The Decorated Look

Have you ever gone into a furniture store’s showroom and fallen in love with the pieces you see?  Now how many times have you gotten those pieces home and they just don’t look as good as you remembered?

The truth is there is nothing wrong with the furniture.  No, it’s not your house either.  What you saw in the showroom is just not what you bought.  Look at the illustrations below.

The first picture shows a fully decorated room with window treatments, area rugs, beautiful pieces of art on the walls, greenery and accessories on the mantle (much like the furniture store’s showroom).   What you fell in love with in the showroom was the decorated look.  What you brought home is new furniture- like the room in the second picture. 

The difference is in the details.  Furniture pieces are a huge component in a space, but without adding the extra touches, all you have is furniture sitting in a room.  Nobody wants to come into their new home and see furniture lined up against blank walls or naked windows that make your house a fishbowl at night while allowing the sun to fade your furniture during the day. 

Everyone wants to come home and feel comfortable in their space- all of our homes are lived in, but who says “lived in” can’t be beautiful?   Never underestimate the value of floor and table lamps, art pieces, greenery and accessories in a room.  These are the components we spend the least time thinking about but they all work together in layers to give our space the decorated look while still being functional.  A little tip- allocate 30% of your budget for these items.