Have you ever been to someone’s home and thought: ‘Hey, these pieces of furniture look familiar'? Chances are you have been to multiple homes, and you could go up to a bookcase, table, couch or chair and say: ‘I have one of these too!’ In a world where flatpack furniture has dominated the scene, it’s not so much a surprise anymore that everyone and I mean everyone, has gotten at least half of their home decor from just a handful of furniture stores.
And to be honest, it’s not surprising that people would go for decent quality furniture at a reasonable price. Even more so, the people you hang out with are usually similar-minded to you. And what you think is pretty and where you shop could likely be the things they appreciate and hang out in too. So yeah, seen one home decor could mean you would have seen them all.
So, having fairly similar decors is going to happen, so you better get used to it. But should this really be the case? If the idea of having the exact same interior decoration fills you with a sense of dread, you might want to consider stepping out of line a bit and taking things a little bit over the top. Not so much so that you make it farcical, but enough for people to say: “that’s cool” and “I wouldn’t dare to do that myself.” It’s about striking a balance to what you feel comfortable with and getting into a side that is more playful and less visible to others. This could be the perfect opportunity to show off a side to you that you don’t often show. Here are some ideas to help you on your way.
The Sea
If you love the sea and everything about it (and maybe even live quite land-locked), try a nautical theme? This could be simply the simple addition of some shells and a painting of the sea. Or it could be a model ship you or your partner has spent ages making. It could be in the colors you use, such as deep and green-ish blue. It could be windows that look like portholes. Fans that provide a maritime seaside breeze. What about the smart placement of mermaid ornaments and references to anchors. Or have an aquarium as the centerpiece for the room. It can be as obvious or subtle as you want. Be careful though, there is a fine line between enjoying an ocean vibe and feeling you’re in a Jaws-type film.
The Old West
Or maybe you love the idea of the Old West. We are talking wood here, lots of it. Consider wood paneling to start. Avoid going full wood panel as it will look like a cabin quite quickly (unless that’s the look you’re going for). Leave some brickwork exposed. Think fireplace and an animal skull ornament on the wall. We might even be talking bearskin (replica of course) on the floor. Leather couch and chairs. Finishing touches would be perfect, such as a cowboy boot lamp. A few cowboy hats hanging somewhere would be an excellent addition. You might even want, and this is very much debatable, a picture of yourself in the form of a wanted poster. Wood and earth tones are the way to go. The trick here is to make something genuinely have that Western feel, but avoid making it into something you might find in a theme park.
The Forest
A really cool theme to use in your home decoration is the forest. Think loads of plants and smart use of green colors. You could incorporate wallpaper that has a distinct woodsy feel to it, accents of brown here and there. The important thing here is to play with light and shade a lot. If you have a living room with big glass doors towards your garden, consider trying to tie the outside area to the inside area. You could do this by having a green carpet or rug that virtually continues into the grass outside. Leafy plants and maybe even a water feature will bring in sounds and smells of the forest. A rugged-looking table made of solid wood will tie nicely into the theme. The critical thing to consider is to not overdo it. A forest can quickly turn into a jungle and also consider the maintenance and care you will have to provide for your plants.
So there you have it, 3 themes that can tell the world a slightly different story of who you are.
