Buying furniture and personalizing a space to match your tastes is what makes a house a home. Moving into a new house, especially if you are moving into a larger one, may be daunting. You might be wondering how you can fill all the new, vast rooms with modern furniture to make the house look beautiful. The process is not as difficult and as overwhelming as it may seem if you keep some simple tips in mind and break down your decorating options by rooms and function. Remember, decorating and furnishing your house is a slow process and not all the rooms need to be decorated at once.

Complement or Contrast

For most people, having a cohesive interior design scheme is important. It can be a bit off-putting and jarring to have a hodgepodge mix of ornate, antique, French furniture and modern furniture in adjacent rooms. One thing to think about when planning your design is to consider the architectural style of the house. When decorating and choosing furniture, one of the best methods of producing interesting design styles is to either select items that complement or items that contrast. For example, if the house is Victorian in style, it makes perfect sense to choose Victorian furniture and accessories. However, for a more interesting and unique decorating solution, try decorating the home with modern furniture, a stark contrast with the Victorian architecture of the home. The contrasting styles between modern furniture and old architecture will be interesting, offering a compromise between the old and new, blending seamlessly into a unique and cohesive design.

The idea of complementing and contrast can also be extended to choosing colors and fabrics for furniture. According to color theory, colors that are opposite on the color wheel make one another stand out — for example green and red, purple and yellow, and blue and orange. If the walls of a room are painted one color, picking furniture of a contrasting color can make it really stand out. Homeowners could also choose to go with a monochromatic color scheme, choosing fabrics that are similar in nature to the color of the walls.

Furniture Durability

One important consideration when buying furniture is its durability. Furniture can be expensive, so no one wants to buy furniture that will scratch or stain easily. At the same time, durability and good looks do not often go hand in hand, so it is important to strike a balance between the two.

Different families have different needs in terms of durability of furniture. If a family has small children, durability may be a key and deciding issue when purchasing furniture. Kids are messy and prone to accidents. Shoppers should choose furniture that offers the maximum forgiveness and durability like couches with vinyl or microfiber upholstery or modern furniture made of metal, which is less likely to scratch than expensive woods.

Another consideration for people who have small kids in the house is safe. Many pieces of modern furniture can have hard, sharp edges. Instead, people with small children should select pieces that have rounded edges and soft corners. Also, it is helpful to avoid furniture that is made of glass, or that has exposed screws, for these can cause potentially severe injury should a child fall on or hit them with a lot of force.

Kids or No Kids?

Finally, people with children should opt for colors that do not easily show stains like dark blue or earth tones. For people who do not have children, the options are more unlimited, but durability should still be a factor.

When selecting chairs that will be sat infrequently, you will need to make sure that the cushion has adequate padding. Padding can quickly lose its shape and form, making what was once a comfortable chair a piece of furniture that people avoid. It can be tough to judge whether or not a cushion will be durable, but let the price be a good guideline. Generally, well-constructed, high quality, durable pieces will cost more than cheap furniture that will wear out after repeated use.

If you are still wary about getting started, more has been written on how to decorate your home and to read it is always encouraged.