Decorating: How To Create a Sense of Flow From Room to Room
Check out these unifying tricks to create a sense of cohesion in your home
So many of us decorate one room at a time – as money allows – it can be easy to forget the bigger picture and lose sight of how a room works with the rest of your home. Rather than focusing on each room in isolation, think holistically and consider how you can carry unifying features throughout your home – whether colour, architectural details or styling.
Imagine all your rooms photographed for a Houzz story. If the images wouldn’t sit well together, the chances are your home will feel disjointed, chaotic and jarring to live in. Even eclectic homes with a ‘thrown together’ look will have unifying features that make them work. So, go with the flow and take inspiration from some of the clever ideas employed by these homeowners.
Imagine all your rooms photographed for a Houzz story. If the images wouldn’t sit well together, the chances are your home will feel disjointed, chaotic and jarring to live in. Even eclectic homes with a ‘thrown together’ look will have unifying features that make them work. So, go with the flow and take inspiration from some of the clever ideas employed by these homeowners.
Connect indoors to outdoors
Sightlines continue outside, too, and the best way to unify these spaces is by choosing the right flooring. Lead the eye by laying wood flooring indoors in the same direction as decking outdoors. Alternatively, cover both spaces with the same tiles, ensuring the grout lines match up – although you may need a more durable and weatherproof finish outside.
See more ideas for linking indoors and outdoors
Sightlines continue outside, too, and the best way to unify these spaces is by choosing the right flooring. Lead the eye by laying wood flooring indoors in the same direction as decking outdoors. Alternatively, cover both spaces with the same tiles, ensuring the grout lines match up – although you may need a more durable and weatherproof finish outside.
See more ideas for linking indoors and outdoors
Link accent colours
Tie together neighbouring spaces with pops of colour. Here, a pink splashback in the kitchen and pink sofa in the dining area help to unify a large, open-plan room. If you get bored easily, do the same with accessories or flowers instead, as they can be changed more readily.
Tie together neighbouring spaces with pops of colour. Here, a pink splashback in the kitchen and pink sofa in the dining area help to unify a large, open-plan room. If you get bored easily, do the same with accessories or flowers instead, as they can be changed more readily.
Paint skirting boards
Highlighting an architectural feature that runs throughout your house, such as skirting boards, will bring instant flow. It’s also a relatively simple way to revamp your home every few years as new trends for paint colours catch your eye.
Highlighting an architectural feature that runs throughout your house, such as skirting boards, will bring instant flow. It’s also a relatively simple way to revamp your home every few years as new trends for paint colours catch your eye.
Opt for archways
Removing doors and creating archways instead is a great way to create flow between living spaces. Some hallways seem to be nothing but a corridor with lots of doors to other rooms. Removing some of those doors instantly makes the hallway less of a separate thoroughfare and more of an extension of your reception rooms.
Removing doors and creating archways instead is a great way to create flow between living spaces. Some hallways seem to be nothing but a corridor with lots of doors to other rooms. Removing some of those doors instantly makes the hallway less of a separate thoroughfare and more of an extension of your reception rooms.
Banish threshold strips
Removing doors between key living spaces is one thing, but most people would consider removing the bedroom doors a step too far! However, you can still create flow between sleeping areas and the rest of the house by forgoing threshold strips and using the same wood flooring on the landing and throughout all the bedrooms.
Removing doors between key living spaces is one thing, but most people would consider removing the bedroom doors a step too far! However, you can still create flow between sleeping areas and the rest of the house by forgoing threshold strips and using the same wood flooring on the landing and throughout all the bedrooms.
Repeat architectural features
If you live in a period home, you may be lucky enough to have beautiful original cornicing in the reception rooms. A new mould can be created from original cornicing to use in rooms where it’s missing, such as the bathroom or kitchen. If cornicing is lacking altogether, this can be the perfect opportunity to create a ‘linking’ cornice from scratch to suit the style of your home.
If you live in a period home, you may be lucky enough to have beautiful original cornicing in the reception rooms. A new mould can be created from original cornicing to use in rooms where it’s missing, such as the bathroom or kitchen. If cornicing is lacking altogether, this can be the perfect opportunity to create a ‘linking’ cornice from scratch to suit the style of your home.
Expose brickwork
Whether you prefer an industrial feel or a rustic country look, exposed brickwork will tie together your scheme. Consider exposing a brick wall in two or three rooms to create cohesion – perhaps the kitchen, living room and master bedroom. If your brickwork isn’t up to scratch, slip bricks from a builder’s merchants can be used to create a facade.
Love bare bricks? Get more ideas
Whether you prefer an industrial feel or a rustic country look, exposed brickwork will tie together your scheme. Consider exposing a brick wall in two or three rooms to create cohesion – perhaps the kitchen, living room and master bedroom. If your brickwork isn’t up to scratch, slip bricks from a builder’s merchants can be used to create a facade.
Love bare bricks? Get more ideas
Stick to one shade of wood
Make wood your unifying factor, as this homeowner has done by using the same dark wood and carrying it through from the furniture to the curtain poles.
Go one step further and carry this through to other rooms – for instance, with a dark wood bed and dining table. It doesn’t mean your home will look ‘samey’, as you can add variety in design, accessories and soft furnishings, but these key unifying pieces will anchor the feel of your home.
Make wood your unifying factor, as this homeowner has done by using the same dark wood and carrying it through from the furniture to the curtain poles.
Go one step further and carry this through to other rooms – for instance, with a dark wood bed and dining table. It doesn’t mean your home will look ‘samey’, as you can add variety in design, accessories and soft furnishings, but these key unifying pieces will anchor the feel of your home.
Finish with the hallway
Your hallway will bear the brunt of any renovation project, so it makes sense to decorate it last. This also gives you the chance to step back, think a while, and then create a space that sets the scene for the rest of the house – much like waiting until last to write the introductory paragraph of an essay!
See ideas for revitalising your hallway
TELL US…
How well do your rooms flow? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Your hallway will bear the brunt of any renovation project, so it makes sense to decorate it last. This also gives you the chance to step back, think a while, and then create a space that sets the scene for the rest of the house – much like waiting until last to write the introductory paragraph of an essay!
See ideas for revitalising your hallway
TELL US…
How well do your rooms flow? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Link neighbouring rooms by clever placement of furniture. These two spaces work so well together as the coffee table has been lined up with the dining table next door, which in turn lines up perfectly with the kitchen units and pendant lights. Sketching out plans showing where to place furniture at an early stage will have a huge impact on flow.