How to make your home look cleaner than it really is
We’re all looking for quick fixes and easy ways to achieve a home that’s clean and tidy – even if it’s not quite there on some days. Your decorating choices can help here – a few savvy choices in furnishings and styling can go a long way to tricking the eye.
1. Keep to a single colour palette
Rather than a jumble of colour and movement, choosing décor items, fabrics and finishes all from a similar tonal palette will give the appearance of a clean, tidy look to your interior. Use shades from lighter through to darker tones for plenty of depth and interest and to avoid everything blending together and becoming boring. Punctuate the look with one or two contrasting accent cushions or decorative items – but keep to a minimum.
2. Keep to a constant with scale
Choose furniture for the entire room with the same sense of scale. A large scale sofa will need to be offset with a significant sideboard or bookshelf and perhaps anchored with a sizeable rug. Pair a set of mid century dining chairs with a table from either the same era, or if you’re mixing it up, choose one with similar proportions to one of that era.
3. Keep it consistent
There’s eclectic and then there’s clutter. If you’re after a well-travelled look, ensure you carefully edit which items you display and don’t overdo it. Tie pieces together that are similar in style, scale and provenance for a cohesive look.
4. One large piece of art
Make a statement with a singular artwork for maximum impact and clean lines. A gallery wall is a good choice in an otherwise minimal, contemporary space but in a room with a lot going on it can be too much. If you’re after a clean look, less is more.
5. Use symmetry to create order
Clean lines = clean mind. Balance items and eliminate extraneous objects and homewares from sight to allow a sense of order.
