How to decorate a space or a house?

[Jose-Manuel52]

The prints in the paintings have been designed by the artist and architect @lookpowercollage_.

Hello everyone, today I want to talk a little bit about what decorating is for me and how we can improve our spaces or our homes.

All of us have often asked ourselves, "What can I do to add a personal touch, what can I do to make my home look "modern"?

And the answer is ..... that there is no universal law that dictates how to do it, because everything is related to how we are, how we focus and how we project our personality in our homes.

Here is what I ask myself when redecorating, designing or creating furniture, spaces or homes.

1. What am I going to use this space in my home for?

Although it may seem like a very obvious question, it is not and we need to delve deeper into it. There are different areas in our homes that can have a multipurpose use; for example: kitchen-living room, living room-reading area, bedroom-bathroom. These examples are almost always related to the concept of "open space" and tend to be a double-edged sword due to the amount of elements that we introduce. Overloading with unnecessary objects or objects that do not provide a pleasant view of our home. The same happens with rooms for a single specific use.

2. How am I going to use it?

I see this question as a game that each one of us can play. 

Let's create a mental image of our home and walk through it, let's live the space making use of it in our mind. To be clearer; I imagine myself walking through my house, making use of the elements, and such everyday things as sitting on the sofa, leaving my keys, hanging up my coat, exercising, eating dinner, sleeping, taking a shower, opening a cupboard, putting away a brush, etc. 

I analyse the necessary objects I need to carry out the different actions in order to know what is indispensable.

3. How do I choose what my listing needs?

Once I have done the second point, the hunt is on! 

Once I know how I am going to use my space, I start to buy my furniture, my objects that are indispensable to do each task and in this way I simply limit myself to having what I need at home. I buy the main pieces of furniture and I live my home according to its use so that everything I have is always useful, useful and is not taking up space unnecessarily.

Choosing furniture is something very subjective and it all depends on our tastes and our personality. The painting of the walls in my case white and grey makes that my choice of furniture has similar tones and the details for example lamps or chairs are black to generate contrast. The pictures with black frames generate a volume on the wall due to the difference in tones.

4. What do I use to decorate?

I have already given you some clues in the previous point but I always try to decorate with tones that stand out against the background where they are placed. I try to have objects that are unique and that have a history both in my home and in other people's homes.

In conclusion, we cannot say that there are established rules to decorate something because for me it is more related to how we are, how we make use of our homes, what is necessary for me to live and what people need to feel comfortable and mentally relaxed in a place.

It's a slightly different point of view. But if you want more details about how we can use colour, how to place elements or how to create order in our homes I will be happy to give you more details.

Best regards and I look forward to your feedback.

José Manuel

[Quincy]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and approach to decorating spaces @Jose-Manuel52!

It's refreshing to hear that there is no universal law when it comes to decorating, and that it's more about how we project our own style in our homes 😊

Thank you for offering to share more details on color, placement, and organisation.

Keep up the great work!

Quincy 

[Jose-Manuel52]

Thanks @Quincy 
We are here to offer the best of ourselves and help within our means!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jose-Manuel52 You say 'All of us have often asked ourselves, "What can I do to add a personal touch, what can I do to make my home look "modern"?'

I am confused. Why would I want my space to look modern? I quite like the age that matches the age of the property and surroundings.

[Jose-Manuel52]

Totally agree. The term "modern" that I have used is an example to explain the redecoration process that I use. 
Thank you for asking and expressing your opinion!

[Fred13]

My sister is also an interior decorator (40 years) and she uses the word 'modern' also, in her case she uses in place of the word 'fresh', as I have come to finally understand. She is  a proponent of following the theme of a place however.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Jose-Manuel52 

This is such a great topic, and very individual, as you said. Our home is Frank Lloyd Wright School, so it is intrinsically "modern" and follows Wright's principles of "organic architecture" - meaning it is an expression of the site. We are on a mountain top, with acres of glass to focus on the enormous wilderness view. Hence, our colors are an echo of nature. Our linens are earth colors - and the restful greens & creams on the bed linens. The original art on the walls is tribal, the furniture is - like Wright - Danish Modern and Asian Antiques. The carpet is Deco Era in the earth tones predominant, then. Plants indoors and out establish a restful celebration of Nature where our guests unplug, de-stress and refresh.