Country, Craftsman, Modern... Do You Have to Choose Just One?
By Dawn West
Interior Design School Review Columnist
Most people feel an affinity to certain styles. The clean lines of a modern interior design scheme set you at ease. The charm of country decorating brings you that warm homey feeling. But there's always the fear that choosing one style and sticking to it will box you in and leave your home feeling a little too prefab. Here are some of the benefits of choosing a tradition and some thoughts on how to negotiate blending traditions.
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Victorian, craftsman, modern - whatever the interior design tradition you're leaning toward, there are some benefits to settling on a style as well as some ways to cross style boundaries without interior decorating catastrophe. Let's start with the benefits.
- Fewer Options. You may be wondering why this is in the "pros" section. Here's why - fewer options mean fewer headaches, fewer catalogs to flip through, and fewer stores to visit. Choosing a tradition doesn't mean choosing a cookie cutter design. If you opt for a modern interior design overall, you can focus on that part of the design spectrum and have the time and energy to make informed, careful choices.
- Cohesiveness. Choosing a tradition means choosing a general aesthetic. Your aesthetic will run throughout your home, will give it an order, and a sense of care that will set both you and your guests at ease.
- Some traditions meld better than others. Craftsman and modern interior design schemes are going to mix more easily than say rustic and Victorian. Some pieces just don't make sense, and sad though it is, you're better off reconciling yourself to it than you are fighting it.
- Be sure to actually blend, not just to stick things next to one another. A country decorating scheme in your kitchen and a modern decorating scheme in your living room will leave both rooms feeling like interior design theme parks rather than like natural reflections of your good taste.
About the Author
Dawn West is a Senior Columnist for Interior Design School Review.
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