggle with …
What other ways do you know of to make your home look cohesive? Comment below and let me know! 👇 Note by the way that you can repeat things that are similar to each other but not the exact same. Creating a unique space that is still cohesive means bringing in elements that speak to each other, without always being the same colour or the exact same material. I hope this article helps!
One thing I feel you forgot to mention was patience. Don’t head out and feel the need to accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. Take time to allow items to fall into place. Feel how the lighting changes over the year. Take time to find hidden treasures that fit in perfectly. Let your space open up to you ♡
The educational is fun too. Even when sassy, you are never bitchy. That’s why I subscribed. You give information, advice and opinion and always differentiate between them. Too many content creators basically say “if you have this in your home, you’re an idiot” without respect for their viewers varied needs and tastes.
This was really helpful. The blue/orange example made me realize that accent colours look good when there’s perhaps one large object in the colour (ex. the blue couch), but the other repeating elements of the colour are more subtle and smaller (a bit of blue in the pillows, a bit of blue in the rug etc) so that it doesn’t become overly match-y looking. I didn’t quite make this connection before.
Nick, would you ever consider doing a article on maximalism? Particularly the maximalist, colorful interior design that’s popped up on Instagram and a few blogs here and there? I almost never see it here on YouTube. Plus, it seems to be very concentrated in the UK. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I absolutely love it and draw inspiration from it. I’m very much a maximalist and can’t wait to design my future home with some of what I’ve seen in mind.
Nick – lighting designer here, so I do a little of this. The term I like to use with my clients is dialog. All the table lamps in a suite of rooms may not match, but they should share common elements like material, shape, glow, etc. A viewer may only subconsciously realize the relationship, but that dialog is there. And as an interior designer, you have to balance everything a dozen times over!
I just bought a new house and this is very helpful! The thing that keeps dragging me down is the “hodgepodge” of furniture that I’ve inherited from different eras of various family members! It’s all “the good stuff” so I can’t bear to part with it, but darn it’s hard to make it flow through the house!😅I have been trying to use color to tie things together, and that’s at least helping. Great article ~ thanks!
I love your content & how beautifully you tie in art/ design concepts to what you are describing. I am a graphic designer, although I don’t work professionally with decorating (home /house) the principles you speak of are relevant to when I’m designing for visual work; logos, posters etc. It is the fundamentals of what we learn in graphic design. I absolutely love your content! 💜 Greetings from Norway 🇳🇴
In the past my rooms were defined by what colour I painted the walls. God forbid you toss your sweater on a chair and have it clash! Now my room envelopes are more neutral and I change out slipcovers, accessories and pillows for a new look and it works so much better! Thanks for another master class on design!
All your articles are very educacional and inspiring. Love everyone of them. One thing surprised me: the first example/ room with round shapes. Everything, almost, was round and I thought that we needed to balance shapes otherwise it would look ” heavy” and boring. I don’t think I would decorate a room like that ever. I like cohiveness but not that much. 😉
I could hug you right about now… Feel free to skip the long-read, just know that you are so very appreciated. Your advice has flipped my mood completely and ultimately helped me continue to claw myself out of a dark pit of depression. Anyhow, I work full time as a 911 emergency police dispatcher, and though I love my job I’ve still been coming home from work nearly every day feeling more worn-down than the last. It got really bad and it was no longer in my control after a while. Then about two months ago I found your website and ever since then I’ve been making changes to my home environment (and even some of my workspace) little by little, I can already feel the difference it’s made just in my mood. I feel genuine gratitude and I’m happy to be alive again, which is something I had not felt in quite some time. I come home to a place that actually makes me feel good now and it really let’s my mind rest itself after a stressful workday. It’s not just the place I plop down to sleep and store my junk at anymore, it’s my home ! 🏡 It sounds silly and dramatic but I don’t care, because that’s my true experience. Once I found your website I felt inspired to make changes to my space for the first time since my depression overtook my will to do just about anything for myself years ago. For whatever reason you made it seem like a simple task I could take on but by bit as I watched your content and it’s made all the difference for my mental health. And at just the right time, too.
Hi Nick. Love this article and your entire website. I would love to see you do a series where viewers send you a couple of photos of a room and a floor plan where you could offer suggestions on how to improve it. Maybe even draw over the photos on an ipad etc. I think for a lot of us mere design mortals, when we can actually see suggestions visually, it is so helpful. Maybe offer a few pics of different furniture, draperies, colours etc. Wouldn’t have to be elaborate, just a few hints.
Hi Nick, hope you are well. Since I started following you I have had such an urge to furnish my place as I moved to a larger rental in March. I really need to furnish it and decorate it. perusal your articles was fun but all this time I did not know how to do it myself…. Like I did not want to recreate / copy paste some catalogue, so how do I do it? This whole rhythm and pattern concept is amazing. I am literally speechless… like it might be basic but no one ever explained before as to why THIS room looks great.. like we can see but like whyyyy howww lol ! Thank you so much. Please keep adding such informative content. I still have so so so much to learn. It’s like I din even know that I din know this hahahahahaha. Love it!
I really enjoy listening to you Nick, you are very knowledgeable and helpful and I have learned from you. The thing that is funny is that I don’t like your decor… oh well, not trying to be offensive, I just am not into that style. I guess whatever makes you feel good when you come home. It’s so important!
Love this article, Nick! (Actually, I love them all) This is how I designed all the spaces I have lived in, so I always feel “at home.” I have some objects I have owned up to 50 years, and they still bring me joy and make me feel grounded. Although my style has evolved, I have always liked certain looks…like rattan, brass, and bamboo.
In the room with the painting of the woman, there are at least 6/7 colours (including neutrals) that moving the eye around the room and to the outside spaces. It’s a fabulous room to use for the color example–there are two dominant colours and a number of minor players all at work, but the movement of neutral colours is done very well as well. This is what I do in my home. I also vary furniture height for more liveliness, colour, shape (in my home it’s round and arch shapes that are repeated), and texture take your eyes around. When people ask about the space (why everything seems to work), I take them around the room to highlight what the design is leading them to do without realising it. I also have black painted furniture and dark wood. The tall fireplace is dark wood with a black arch design around the fireplace. Opposite that is a tall black painted cabinet of the same width with arched glass doors, and with what’s on top, it’s as tall as the fireplace plus the painting above it. The black paints a line down the middle of the room broken up by the fact that the dark coffee table has a black top and the other wood tones are balanced off of that like spokes on a wheel. In the photo, they also have a very smooth texture theme happening, which they’ve interrupted with a single texture throw. Interruption of a theme is good as well. Breaking rules are good, but you have to be honest with yourself and ask if it works. I’ve decorated around my art. I know what my color preferences are and am always drawn to art that uses them.
Towards the point about consistent or repeating design style. Running to an issue where my tastes for different areas or very different. Biggest example would be I really like the European castle look for the exterior, but very modern once we get somewhere like the kitchen, so instead of the warm dark wood tones and rough stone, I want black, white, and grey with sleek textures. Unfortunately a bit too disparate and now sure how to mesh it
LOVE your website Nick. I’ve been a single mum for 20 years living in crappy rentals and I’m finally building my own home. It started as industrial decor and has morphed into mid century boho eclectic. I’ve curated the entire house online (it’s not even finished yet). People think I’m nuts with all the vintage pieces I’m buying and the colour combos but you’ve convinced me my instincts are actually on point. I’m not beige and my house won’t be either. Making my own design boards for each room as I bought pieces really helped so I could see how the room was starting to look.
I’m so glad you did this article. Yes to cohesive. Cohesive is my type of “fengshui”, I personally don’t believe in fenfshui, but I do believe having repetitive colour / theme/ texture can really makes the space harmony and looking peaceful and stylish. It’s the same concept when styling fashion too. I just love when I see colours being cohesive in the space/ painting/fashion, and often admire those designers clever work. Great article as always
Thank you for your articles. Quick question about using the same decorating style throughout your home. How do you handle heirloom furniture? Currently, we have a dining room with very traditional heavy furniture (it’s my husband’s great-grandmother’s – complete set). I like to keep things a little more modern.
As a musician, I was always SO confused when designers would reference things like flow and rhythm. Both of those things conceptually have an entirely different meaning to me but their explanations of the two were always relatively vague, which only confused me more. I really appreciate how you’ve taken the time to really break down the components of a room that make up the rhythm and flow. It helps me reframe my perspective on what those words mean through the lens of design.
Brilliant episode! As a photographer, I consider Composition 101 to be the most important class I took as an occasional night student at our museum art school. Rules about rhythm and repetition and encouraging the eye to move around the composition were basics which I’ve long used in my semi-open plan city home. Over time I learned to adapt these “rules” in ways that are not matchy/matchy, but echoing in more subtle ways – that’s when it really gets fun (balancing weights rather than perfect symmetry, referencing hues without using the exact same color, etc. ) My only regret is that I didn’t take the class on 3D composition – would love to hear your ideas on how to use such principles in interior design.
Loved this episode. I decided last week that 2 rooms in my basement need a budget make over. I have been tearing up nasty old carpeting. I am going to live with the concrete floors for a year, but plan to paint over the next few weeks. I cannot change out the faux wood paneling, but I can paint it all the same colour. I can replace the ceiling fixtures and make new window coverings. I had not thought of cohesion between the rooms, as they have very different functions, one wine and TV room, the other a sewing room. One will be a calm space and other a work zone that will get messy. You have given me lots to think about.
I Love that my boyfriend thought that i have no Knowledge and taste when it comes to interior Design. Now we are moving out of our first flat we moved in at 18 years old and get everything new. I showed him stuff that i like, talked about basicly everything in this article and what i want for the new Place. Now he just says „do what ever you want, you‘ll do it Good” 😂😂😂
LOVE the educational side of your articles. I also appreciate so much how you include suggestions about trends that you don’t care for personally. That just makes me trust you even more because it’s important to be objective when talking about design and obviously not everyone has the same taste. Unless it’s regarding furry toilet seats.
I love your content, we moved homes recently and I wanted a start over as our old home was just a mish mash of stuff. I went with mid-century and I know that I have absorbed soooo much from your website it’s feels innate now. I am very considered about the pieces that I acquire, cohesion and flow. So many compliments and I hate leaving my house now😊. Ps Your delivery is perfect, subtle sass 💁♂️ but with a calm energy that’s really enjoyable to watch. (I’ll stop fan-girling now 😂)
Thank you for these great examples of design principles. We moved into our new home ten months ago. It is flimsy and cheap, but I like to say that at least it’s consistently flimsy and cheap. Pretty much everything we do (on a low budget) only improves our space. In a way, that’s liberating in comparison to the architect-designed house we owned before.
Trim, molding, casements etc are excellent ways to keep cohesive look too. We’re in a Georgian colonial with dentil carried throughout spaces. Our kitchen reno will incorporate it into the range surround and headers over some cabinets while colors used will carry the very BenMoore Williamsburg palette we inherited.if designing just a kitchen, I may not choose these elements, but it’s a part of a home so should flow.
In my first apartment, I had a counter in my kitchen that doubled as an eating area. My husband decided to split the living room into two separate spaces. We had a big window so that opened up the space. I used natural colors wood, plants, etc. My clients who would come over for massage always complemented our space. We just move across the country starting ALL OVER again. Patience is key happy decorating!
Thank you for another great article Nick! I love these educational articles just as much as any of your other articles. You explain things in such a clear and informative way. I’ve learnt so much from your articles – I feel like I’m taking a design course when I watch your articles! I really appreciate the details of your articles because it’s not really helpful when someone says “this is a pretty bedroom” or “this is a nice couch” and leaves it there without explanation. I’ve wasted so much money buying stuff thinking it will improve the look of my space just because it was “pretty” or “nice” and not really understanding what I needed to make things more cohesive. You’ve gone through the reasons why a space or item works (or doesn’t!) and that is invaluable advice!
Cohesion in an apartment where you have your say and nobody else is one thing; living with someone and compromising is another. Often, speaking from experience, partners with significantly different tastes divide rooms, so that HE gets to “control the style” of the living room and kitchen, while she takes the bedroom and bathroom, and it is often a very interesting compromise, so to speak.
We just bought our first house! It was built in the 70’s and it’s still in the 70’s. I am taking notes every article and they have all been so helpful. I think you should add wood paneling to your list of things that need to go. While house hunting I was surprised by all the wood paneling that’s still around.
Really love your articles! We are in the process of building a little house in the mountains and are using black metal throughout – door hardware, faucets, towel hooks, cabinet pulls, the metal parts of light fixtures and black stainless steel appliances. It is nice to hear that there’s a sound reason behind doing that.
My problem is that I love so many different styles. From rustic(lightly modern) Provence country villa, to Greek island villa, to modern desert, to pleasantly Mid Century(with some Art Deco). I don’t want a cut and paste house from these styles but rather a house that represents my favourite elements from(not all of) them. I guess an eclectic assortment that has some common theme. It’s tricky though.
This was fascinating and what you said about repetition of colour, textures and finishes makes sooo much sense. I am looking around my condo and I can see for the first time why certain pieces just aren’t working and feel “random.” Well, the colour and texture of a few of my pieces don’t match anything else and I realize that I bought them more with an eye for utility than how they would actually work in the space. Much to think on – thanks a million!
I truly wish I could like this 5000 times. I’m just about to start a whole house renovation and I woke up this morning feeling so defeated – lost in a myriad of ideas and obligations to existing furniture and objects. But this was JUST what I needed. I’m going to start from scratch, thinking about these principles (I’ve just written them down) and I’m going to spend my evening going to each room to sketch out and list every element I want to include in my new cohesive living space. No lie – I feel as though you just saved what’s left of my sanity! Thank you so much Nick.
LOVE this article! (The more educational the better’s my vote! )Totally agree and have been attempting to apply these concepts with all my decorating projects for a long time. I think they really work – especially with color, and also with tying in all your rooms and spaces in some kind of cohesive way I would add that a rug is probably the most essential element to any room and can really serve to bring everything together. I think of it like a pair of shoes: the best way to begin to assemble an outfit!
Thank you so much for all of your articles Nick! I love how you explain everything and break down complex design theory into a easy to follow tutorial for those of us who either have not gone to school for design and/or those of us who want a beautiful home but don’t understand how to get there. I try to tackle a tip from each article once a month to slowly transform my space and I am loving it! You are my favorite designer on YouTube (even with your unpopular opinions-which I am totally here for just to see the comment section 😆). Much love! Keep up the great work!
Loved this nice strategy involving repeating color, texture, shape, and other material around the house. I realized at the seasoned age of 53 that I have liked the same colors, shapes, and textures since I was 4. I have never shaken an image of my grandmother’s earthy flowered 1970s cloth napkins (dark brown, tiny pastel flowers). Nor have I shaken this fairy tail image c. 1980 of a women in a light blue green gray cotton/ linen/ or hemp capped sleeve, button down dress that was in Life magazine when I was 10. I have I also have loved copper and brushed nickel since I first saw them in the 1990s on fixtures. I put blue grey on all of my interior doors and orange and linen show up frequently. I was enamored with arts and crafts homes when I moved to a Frank Lloyd Wright area 30 years ago. I feared that my stickly pieces would go out of favor, so I gave them away. I get embarrassed about it, and a bit teased by family for being predictable. I resisted buying more white oak furniture, but gave in recently. Your implicit message, Nick, seems to be to identify your personal motifs and distribute them around your home to connect your style… When they fall in favor, buy. When they fall out of favor, who cares? Ive resisted putting up these little owl pictures, since owls were a thing, but I also have my grandmother’s piece of hanging owl ceramic art. I think I’ll add all of these when I finish painting.
Like a few other commenters I have items that I love and have for 50 years. I love cobalt blue, walnut, glass and copper. I try to create vignettes with a combination of some but not all of the design elements that transition to another vignette with a similar but different combination of the design elements. My kitchen has all four of these elements. I have a collection of blue ceramics made by local artisans, vintage prints with small amounts of blue that also introduce some red which is repeated in other artwork and my red/white Italian splash mixing bowls. I do like a touch of whimsy that is expressed in a custom mug collection made by a local artisan. They are rustic and have either sarcastic messages (“bite me”) or a nod to Dr Who (“spoilers”, “don’t blink”, “timey wimey”. I also have a TARDIS cookie jar that was given to me that holds dog treats). I have walnut countertops, glass storage jars and a few copper containers. I have another vintage print in the transition to the living room that includes the blue but also touches of “walnut” brown, black and a golden tan color. The room contains some walnut furniture, golden woven baskets with plants, various blue ceramic plant containers on the bookshelves and black metal lighting fixtures. design elements. All the rooms in my tiny condo contain some elements of blue color and walnut to tie them together but each room has a different color element introduced to distinguish them from the other rooms and use the various items I’ve accumulated over the decades.
Something I’m doing to sort of nail down my style and taste into something I can better define for myself (instead of just getting what is the best quality item I can find within my budget and making it work) is that I’m making little shopping lists on retail websites of items that I like first, without looking at the price at all. I will just go through and pick out all of the things that I find visually appealing and save them separately and then I can look back later and get a clearer picture of what I like and what I need, and I can specify these in my newer searches that include my budget limitations. I’ve already been working on defining my rules/needs for the item so now I can be sure of the aesthetics as well.
‘The kitchen looking like a farm and the bathroom looking like a beach’… Nick, you seriously crack me up. I love interior design – have a flair for it – and am getting addicted to your website. My wee place was finished a year ago but it’s interesting coming here to see if I do in fact tick those boxes. I have rooms painted in different colours but even these need to flow together. The bits of yellow you refer to at the end of the vid, I call the accent colour. Mine is burnt orange. The thing is not to overdo it.
I love the educational articles. They explain the design principles I learned back in the 70’s in an easy and entertaining way. I’ve been sharing them with my daughter who is a real estate broker. She has some natural design instincts. She uses it when renovating her rental properties and often provides some design consulting for friends and clients. I think these articles help her fine tune her design choices.
For me texture involves the sensation of touch. A surface is coarse, smooth, bumpy etc. Pattern is visual. When I look at the photo of a room I can see patterns, but cannot feel textures. Every object has texture but some do not contain a pattern. A fabric with a repeat print has pattern. A seamless and solid white floor does not. A colorful painting has a flat surface, but may be abundant in patterns of various shapes and colors. When speaking of the visual impact of objects in a room, a complex pattern is more dominant than the coarsest texture.
Minimizing the variety of fixed materials used in a home!!!! I cannot tell you how many places I’ve lived where you know exactly where a remodel has started because of material choice- especially when people do a bit here and a bit there and NONE of it matches. I currently live in a home with 9 different types of flooring- no joke- every single room is different and it drives me nuts. You can tell that the last owners were being supper cheap and snagging remnants of tile from other job sites, none of the hardwear is the same color let alone style- it’s a nightmare!
I’ve stopped wracking my brain about making all rooms cohesive, it’s just not how my brain works. My signature style is Modern Primitive so the Wabi Sabi I admire should be a no-brainer but then I have this French Country side that comes out in bedrooms and kitchens. I’m trying to plan my next space after having ultra Mid-century Modern cocktail lounge, some French Country spilled into the living room, Disco Victorian, and a Flintstones/Lascaux room. Now I’m craving a Moroccan/South Asian vibe but the bedroom furniture I want is Farm Fresh Deco. The only cohesive element is a sense of whimsy but I decided to stop fighting it and indulge it even though no one will ever agree with that.
I’ve always hated lace curtains but if that’s your style with a kind of gothic/granny/funeral parlour vibe that’s fine. I removed my plain cream curtains near where I’m sitting and I don’t even want to put them back now, I’ll have to look into blinds now 😂 I’d like to point out I have no style or money haha The corner tub being posh boomer 90s is completely right! You might even have one in your converted barn. I’m so glad I hated all of them so I could agree with everything! You are critical without being bitchy and I love it. I look forward to more of these in the future
Hi 👋 I’ve been binge perusal your articles for the past few days, love them all ❤️ I have a question, about the metals in the house, my husband more into black and I want gold, is it okay to make the cabinets handles, faucet, soap pumps black, and the lamps and door handles gold? Will that work? Other small details like picture frames will be both gold and black. Thank you very much:)
Thank you for all your knowledge and the information you provide for us, but (yes, sorry there’s a BUT) could you, please, speak a little bit slower for us non-English/American speaking subscribers.. Sometimes you’re seem to be in a great hurry to get the article over with and therefore depriving us of your in-depth understanding of the information you are providing. (On the other hand I don’t mind perusal your articles over and over to understand them and therefore perusal YOU more (wink wink)).
My partner and I purchased a house that we’ve completely gutted and renovated ourselves. We have reshaped the interior layout with lots of framing, plumbing, updated and re-wired the electric, etc….We are now edging into our finished materials. Like drywall texture and light fixtures and cabinets and paint. It’s overwhelming and I’m trying my darnedest to keep this place cohesive but I’m hoping you (or anyone) might be able to point me in the right direction for resources to help me establish the big picture theme/color scheme/style for our house. Where do I start? There’s a zillion options and I’m investing so much money in the immediate future and I want to do it well and smart. And I’m getting decision fatigue. 😬
Starting @ 2:00…I get the idea of matching color elements across the orange tree, the orange accent stripe on the blanket and the orange splashes on picture etc etc but that entire room is just WRECKED by that ugly picture. Absolutely hideous. But you’re a kinda funny guy so I’ll👍 and move onto next article.
Your articles are always great and informative. It was nice that this one didn’t employ those caffeinated impact cuts, which zoom in slightly with each edit (and which so many Youtubers have adopted it seems). Like a squiggly postmodern mirror, this trend needs to go away. Sorry for the pet peeve. 😉 Keep up the great work.
Another great educational article! Any ideas on painted ceiling beams? I’ve got a cathedral ceiling with two major beams, and smaller cross beams all on top of rough boards. Everything has been painted the same grey. What to do? Paint it all white? Or white ceiling and wood tone beams? Spend major money removing paint? Ideas?
Hi Nick. Love your website! Question.. in a prior article you mention accent walls are so out. I live in an apartment that has white walls, which I really like but I painted a deep grey wall colour on 3 areas in my living areas for contrast and visual interest.. One area is a nook where my Tv cabinet sits, part of my front entrance and my long wall in my dinning room. Now I’m feeling that my decision is very outdated. I love Scandi, mid century modern and japandi.. clean lines and neutral colours and texture. I’m planning on painting my white walls soon to fresh.. should I paint over the medium deep grey? Thank you for suggestions. Thank you! Sheila.
OK. So I brought antiques and Queen Anne furniture mis from a colonial home in New Jersey to a ranch style in Nevada. I went against what I like and put off the wall beautiful light fixtures up. Eclectic but has made all my art and furniture work. Now my husband wants to paint an open floor plan a historical green. Love the idea of green but I’m not sure that’s going work.
When you say “repeating colors throughout the space” are you referring to just 1 room or in an open concept, 2 rooms, or are you referring to the whole house? Can I make my guest suite/man cave very rustic, navy blue walls with wood ceiling beams, & dark brown leather couch, & the rest of my house more boho/casual, linen couch,, wicker,, with lighter colors?
Nick I noticed you called this article how to make your HOME cohesive, yet it seems to me that you talked about ROOMS and I understand that maybe if you make your rooms cohesive then your home will follow on but we don’t all have the luxury of living in a house that has a lovely open floor plan with rooms flowing into each other. My house has separate rooms sadly, and I don’t have a lot of money to pay people to add woodwork, beautiful paintings etc to make it all cohesive. So do I concentrate on each room and make it look as good as I can afford, or do I try to do the ‘repetitive’ stuff that hopefully will make the house work together? I am so stuck and although I don’t hate my house I do want it to work.
Thanks Nick, you are a great communicator. This article articulated what I have ignorantly but instinctively done throughout our house with color, metals, textures and style. I appreciate your expertise. My style is a blend of William Morris, Mission style and a touch of Antiquarianism…….in a larger Cottage. No effusion of textiles, please, but stone and wood and metal and patterns……Design is wonderful.
May I add to the ‘flow’ idea? In a small home you want breadth and depth. A sense of clutter free egress from one room to another. Foundational pieces like a sectional with built in chaise is a good example of avoiding the arms of a sofa cutting into the visual flow. For instance, your couch cuts into the visual design flow, interupting the rather dramatic focal point of your kitchen. This is, I think, an important consideration if the entryway of your home, the front door, opens to this layout. The kitchen is dramatic. You have anchored the view toward the left with a strong architectural feature, with what appears to be wood cladding on a small partition between kitchen and dining. I want to see that from ceiling all the way to the floor, uninterupted. Instead, the length and depth of the couch cuts it out of view and screams small space. That, combined with the placement of dining chairs, has me metally wiggling my hips around these objects to get to the focal point, the rather inviting kitchen. And because the objects in the way are nearly the same color (including what appears to be a kitchen island) I get the sense that I not only have to wiggle around these objects but also over them. All the weight is smashed to the left. Perhaps you’re moving. I imagine the console to the right has been emptied. The color choices, between couch, dining chairs, and kitchen island, are extremely important. To increase the illusion of greater depth the couch should be a darker color, nearing the saturation of color of the console opposite.
I understand your “Spread it out” but that all reminds me of shows like Property Brothers, where they have an orange pillow, orange vase over there, orange flowers here . . It is too intentional, predictable and obvious for me. I think spreading out subtle things like your wood pieces, metals and textures is better.
I have ordered a tan leather sofa for my living room and have two 1950s club chairs which will not be beside each other. The fabric on one is a small gold geometric pattern on cream and I have a swivel rocker in burgundy. Now I am torn on whether to make the two club chairs match or go with some kind of burgundy and gold tweed type fabric. Carpet is medium beige so sort of a non-entity. I am so confused. Do I go with matching or contrasting for the second club chair since it will be on the opposite side of the room from its mate. (Bashes head on table repeatedly).
This article was super helpful! It really clarified for me what I need to do to make my home cohesive. That being said, how do I prevent things from looking too “matchy matchy”? Different shades/tones in the same color family? My colors are blue, brown, and neutrals, with lots of wood elements. Can I mix lots of different wood colors and textures and make it still flow, or will it be a hodgepodge? Also, how can I create of beautiful, cohesive home in a small house with LOTS of active messy children? Things break, get torn and stained, toys are everywhere, and I don’t want to obsess over keeping things pristine, but I still want to develop a lovely cohesive space. Any suggestions?
Maybe someone will be kind enough to offer their opinion on how I can proceed with designing our master bedroom. Eventually we will be renovating and fixing it, but it’s a second floor master that was basically an attic at one point. As such, we have 45 degree angles on the left and right as you come in, starting maybe 3 inches above the floor. The bathroom oddly butts out into the living space, creating “interesting” angles. The room is about 14 ft wide by 28 ft long. Should we embrace and even emphasize the angles, or try to soften them and hope to hide them? The other top floor rooms also suffer from this, but only on the outer walls, and more of a curve than a sharp, flat angle. Any opinions are welcome and appreciated!
I LOVED this Nick! Super helpful 😊 I would love more like this. I feel like my house looks like a thrift store sometimes🙄 I would also love you to do something about house quirks … For example, we have some “lovely” built-in window valances that have pipes/wires in them. Same in the kitchen above the cupboards. Neither cheap nor easy to get rid of them. I’d love to know how to hide the quirk!
Is it considered continuity in design if I painted every room the same warm, medium-dark grey and everything that isn’t grey is the same white? (Trim, built-ins, ceiling, etc.) I also have then same window treatments throughout my house. My design style is mostly boho, and this gives me a consistent background for the eclectic furniture, art, and decor. I love the idea of fun and interesting wall colors and textures but my need for a peaceful and calm space has to coexist with my love of quirky and colorful decor.😬
Looks around my room as Nick explains repetition as intentional, noting that my brain automatically seems to get drawn to items that have repeating patterns and colors. I instinctively come home with things that go together, without having a mood board or carrying a color Swatch with me. I always say the items I style with in my home find me, not the other way around. 🥰 Of course, I had an early start because when we had Barbie dolls as kids, I spent all my time designing Barbie’s home and just used her as a prop🤫. My mom even put me in charge of the home decorating as a teen, and I took an interior design class in high school. It was so much fun! 😁 Not gonna lie though, my area to improve is on maximizing the power of negative space. Thanks for another great article, Nick!
This is a great article. Please use split screen more or hold the picture you are talking about longer. Design is a visual art, not a verbal art. The picture is also important to the visual learner. I like your articles but sometimes it is too much verbal for me. With the split screen, with you talking about the picture while I can see it makes the article so much more useful. Thank you and I subscribed!
The pot outside is black, like the leather on those chairs. On the image with rattan…. It is too much rattan close together And about that toilet image, in another article you said that similar finishes do not mix and you specifically mentioned brushed gold and brass. And now it is ok. What is it then?
Hello Nick, I just found your website today and subscribed. I’m currently perusal your older articles and loving your ideas, dos, and dont’s. You’ve also confirmed what I’ve known all along….my home has zero flow. Because I like several different decorating styles, I have ended up with something different in every room. I don’t see a way out of this unless I build on, buy a larger house, or store it all and start over? Here is to hoping your articles will point me in the right direction. 🙂
Let me start off by saying, great article! I think using similar window treatments is important. This could mean using blinds, or sheers in the same colour – it gives cohesion and consistency to the exterior facade of a house. In the old days, luxury apartment buildings supplied window coverings in all units tenants were obliged to keep up, for this very reason. This doesn’t mean one can’t install curtains or valances over these window coverings. I’ve used white zebra blinds installed inside my window frames of all my windows, except in my formal rooms and master bedroom, where I have pinch-pleated sheers, all for privacy while providing light. I intend to put curtains and/or valances over these coverings, as each room’s furnishings and purpose dictate. I have also used the same flooring (espresso-stained and distressed engineered birch over radiant heated floors), door and window hardware (oil-rubbed bronze), and colour of woodwork and ceilings (white) throughout my house. This has allowed the various “spaces” to be cohesive, while introducing colours – blue living/dining room, green powder room, red range and wall oven) has provided interest. Pale taupe halls tie the rooms together, as does the use of black as an accent colour in the formal rooms and kitchen. Seems to all work for me!
Cohesiveness can be hard. We’ve toured some houses. You might have some trends that you like but they don’t necessarily become cohesive with some new trend. THe one I hate the most is the dining room that is painted blood red or outside green. Then you’ll go into their basement and something is painted black on the walls. Too dark for me. But the bedrooms are each some bold other color. This was supposedly a trend at one time? Then after that house, I saw the all grey look. Every wall must be grey.
Friendly reminder that unless you do your subtitles manually (which allows you to move them around the screen to avoid covering important elements) any text or other visuals added to the bottom of the screen will be covered up by subtitles. Mostly stuff appeared at the top/centre which was great! But there was a bit at the beginning and a bit at the end.