Whether you’re thinking about changing the look of your current place or want to incorporate some fundamentals into the design of the home you’re building, an elegant look is a popular choice. Light colours, fine touches, and sleek lines all come together to communicate who you are to those visiting your home.
Not sure how to get the look you want? We’ve come up with a few essentials for those who want the elegant look.
Start with High-End Materials
With an elegant theme, you don’t want the materials and furniture in your home to look like they were cobbled together from various thrift stores. You’ve certainly moved beyond that look. Instead, you need to select the highest-quality materials possible.
This might mean hardwood flooring or a more practical laminate that gives you the look of hardwood. It could be quartz, granite, or marble countertops in kitchens and bathrooms, along with cabinetry made from solid wood. These things might add a bit of cost to the build of a home, but they make a huge difference.
Choose a Light Palette
One thing that seems universally true about elegant homes is that they have a light-coloured palette. In fact, the people who like this look will sometimes choose a stark white colour for the backdrop to the rooms. You often see a layering of light, neutral colours: slightly different shades of a cream-colour for walls, furniture, and rugs, for instance. You’ll also see some design interest in the pattern choices, such as having a white-on-white pattern on the sofa.
The one exception to this rule is when it comes to wooden furnishings and fixtures, like the cabinetry or solid pieces like bookshelves and bedroom furniture. In those cases, it often works well to choose a dark-coloured wood, since it lends a heavy, old-world feel, which can add elegance to a room.
Select a Beautiful Hanging Light Fixture
Perhaps nothing says elegance like a beautiful chandelier, and you can use them in a variety of places in your home: in the foyer, above the dining room table, and even in the living room. Some of the most beautiful chandeliers feature sparkling crystals and lights that look like candles, but you can certainly find other styles if those don’t suit your taste. These elaborate lights will look good wherever you put them.
Hang Curtains High
The curtains in rooms with an elegant look are often styles that go from the ceiling to the floor. They might be sheer, velvet, damask, or any other materials that will fit with the rest of your furniture, but you should place the curtain rod far above the top edge of the window. Many people will hem the curtains to a length about an inch above the floor, but others like the look of over-sized curtains that pool on the floor.
Add Elegant Design Details
Sometimes, it’s the little details that really bring out the elegant look. For instance, you’ll probably want to add crown moulding where the ceiling meets the wall. You can also choose more elegant styles for the framing around the windows and doors. Paint these in a different colour to have them stand out.
Another place you might add some elegant details is in the area surrounding the fireplace. Ask about including a stone surround in this area.
Avoid Clutter (and Toys)
Have kids? You can still get an elegant look by keeping toys organized. You might keep them contained to a fun playroom, or have containers for toys in the main living area.
Minimize Distracting Decorations
Along with getting rid of everyday clutter, you’ll also want to get rid of the visual clutter that you can have in a room. Rather than having a lot of artwork on the walls and shelves, you want to select a few signature pieces that are important to you. Most likely, the art will look best if it’s in gallery-style framing, and you might even want to add the special touch of art lighting. Ideally, pieces should be somewhat understated rather than bold and colourful. Black-and-white photos look nice, but so could simple paintings using colours from your palette.
The elegant look works well in a variety of homes, particularly those with the popular open-concept floor plans. The more you look around, the easier you’ll find it to create this look in your home.
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