4 Design Secrets to Creating a Cohesive Home that Flows

If you’ve ever looked at designer homes, you probably noticed how perfectly cohesive they are. Each room flows into the next, with no disruptions. Every space is so well-thought out and the colors and furniture all compliment each other nicely, from the kitchen to the master bedroom to the office.

We all strive for cohesiveness in our homes, but sometimes it’s hard to know how exactly to get there with so many different things that go into decorating. Here are 4 things all cohesive rooms have in common and how you can achieve it in your own home.

1. Color Scheme

Color scheme is first and foremost to creating a cohesive room. A set color story creates consistency and connects each room to each other.  You can vary the amount of color and the items in a particular color in each space so it’s not too boring or predictable. If you have blue throw pillows in your living room, try incorporating blue in a different room like your kitchen, with a rug or art. The key is not to mix too many colors. A whole house color scheme should have about 3-5 colors. Anything beyond that can get a little busy or chaotic. One color is your primary color – it’s the color that is used most in your room (or entire home), then you have a secondary and tertiary color. The secondary color should make up about 50% or less of that color in your space and the tertiary color makes up about 25% or less. If you have one or two more accent colors, these should be used sparingly as they are as the name implies, accent colors. With a set color palette, what you buy should fall within those color families more or less. Of course things like plants, other natural elements and any wood finishes fall outside of your color palette. By marrying each room together with like colors, your overall home will instantly feel more cohesive and put-together.

Related post: How to choose paint colors

2. Defined Style

For a cohesive home, you should have a defined style that you can at least put into words and have an idea visually of what it means to you. You do not have to have a style that is popular and all over Pinterest. But you should be able to identify what fits within your style and what doesn’t. When you starting mixing a traditional chair with a mid-century coffee table and farmhouse inspired end table with nothing to tie it together, it can feel random and mismatched, which we don’t want. Create some commonality among the pieces you bring in your space so it feels intentional and cohesive. If you have a predefined style you’re working with, you eliminate the other styles that don’t mix and stick to a few elements you can repeat in each room in your home.

3. Consistent Materials

Another easy tip is to repeat the same materials throughout your home to create a visually cohesive look. Let’s say you have pillows in your bedroom. Try incorporating velvet in different ways in the rest of your home such as velvet drapes in your dining room and a velvet chair in your living room. It’s a nice way to tie the design together from room to room without being too matchy. You could do this with any material you really like such as faux fur, linen, a pattern like stripes, geometric, or anything you love.

4. Traffic Flow

A well-thought out floor plan does wonders for a space. Follow the natural traffic flow and arrange furniture in clusters creating conversation areas. One of the most common mistakes is lining all the furniture along the wall. Especially if you have a large living room area, this feels too far away for conversation and it doesn’t feel cozy and welcoming. Try pulling the furniture away from the walls to create amore intimate setting.

Try these tips in your home and see what you think! You’ll be surprised how just honing in on these 4 key steps will pull each room together and feel more cohesive.

Still need help decorating your space? Girl, let me help you! I’ll work with you to create a room that reflects YOU that you love. Learn more here.