A lot goes into designing a home, and today I’m sharing about two items that can either make or break a room.
Do you ever start working in a room and by the end you’re left frustrated? Maybe even before the end.
Something just seems off, like there’s something missing.
After several years of observing, trial and error and becoming obsessed with all things home design and decor, I can tell you that there are two key elements will make all the difference in the look and feel of a room.
One Caveat Before We Continue
Before I continue, I just need to clarify that this isn’t a post to make you feel like you need to run out and do this to every area of your home.
I’m simply passing on these tips and tricks to help you create your own haven as time allows.
You will know your budget and what works for you and your household.
That being said, here are the two items that will make or break a room.
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Lighting.
Whenever we enter a space, whether it’s the dental office or our own home, our eyes tend to travel around the room.
We do it all the time, on a subconscious level mostly.
What’s one of the first things displayed in most homes?
Light fixtures of course!
Obviously, we’re not out there craning our neck looking up at everything, but our eyes do land naturally on various objects in a room, lighting being one of them.
One of the ways to brighten up a space is with your light fixtures. Whatever your style is, whatever you love, it will shine through and evoke a charm and personality into the space.
Different types of light fixture styles:
- Farmhouse
- Boho
- Modern
- Cottage
- Industrial
When we did our DIY Faux Wood Bedroom Feature Wall, I knew changing out the light fixtures would be part of the transformation.
I love the addition and how it instantly transformed the space even further.
You don’t need to conform to what’s “trendy” or feel like you need all the latest things, it could even be a thrifted DIY of a light fixture you found secondhand.
The possibilities are endless!
2. Rugs.
Ahh rugs, who doesn’t love a beautiful rug right?! There are so many kinds out there and they have a way of really making a statement in any room, no matter the size.
Whether it’s as simple as a mat in the bathroom, or something bigger like an 8×10 in the living room, rugs really set the tone and can make or break a room.
Of course, my mantra is to work with what you have but that doesn’t mean you need to settle for a rug or never change things up as time and budget allows.
We had two 5×7 rugs in our sunroom for five years, and all of last year I was searching and keeping an eye out for a beautiful large 8×10 to change it up.
As trendy as the vintage rugs are (and beautiful), I just never felt very drawn to any of them as much as a modern farmhouse piece I was seeing on Instagram.
The problem was, the rug was from Rugs USA and since I’m in Canada, I wasn’t sure how the shipping situation would go over (sometimes we get a bill later yet due to duties).
Then I saw one of my favorite accounts and bloggers, Sarah over at Grace in my Space sharing some rugs in her Instagram stories and I knew this could be it.
It was from Wayfair and it was very similar to the one from Rugs USA.
Part of me would like to share publicly how much I paid for it, but part of me is hesitant to do so.
Some might panic and think, “How is that a sale?”
But it’s one of Wayfair’s top-selling rugs (which I didn’t even know until later), and 8×10 rugs are notoriously expensive.
Could I have gotten a cheaper one at Costco or Walmart? Probably.
But this rug was an investment. I searched those places too, and nothing was coming close to the love I had for this distressed looking rug.
Don’t settle, it’s better to wait it out than buy something you’ll only half-love
While lighting and rugs are a big part of making any space come to life, what matters the most is how you feel about it.
As long as you love it, that’s all that matters.
Don’t guilt trip yourself because someone else thinks you spent too much on a rug.
Like my example, we had had our previous rug for five years.
So while dishing out that amount may seem insane to some, for us it was an investment.
It’s going to be sitting in there for a long time and why would we settle if instead, we could save up the money and then get a piece we really love?
Obviously it’s not always realistic to be waiting a long time, if the dog shreds up half the carpet and the funds aren’t there for your dream rug, then you’d need to get something you would feel comfortable with at that moment in time.
In general though, it’s worth it to research and invest in those bigger pieces.
One of my favorite quotes on design says,
A room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy. – Juan Montoya
Isn’t that a beautiful analogy, to have a room smiling at you?
I can imagine a few of the ways to do that would be with light fixtures and rugs.
Have you ever waited and researched for the perfect piece in your home? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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