How to Coordinate Room Elements

Every room has character. It can be restful, like your bedroom, or energetic, like your family room. The function of the room and your own personality will define the character of the room. But

what about the rhythm? Does your room exude harmony or chaos? Has the coziness turned into clutter? Does it feel welcoming? Can you enter it without feeling a need to change (or ignore) something? If so, you can orchestrate some simple changes to your décor to improve the balance and flow.

1. Examine the traffic pattern. How do you move through the room? Are certain objects turning the natural path into an obstacle course? Are there furnishings that should be coupled and others that just need to stand alone?

• Visualize your ideal traffic pattern to minimize the awkward movements and enhance productivity. For example, a home office and kitchen should be laid out for maximum efficiency.

• Draw out a triangle of the three key points you visit/use most often in that room (e.g., stove, sink, refrigerator in a kitchen or computer, files, printer, and bookcases in a home office) and then lay out your furnishings to align with those places so you’re not wandering all over the room and wasting time.

2. Rethink the color. Color creates harmony. If your tastes have evolved but your room hasn’t, you could be suffering from a resounding rhythm disconnect. Perhaps you’ve fallen out of love with the color palette that once excited you, without realizing it. The hues on the walls, flooring, furniture, and even the ceiling project a feeling, but is it the right one, right now?

• Flip through some magazines and look at the colors that are appealing to you now. Don’t overthink it.
• Pull out any pages that have attracted your attention, even those that have nothing to do with home décor.
• Lay out these pieces and look at where your tastes are taking you.
• Snip the bits of color and create a new palette and then head for your favorite paint store. A few cans of paint might just bring back that loving feeling.

3. Fix up the fixed-ins. Architectural details like windows, doors, fireplaces, and built-ins can feel like they dictate the décor, but, in reality, they should function as accents. Sure, you can’t move them, but you can integrate them into your desired design.

• Change the mantel on your fireplace and its surrounds. Go from brick to fieldstone, wrought iron, copper, stainless steel, or wood. You can buy a kit and do it all yourself or hire a professional for a custom look.
• Redo the hearth with tile or stone.
• Paint your doors and windows or change the trim to something more interesting.
• Use a border wallpaper around the edges to give it a more artful look.
• Replace your drapes with something lighter, like a scarf or valance, and change the finials on your rods to reflect the new décor.
• Consider something completely different for window treatments — nothing at all! With a different color or trim, you don’t need to cover up this magnificent source of light.

4. Pump up the accents. You don’t have to buy new carpeting or replace your furniture to change the look of your room. Instead, quickly shift the palette with the clever (and liberal) use of decorative accents. Change the lampshades, pillows, throws, floral arrangements, wall art, and pottery and you alter the look and character of any room. Keep your favorite photos but swap the frames to work with your changing style. Pick a color scheme or theme for the room and seek out items that will add the level of highlights you want.

5. Shed new light. Lighting fixtures are frequently overlooked in a makeover, yet the light contributes greatly to the rhythm of the room.

• In a dining room or entry way, the chandelier creates the focal point. The lighting in a kitchen is key to effective food preparation. While you’re looking around your room, don’t forget to look up. Does your fixture need to be updated? Depending on its style, perhaps some new shades are all you need.

• Install under-cabinet lights in your kitchen to brighten up your workspaces.
• Consider replacing your track lighting with island lamps or pendants for a dramatic change.
• In a bedroom, you probably need a combination of overhead lighting and accent lamps for nighttime reading.
• Also, think about installing wall sconces to add soft light to dark spaces.
• Replace your wall switches with dimmers to afford more flexibility in your lighting and help you create the right mood.
• Finally, remember that although lighting is an essential function, it can be aesthetic as well. Take a look at your floor, table, and accent lamps. Are they functioning but not fun? Do their styles conflict with the harmony you seek?

You don’t need to be a decorator or feng shui expert to restore harmony to your surroundings. Simply understanding what works — and what doesn’t — is the first step toward fine-tuning your spaces like a maestro!