Before making any furniture choice, ask yourself which domestic habits and ‘rituals’ you want to indulge; what comfort are you looking for.
I wanted an open, relaxed and convivial living space despite the limited surface area, but leaving visual ‘filters’ for the entrance and kitchen. I placed the furniture against the walls and in the center I inserted ‘furniture’ elements (baskets, tables) to be moved according to use.
1. Find your mood
Consistency is essential for an atmospheric environment. How to get it? With clear color and style choices, which are repeated from room to room.
Periodically eliminating the superfluous is essential to give harmony. It doesn’t mean emptying, but keeping only what matches your style.
Alternate open and closed furniture to give an idea of studied composition. The things you leave exposed, make sure they have an aesthetic that is as homogeneous as possible. At the entrance, for example, I collected my collection of magazines in identical white cardboard boxes.
Wood, natural fibers, leather details give authenticity and a sense of well-being. Nordic style cannot do without natural materials.
Over time I have chosen to replace the darker essences of the wood, turning towards light shades. The only exception is the mirror above the sofa, a memory of friends (even the memories and your story serve to create atmosphere!).
2. Study the arrangement of things: sculptures
Objects of use and decoration, if kept in view like sculptures must be composed into mini sets. Move them until you are satisfied, then take a picture: it will help you judge if the whole is balanced.
Sculptures are the touch of class to make an impression on your guests. The sculptures organize the space in such a way as to create a punctuation in the internal grammar of the house.
No home is perfect and flaws cannot always be eliminated: try to ‘neutralize’ them by diverting attention. One of the (many) defects of my apartment is the floor: we did not change it immediately and now the intervention would be invasive. To ‘dress it up’ and minimize it, the solution was to superimpose rugs of different sizes and patterns.
3. Look for clever solutions
Do you have little space? Invent exposed storage solutions. A basket is enough to store pillows and blankets or to hold what you don’t use. It will be perceived as a decorative element and will be functional.
It doesn’t take much, even cut greenery or succulent or succulent plants. There is no atmosphere without greenery.
4. Choose three colors
‘Last but not least’, as the English say, the theme of colors. The choice and use made of it are essential to create the right visual comfort.
My advice is to compose a color palette with a neutral, restful and luminous base, and to add touches of a shade that you like, which in some way tells about you and your tastes.
Choose three shades, ideally assign the measure to each (decide which color will be dominant, which one to follow, etc.) and repeat them in all the rooms. I opted for the typical black and white of the Nordic style, more light wood and mint green and blue details.
5. One last piece of advice
Those who love the home often also love different styles and are at risk of … love at first sight and ‘passionate’ purchases! Generally, however, it is better not to fall into temptation and try to buy only things that harmonize well with the dominant style of the house, with the color palette and with the materials. Obviously some creative madness is allowed every now and then …