Home is where we laugh, love, relax and savor special moments. Because your home is your sanctuary, it should reflect your personality and style. If you think about it, where you live should provide peace and comfort while still mirroring your unique taste and flair. It should also be functional.
Too often, functionality falls by the wayside when it comes to home décor. That doesn’t have to be the case. You can have your minimalist look or shabby chic feel without having to sacrifice space or practical purposes. With this in mind, here are a few ways to combine function with style when decorating your home.
Make Your Walls Your Biggest Asset
Hanging portraits or your favorite artwork on walls is an obvious way to express yourself, appreciate your preferences, and boost the mood in your home. Furthermore, an entire room can be transformed with a bold coat of paint or cosmetic accents. But what if you could achieve phenomenal style while implementing functionality in your wall décor?
For instance, think about using magnetic paint or chalkboard paint when creating an accent wall. Granted, these types of paint typically come in dark colors (usually black, dark grey or dark green), which might seem off-putting at first.
However, when you realize you can have an accent wall that you can write on or magnetize items upon – you’ve just revolutionized the look of your wall while introducing massive functionality. You can write or stick affirmations, reminders, snapshots, mosaics, hooks – you’re only limited by your imagination with these functional paints applied on an accent wall.
Select Stylish, Functional Pieces
When it comes to selecting furnishing and accent pieces for your home, think about design and functionality. For instance, consider opting for a vintage electric fan with brass accents that are reminiscent of the era of the fan’s invention in the mid-1800s. Not only is a modern, classically-styled fan functional, it will also make for a great conversational piece.
Look at pieces that are gorgeous while serving a purpose. To illustrate, do you remember the days when radios were impressive, ornately crafted centerpieces, and popularly seen in homes around the mid-1900s? Stereos were housed in behemoth cases back then to accommodate hardware and electronics, but many of them exhibited breathtaking style and design.
By comparison, today’s home stereo systems tend to be sterile and just downright soulless. Remedy that by incorporating a show-stopping, vintage turntable for your home that will have you tapping your toes to tasteful tunes while appreciating a beautiful piece of functional art.
Opt for Functional Furniture
When you’re furnishing your home, you’re probably going to consider comfort, color, and style. However, you should also think about functionality. Today, there are tons of clever furniture designs that are cozy, becoming and multi-purposeful. Just think about fold-out couches or trundle beds, and you get the idea.
Instead of buying a coffee table with one purpose, look into a masterful centerpiece that houses secret compartments for game boards, remote controls or various sundries and doo-dads. You might also consider coffee tables that feature a lift-top surface. This elevated surface space can be incredibly handy when you’re dining in front of the TV, doing homework in the living room, or working on the laptop from the couch.
There are many routes you can take when it comes to functional furniture. From storage ottomans to platform storage beds, rethink your furniture in a way that works functionally as well as aesthetically.
Functional Home Décor Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune
Lastly, you don’t have to spend your last dime on functional accent pieces, furniture, or home décor. Think about repurposing your existing furniture. Or, you can easily recycle many items such as produce crates, wooden pallets, and other things that can be transformed into functional art in your home.
For example, with a bit of innovation and decoration, you can transform discarded plastic bottles into a masterful wall garden. Or, create stunning rugs from old rags or strips of denim. All this to say, if you’re short on cash, think about ways you can recycle what you have on hand and transform it into a brilliant, functional home décor.
Rethinking Home Décor in Terms of Function
Your home should be a reflection of your interests. It should also be a welcoming space to entertain and share moments with loved ones. You can have everything you want in your home décor while still gaining extra use out of ingenious items. Whether your style runs towards contemporary or rustic, there are limitless ways you can incorporate pleasing aesthetics with full functionality.