When it comes to home décor, we are often ruled by, well, rules: Don’t mix brass and chrome finishes, pay attention to scale, aim for symmetry.
But are all these rules really necessary?
Many experts say rules are made to be broken. In a recent article in Vogue, interior designers suggested five rules homeowners should ignore:
Match metals: If you have a chrome faucet in the kitchen, is it imperative to use chrome cabinet hardware? Not so, says Orlando Soria, West Coast creative director of design website Homepolish. “I love pairing brass cabinet pulls with chrome sink fixtures and stainless steel appliances. Having chrome or stainless steel in a kitchen doesn’t mean that every metal in the room has to be chrome or stainless steel.”
Use dressers only in bedrooms: Dressers are a great way to add storage space to many rooms, says Soria. Consider using them to lend “a sense of comfort and practicality to any space.”
Hang art on the wall: Instead of hanging art, designers Alyssa Kapito and Vivian Muller advise homeowners to think creatively: lean art against a wall or layer it on a console. “It’s a little bohemian, and very chic,” they note.
Match room elements: Matchy-matchy is so yesterday, says designer Alexandra Kaehler. In fact, “juxtaposition is what makes interiors interesting.” Kaehler advises homeowners to mix masculine with feminine, high with low, round with square. “It makes the space special.”
Group furniture around the fireplace: Decorating this way can cut up the space in a room. Designer Miles Redd suggests treating the fireplace as a decorative item, rather than a focal point. Push furniture into the corners, “rather than clustering everything in the center of the room. The fire still flickers and adds romance, but almost like snow falling outside, it’s just something pretty to look at.”