How to decorate a home and where to begin? Start with the objects that are already there. Every object, when placed in a room in a relevant way, can function as a decorative element, whether it’s a warm blanket, a bowl of lemons or a souvenir from the latest trip. Home decoration shouldn’t be random; carefully select the elements that will enhance your shelves, counter or dining table, and, once in a while, put them away and rearrange them. The decoration of your dwelling is a long-distance run – your home should evolve slowly, together with you, your interests and your lifestyle.

A sense of luxury in the embrace of gold and warm brown hues

As a warm colour, gold works beautifully with other warm tones such as brown and light cream hues, which will create a sense of comfort, elegance and glamour. A sophisticated way of introducing gold into a room is by using the SPEKTRA Decor Topaz decorative paint with a metallic reflection. Other good ideas could be carefully picked decorative elements featuring details with a gold or brass finish such as pictures and mirrors with old-fashioned frames or candlesticks. It is also quite an easy project to replace handles on the cupboards, drawers or doors. However, avoid combinations with metals that have a silver finish, which will cool the warmth of gold colour. A feeling of comfort and luxury can also be created with a greater number of cushions, decorative mouldings or a large rug with a luxurious appearance, whereas a choice that experts swear by is single-colour bedding. One of the most common mistakes in interior designing interiors that should be pointed out is selecting small rugs that make rooms appear smaller. A rug should be large enough to comfortably include all the elements of furniture standing on it, and it should reach at least beyond the front legs of the sofa, armchair and other elements around a table. Similarly, the curtains should not be too short, because the aim is to create the illusion of large windows and high ceilings. Curtains should reach to the floor, and for a rich and voluptuous effect they can be about a centimetre longer, but they should never come to a stop more than 2 cm above the floor.

A combination of green colour and natural materials – an ode to pristine nature

Rich green hues that evoke pristine nature and a thick forest have the power to infuse a room with fresh energy and a feeling of living in the midst of nature. Rather than in a minimalistic interior, rich green hues work better in combination with other colours and materials found in nature, and you can get away with a greater number of decorative elements. Rich green hues can be combined with browns, especially light-coloured wood, earthy tones, as well as off-whites, light greys or dusky pink. Green tones will best complement wooden surfaces and other natural materials. If you have a fine wooden floor, let it shine in all its natural glory and avoid a carpet, or choose a carpet made of natural materials such as wool, sisal, coconut or cellulose fibres. The warmth of wood also works very well with the cool surfaces of stone, marble or ceramics, which can be introduced into the room through decorative elements such as ornamental crockery, vases or bowls. A simple trick is to use ornamental crockery with lemons, limes, kiwis or other seasonal fruit. Another clever way to carefully introduce a large number of decorative elements into a room is with trays, which visually define the spaces intended for decoration. Combine elements of different sizes, with different textures, colours, matte or glossy finishes and follow the rule of three. A group of three elements, for example three vases of varying heights, different colours or textures will have a more organic visual effect than a single item or a pair. For added depth, you can also include textiles in off-whites that will tone down a dark green scheme. Replace heavy velvet curtains with a lightweight material and light colours and sharp contours with soft, organic shapes.

Always classic and modern grey blended with gentle colour hues

Gentle purple hues are a perfect match for timeless classics such as grey, anthracite, off-white or cream tones, but it can be challenging to combine with bright or intense colours. The softness and tenderness of pale purple can be highlighted with soft home textiles such as cushions, throws, rugs, upholstered pouffes, and they complement light-coloured, white furniture or finishes with a stone effect such as marble, grey ceramic or glass. A large rug is also a good choice for rooms which have a hardwood floor with a distinctly yellow tone; it may clash with the gentle and slightly cool tone of greyish purple hues. Also give some careful thought to the selection of plants, which may come off as aggressive when combined with gentle lilac. Interiors with a monotonous colour scheme can be livened up by combining various textures, styles and materials, or several shades of a colour. A similar principle applies when matching existing furniture. When selecting wall colours, the aim is not to copy the furniture but to find colour combinations that complement each other even if the hues are very similar. To create contrasts in a room, black accents can be introduced such as black-and-white photos, prints or vases.  However, avoid elements of a small size, which will make the room appear smaller. This likewise applies to pictures; they should not be too small, because this will make the room seem empty. A picture should be at least two thirds as wide as the furniture it is hanging above. Alternatively, you can arrange many small pictures in a large gallery. A similar rule of thumb should be followed when choosing a coffee table, which should be at least half the height of the sofa. When selecting furniture, you should consider not only its appearance but its placement in the room.

Neutral tones – serenity and minimalism as known only by the Scandinavians and Japanese

The minimalist approach of the Scandinavian and Japanese styles relies on a colour scheme of neutral tones such as light and sandy brown hues, taupe or light grey, combined with natural materials. The simple yet impeccable look can also be achieved with items made of rattan, wicker baskets, jute rugs, woven carpets or carpets made of natural fibres, and cotton or linen bedding. When in pursuit of the minimalist idea, it is best to limit the number of decorative elements. Select fewer elements in a simple style, with clean contours, made of natural materials and of practical use such as blankets, hand-made pottery, stone pedestals or books. Plants, of course, are indispensable. The room should feel open and airy. Move the sectional or sofa at least 5-10 cm away from the wall and don’t forget about leaving large empty spaces where the eyes can rest. Carefully choose your pictures and prints in line with the minimalist style as you don’t want them to feel too aggressive. Having said that, minimalism is anything but boring. Vitality and depth can be added to a room by combining different textures, for example with the recently very popular decorative technique of creating texture with levelling compound for a decorative wall with a distressed appearance, or by introducing colour accents in green or reddish-brown terracotta colour tones. Another thing to consider is the colour of the ceiling. For an integrated and finished look, choose a colour that is a few tones lighter that the colour of the walls. By mixing elements of Japanese and Scandinavian design you can create a space that is airy, simple yet visually still extremely perfected.

Black, an eternal classic and a synonym for glamour

Though highly contrasting, a black-and-white combination often has a very one-dimensional effect in interiors. It might be better to substitute black with anthracite or very dark grey and to combine it with off-whites or very light grey rather than a pure white. This combination may be combined with other, more intense hues, but their colour should be limited. It is better to expand this scheme with various hues of one colour. A black-and-white or near-white-and-black combination works well with blue, mint green or pale pink hues. In a room dominated by dark colour, good lighting is of vital importance. In addition to the main source of light, you should provide additional atmospheric lighting by means of floor or table lamps, which will also have an ornamental role in the room. Mirrors are an always popular element, especially in rooms that are small or rich in dark colours, because they make them seem bigger and help spread the light. A contrasting scheme of dark and light colours offers a plethora of possibilities for combinations with decorative elements such as black-and-white photos, prints, statues, vases, ranging from avantgarde art to a classic renaissance look. If your shelves, table or countertop are light-coloured, select darker decorative elements to show them to best advantage, and the other way round. Black and white should alternate in a room and always strike a balance. 

Embraced by colours reminiscent of the sea

When  combining the colour blue, you can follow a cool colour palette that creates a crisp effect and match it with white, light grey or light blue tones. Alternatively, you can select a combination of colours that typically have a warm undertone, such as ochre, light brown, as well as cream white hues. When choosing a colour scheme it is recommended to consider large pieces of furniture and other existing elements in your room, such as the floor – if it has a pronounced yellow or warm undertone, our advice is to combine blue with other warm hues. While warm tones work best with light coloured wood and neutrally coloured pieces of furniture, cool tones go well with eternal white – white walls, white furniture or, even better, white furniture with a distressed look to evoke memories of the sea, a stone counter or marble and grey-coloured furniture. Blue is certainly a versatile colour which can create very different effects when thoughtfully combined. A dynamic scheme can also be achieved by selecting different blue hues for decorative elements such as cushions, covers or rugs, and they can be combined beautifully with various patterns. Be cautious with rugs that have a strong pattern and glass tables; in such cases, the decoration on the table should be simple, perhaps only a vase with fresh flowers or a potted plant. If you’d like to conjure up a seaside atmosphere in a room and decorate your shelves with souvenirs to remind you of the sea all year round, be careful not to get carried away. It is better to pick fewer items and arrange them thoughtfully. You can change the decorative elements throughout the year, but adhere to the following rule: for each new item that is added to the shelf, one should be taken away.  An always convenient solution, especially for open shelves where various knick-knacks tend to multiply, is to use decorative boxes. Every now and then it is advisable to take of everything from the shelves and rearrange them from scratch. Perhaps the new placement of decorative elements will show you a different side to them.

Blue and coral hues in combination with black

As a general rule often emphasised in interior design, the point of departure for home decoration should be the choice of a neutral colour, which is then complemented by minor details of more intense and stronger colours. Perhaps the order can be reversed by selecting a lively and bold colour combinations such as coral red and bright blue as the point of departure , and then creating a balance with decorative elements in neutral hues – black, white or grey. When using intense colour hues, many rules of interior design cease to apply, but at the same time, which opens up new possibilities of a modern, different and unexpected look. If white shelving on white walls tend to blend into the background, intensive wall colour will set off such shelves as an interesting detail which is sure to catch the eye because of the strong contrast. Be careful how you use mirrors; they should be introduced into a room thoughtfully, since ill-advised doubling of surfaces with an intense colour can quickly dominate and upset the balance in the room. Intense colours can be combined in a an interesting way with a technique called colour blocking, which allows you to add as much colour as needed without being limited by the floor plan of the room. A room where intense colours predominate, can always be toned down, if necessary, with a white ceiling or a light, off-white rug for the eye to rest on. If your lifestyle permits, the modern look of intense and interesting colour combinations also works very well with white furniture such as white armchairs or sectionals. You can also get away with intense and somewhat unusual colouring when selecting ceiling light fixtures or lights, as these are just beyond the viewer’s field of vision and allow more room for experimenting. There is no need to stay away from intense, wild and even the most unusual colour combinations.