Sometimes when we decorate, or redecorate our homes, we get carried away trying to match everything perfectly. A soft white or pastel room doesn’t have to include only soft elements and light colors. Adding a deeply contrasting piece such as a dark brown or black picture frame, lamp, or shelf, will make the room much more interesting. Intersperse other strong, dark items throughout the space.
The same is true of rooms that use deep or dark colors. Lighter brighter elements, accessories, or pieces of furniture will add even more drama to the space while keeping it from feeling so heavy.
Color is not the only issue either. Pieces with cleaner lines or strong texture can add a bit of masculinity to a soft ultra-feminine space, while some softness will make a room with hard lines, lots of texture, and saturated colors more welcoming.
Prints play well off solids, stripes work well with floral patterns, fabric treatments can soften wood or metallic elements, and pieces with glass beside chunky furnishings can make the space feel less heavy and crowded. Add an accent rug to a wood floor, add warmth to a cool space with plants,
You can also make a stuffy, too formal space feel more inviting by adding the opposite. A few casual elements or accessories will help keep a space feeling homey instead of making family members and guests feel like they shouldn’t enter or sit down, or like they want to leave quickly instead of lingering.
Opposites will also work in spaces that seem a bit too casual. Adding elements that have more structure and bringing in stronger accessories can help tighten things up. Fabrics in more formal color tones or higher quality fibers will dress the space right up.
While coordinating our decor elements is important, the use of a certain amount of opposites adds another dimension, as long as we keep things in balance.