Choose theme to reflect personal style, unify home decor
Spring and summertime festivities always bring to mind planning around a theme. Whether you are inside or out, it’s fun and easy to pump up your decor with accessories that match the celebration. Everything from balloons and strings of lights to flags and banners, paper plates and even floral bouquets will set the mood.
However, theme decorating is not just for events. When choosing furnishings and decor for a room, it is helpful to have a common subject, a specific style, around which to work. Here are some guidelines to a successful setup.
Ask yourself what mood you want to create: then picture a scenario that encapsulates that feeling. Locations where you love to relax can offer colors and visual hints.
Water is a prevalent theme. A lake, beach or island getaway all calm the spirit.
Reproduce the mood with paint the color of pale blue skies, using watery hues of aqua and turquoise as accents. Shades of sand and driftwood are more subtle, and always peaceful.
Seating can be plain and comfortable, beckoning the body to relax and dream. Textures are important; a nubby carpet feels good under bare feet.
Favorite pastimes and hobbies are another starting point for working with a theme, especially for a den or recreation room.
If sports are central to your family life, team colors, posters and trophies can show off your enthusiasm. Wood paneling works well for a sports theme, as does lots of seating for watching games on TV.
Nature buffs will feel at home displaying collections and books on shelves set against walls of new-leaf green. Try covering a focal wall with a forest mural. Simple seasonal switches keep the room fresh and timely. This is easiest to do with fabric cushions, blankets and area rugs.
A specific decorative style is built around known elements that are connected to the era in which it appeared. There is a wealth of information on all facets of decor for the many styles we have come to love.
If you enjoy the spirit of art deco, look for wallpapers that show a flourish of geometric shapes and saturated colors. Furnishings have an exotic, modernistic edge. Expensive fabrics and detailed craftsmanship bring this luxurious style alive.
Almost a polar opposite to art deco is industrial style, which is enjoying popularity today. With its roots in industrial buildings, this style is pared back to utilitarian form and function. Concrete walls, salvaged tables and chairs, and repurposed pieces of machinery sit easily together in all their unpretentious glory and are now considered chic.
Cottage style is a favorite theme that combines the relaxed country look and outdoor living.
Shown here is a patio vignette from HomeSense that has all the makings for a quiet afternoon by the lake. You don’t require much to portray such a theme or style. Here, the paddle and the graphic beach towels set the stage. The red and white outdoor carpet has a familiar country design. A woven wicker basket holds a lush plant. The side table with a concrete top is a more modern cottage touch.
Enjoy the journey when you are decorating. Remember, it can take you wherever you want to go. Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. Follow Debbie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis, or visit her website, www.debbietravis.com.