10 Simple Ways to add Texture to your Home

After taking a room make over community class last week I have been really trying to look at each of my rooms to see what I can do to improve them. In my main family room area I have a LOT of dark browns, my sofas, my entertainment center, my book case and even a lamp table are all almost the exact shade of chocolate brown. I came across this article from Right at Home, that I think my help me and it might help those of you who might be in the same boat.  Since all of my stuff is about the same color and texture the room seems seems a little flat. Here are some suggestions that I had never thought of:

Go tonal. Decorating a room in all the same tone is a wasted opportunity. "Tonal color variations add instant visual interest,” says Rosemarie diSalvo, an interior designer and partner at diSalvo Interiors of New York. Using only one shade of a color looks flat; choose two or preferably three and mix them between accessories, furniture and paint. Try a subtle two-tone effect on a wall, with the lighter shade on top and subtly darker shade below, perhaps even separated by a molding.

Accent one wall. There's no need to spend money wallpapering an entire room when one textured wall is all it takes to peak visual interest. My cousin suggested that I paint on wall maybe just a shade or two darker than what I already have. That way you dont have 50 thousand different colors in your house.

Get scent. Scent is an important part of a room's texture, but not if it's overpowering. A subtle option is would be on of those Sentsys, which melt into a pool of scented oil wax to gently yet quickly fill the room with fragrance.

Don't repeat a texture. When it comes to fabrics, those four words are one of diSalvo's biggest mantras. For example, "If you have pillows on the sofa in the same color family," she says, "make sure they're not all the same fabric." Instead, look for a variety of textures—chenille, silk, linen, leather—to automatically add interest to the entire space.

Layer lighting. "Come up with a lighting plan that takes into account how a room will look throughout the day." DiSalvo suggests having overhead lighting, task lighting (for reading and working) and soft tabletop lighting for evening—and adjusting your scheme accordingly to how and when natural light comes into the room.

For the full article from Right at Home click here