Tag Archives: Interior Decorating

To match, or not to match, that is the question!

Maybe you’re ready for a living room refresh, or you’re moving into a new home and wanting to redesign your spaces; in either scenario, you’ll have to make a lot of decisions around matching and clashing items. Will you have one color stain throughout the room, or can you mix and match woods? Will all finishes be the same, or will you include a variety of metals? Can you mix in rattan, wicker, or other vintage pieces, or will that look funny with modern lighting? Here are just a few tips and tricks around when to match (or not!) while designing.

FURNITURE SETS

Ten years ago, the average person owned a matching furniture set: a three person couch, two person loveseat, and a single chair or two. Each piece had the same fabric and pattern, and sometimes even came with similarly style end tables and coffee table. These days, matching furniture sets are still available, but we are fans of mixing and matching furniture. Choose a comfy sofa in a neutral color and add two colorful or patterned accent chairs to add some flare to a room. Another big trend right now is pairing a colorful sofa, often velvet fabric, with matching vintage accent chairs. What joy and life color can bring to a room! Here are a few examples of mismatched furniture sets.

sofa and mismatched chairs

Ballard Designs

Mismatched Sofas - Good Idea, Or A Colossal Mistake? - Laurel Home

Studio McGee

Living room curtains in a blue floral pattern in comfortable living room

Ballard Designs

METAL FINISHES

Clients often ask, or even question, this next piece of advice: it’s okay to mix metals and finishes! We don’t want you to go too wild with variety, but it is okay to have two or three different finishes in a room. Try to mix warm finishes with cool finishes and avoid putting two similar tones together such as chrome and brushed nickel. The great news is you can pair black with any finish! Here are a few examples of mixed metals in kitchens and bathrooms.

Love this beautiful timeless kitchen design with white cabinets, a coffered ceiling treatment, and a mix of brass and polished nickel metal finishes - kitchen ideas - kitchen island ideas - kitchen lighting ideas - gorgeous kitchens - kitchen trends - mixed metals - brandon architects

Jane at Home

Bria Hammel Interiors

Leclair Decor powder bath

Maison de Pax

WOOD TONES

You’re probably starting to notice a theme to this post – it’s okay to mix and match when designing your home! The same goes for wood tones, it’s okay to have a little variety in your design! With wood, it can be helpful to have one main wood tone, perhaps the hardwood flooring or color of trim, and add an additional accent or two with a different tone. When matching wood tones, try to have grain patterns look similar, or match the finishes – glossy with glossy, rustic with rustic, matte with matte, etc. With wood, you also want to match warm and cool tones if the colors are very similar, or go for a large contrast in tone, almost opposites in color. Here are a few examples to bring these ideas to life:

how to mix wood tones - california cool living room with sofa and wood accent chairs

My Domaine

Chris Loves Julia

Curated image with Ansel Rug, Royce Side Table, Arlo Chair, Gulf Shores, Lebon Floor Lamp, Eileen...

Studio McGee

Mixing and matching in design provides interest and warmth when done well. If the process of choosing feels overwhelming, we’re always here to help with our interior and re-design services!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

A Quick Summer Refresh

Summer is a great time for a home cleanout and refresh. More often than not, I miss the opportunity for spring cleaning, and find myself in my dusty basement and dirty garage in July, preparing for a garage sale I wish I had done in June with the rest of my neighbors. With two toddlers, this year in particular I noticed my days of cleaning up our walls with microfiber cloths and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are over, and it’s time for a fresh coat of paint. Here are a few of A Home Revival’s designers’ current favorite paint picks:

Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams

This warm, gray color is perfect for Minnesota winters and low light areas of the home. We love how it looks in this modern, home office!

@ivoryoakdesign

Photo Credit: #SWColorLove on Instagram

Pure White by Sherwin Williams is our go to paint color for trim, and pairs beautifully with Repose Gray in any room. With trim, we recommend using a semi-gloss paint for easy cleaning, especially in high traffic areas of the home! The color also works well for walls thanks to it’s yellow undertones keeping it from being too sharp.

@homecrushdesignsllc's pure white bedroom project

Photo Credit: #SWColorLove on Instagram

If you’re looking for a little more color in your home, but hoping to still stay in the neutral zone, try out Sherwin William’s Sea Salt. This green/blue hued color is still in the gray family and creates a warm, calming space. We especially like the idea of this in a primary suite, paired with coastal bedding and décor!

bedroom painted with Sherwin Williams Sea Salt

Photo Credit: The House of Hood Blog

Have you done a summer paint refresh this year? We’d love to see your color choice! Tag us on Instagram with @ahomerevival and show us your space!

 

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival

Meaningful Design

This is the final post in our series on how to find inspiration for design. We are drawing inspiration from a design trend we are seeing more of in 2023 — designing with meaningful objects. There has been a slight shift away from minimalism towards a more balanced effort to include elements in our homes that bring us joy and meaning in everyday life.

When I think of meaningful objects, I think of pieces you may not typically include in a modern day redesign. Here are a few examples:

  • Milk glass from your grandmother
  • Doilies from your mother’s first trip to Europe
  • Your family’s wooden rocking chair
  • Artwork children have gifted you
  • A stamp and art collection from your father
  • A handmade quilt
  • Antique dishes from your great-grandmother
  • Military memorabilia from your father’s funeral service
  • Still life oil paintings from your great-uncle
  • Décor from your mother’s time abroad
  • Cross stitch you made with your aunt and cousins as a child

The question is, how can we incorporate these items in a way that doesn’t look disjointed or awkward with the rest of our home design? Let’s see!

Create a coordinated art wall to display children’s art.

display kids artwork

Organised Pretty Home

Use simple, clean magnetic strips to hang rotating art in your kitchen or a children’s bedroom.

Alt image 2 for Magnetic Art Gallery

Pottery Barn Kids

Display a stamp collection in a sleek, modern frame, to pair with office or living room décor.

How to Display Stamp Collections - Church Hill Classics

Church Hill Classics

Use a vintage still life as inspiration for a shabby chic bedroom, office or powder room. Pair it with rich, bold accent colors surrounded by light wood and creamy neutral walls.

Oil on Board Painting of Still Life with Flowers in Urn For Sale

Chairish

Incorporate milk glass in both functional and beautiful ways! Use it as vessel to hold personal items in the bathroom.

Use the milk glass to add greenery to your home, both as planters and vases.

Décor Book

What beloved items that you hold near and dear do you have tucked away in a closet or in the basement that you can bring into your home to make it a space filled with love, warmth and memories each and every day? Where will you break away from trends to create a space that is truly your own, a space that tells your story?

Guest Blogger: Katya Larsen, Stager, A Home Revival