Creating Purpose in a Space:

There is purpose in almost every space you walk in. Whether it’s your local coffee shop, library, or park, each space has a goal for the environment they create. No matter how different they all are from one another they all share one thing in common and that’s to create an inviting space. It may be the way they arrange the seating or choices in their color palette but everything has its purpose to welcome you in.

When you look at your home, how does it make you feel? Would you consider it a space that makes you feel invited? Your home is a space where you get to create whatever meaning or purpose you want it to have. It can be your place to go to unwind, get things done, be alone, or be with family. Whatever it is, it is yours to create.

I want to invite you to take a closer look at your home. Ask yourself questions that help you define each room’s purpose: what does it mean to you, what are you working with and what environment are you trying to create? Here are a few steps you can take to work towards making your house more of a home.

Have an open layout

The design of your home has a very direct impact on your mood and the way you feel. Just making a few small changes in your layout can result in a major impact.

✨ Try to keep the space as open as possible. Doing so lets you create a space that’s inviting and relaxing. Look around for what feels too cluttered or intrusive to you and slowly start clearing it out.

✨ Take your bed for example; is it blocking a window or the flow of foot traffic? Simply moving it in another area of the room that's not blocking natural light or flow can considerably open up space and make the room seem so much bigger.

✨ Another tip is by bringing in mirrors to reflect light. This allows for the illusion of a more open space!

✨ Create a focal point that feels meaningful. A focal point is an area of interest or something you want to emphasize. It’s what immediately catches your eyes’ attention when you walk into the room.

Here’s an example

For this project, our client wanted a cozy and family-friendly environment. We took this approach by adding homey items like throw pillows, blankets, and plants.

✨ Also, take note of the fireplace, this is a perfect opportunity for a focal point of the room. We emphasized it by adding different elements along the sides but still not overcrowding it.

✨ Adding tall candles on top of the mantle helps give the illusion of height and the dark color contrast against the white wall.

Visualize a triangle:

This is a popular method to arrange your decor. In this example, we used this method to decorate our client’s shelving unit. You might ask, why a triangle? Well, this concept creates a proportionate shape that is pleasing to the eye. At first glance, you might not have guessed the arrangement was intentional but every piece was placed with a purpose.

✨ You can achieve this look by grouping items that have unique shapes and sizes and stack them along each other to shape a triangle.

✨ You can see here in the photo we did this in small groups and large ones through the shelves. It also doesn’t hurt to add a direct line of decor to break up the triangles.

Say it with color

The color of a room can instantly express a feeling or set a mood. When you are choosing the color palette for your home think about what energy you want to generate and then think about what color you personally associate with that certain mood.

✨ Look at each room and take note of how you want it to flow with the rest of the house but still feel unique. You can take one to three different colors or textures used from the main areas of the house and then pull them in by differentiating them through other elements.

✨ Another way to do this is by looking at what pieces you have. Say you have a rug that has some subtle hints of dark blue, you can pull from that and incorporate that dark blue in another piece like the pillows. This allows for the whole look to tie in together and feel complete.

Here’s an example

Take a look at this beautiful look put together by @studiomcgee. Here we can see she keeps her look all in a neutral palette and has some pops of color for some contrast. I love how this lovely sofa brings out this gorgeous dark blue tone to stand out in a bright and neutral room!

Creating a system:

Home organization is a huge way to put purpose in your space. You never want a room to go to waste getting taken over by mess or clutter. This is why it’s crucial to create efficient systems that are easy to maintain moving forward.

✨ Categorizing and labeling is an attainable way to organize your space. You can do this by making zones of certain things like for a home office you can make a bin for all your papers, separating important documents by filing them, or grouping all your pencils in a container. You also want to make sure your storage solutions are durable so they are long-lasting.

✨ Keep in mind what you usually use on a daily basis in order to make it easily accessible and to put it back in place. Other things that you don’t need as often you can store away in a solid bin or basket and then label it. This way you only have out what you need and a system in place that makes more sense to you.

Here’s an example

Here we have a design by @almafield as a great example! Notice here how clean and distinct the shelves are here. This is because it’s mostly displaying the major requirements for their daily needs and the rest can simply be stored neatly somewhere else.

We also see here other techniques like labeling and keeping everything in the same color palette so it all looks cohesive and intentional.

Also, notice how bright this space is, this is because of the window placement. It’s important to let your space have natural lighting, especially in a working environment. This will make your space feel more inviting and allow you to focus well.

I hope you found these fun tips helpful in your journey to making your house a home! If you felt inspired to try some of them out make sure you tag us on IG @Aria.Interiors or use the hashtags below.

Love always,

#inspirecreate

#ariainteriorslove

#designwithintentionality