In pictures: How do I create a design theme for my home?

Decorating with consistency requires planning

Start by going through each room and its details – flooring, colours, wallpaper, et cetera. Having a theme does not mean that you should paint all the rooms in the same colour or shade; it is rather about having a common denominator, that recurs in the rooms and that makes you recognize yourself in the space. If you succeed in creating a common theme, your home will feel a lot more quiet and harmonious.

Photo: Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör

Repeat the type of wood

With the beautiful wooden floors as the starting point, the room below comes together nicely through the armchair, mirror, as well as the sideboard being made of the same type of wood.

Photo: Fredric Boukari Photography

Use the same colour in several places

In this space, grey is the main colour, with a grey floor as the starting point. We can see how the shade has been picked up in textiles such as the carpet and curtains in the room below. This ties the open plan layout together. Using the same colour in different ways is a clever tip to create a common theme, and is well suited for homes with an open floor plan.

Photo: Nooks

Creating a common thread in your home using colour does not necessarily mean that it should be the same colour. Decorate instead with colours in similar hues – like the pastel hues in the picture below – and create a cohesive feel.

To use colours in similar hues, you start with the same colour but in different brightness of shades.

Photo: Alexander White

Decorate with an accent colour

With a calm and simple base, you can afford to add an accent colour. By choosing one colour to use throughout the home, it looks tidy and cohesive when wandering from room to room. Simple and good for those who like to update the small details in their home every now and then.

Photo: ROWICO

Choose materials carefully

In the same way as with colour and type of wood, it is nice to use one (or more) materials to tie together your design. Here, they have upholstered part of the sofa in the same leather as the armchair.

Photo: Kronfoto

Marble is an example of a material that is easy to repeat in every or most of the rooms. It can be used as a table top, tiles in the bathroom, a countertop in the kitchen, and on and on.

Photo: Kubik Indretning Aps

Here they have chosen to use the same material as recurring elements in the interior. We see the brass details on the tap and on the lamp. It is easy to use the material again in the next room, for example brass candleholders or table tops.

Photo: Ballingslöv AB

Natural influences create a cohesive feel in this stylish kitchen.

Photo: Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör

Choose your style! 

Bohemian, Scandinavian or industrial? Whichever style you choose, make sure you stick with the typical aesthetic details of that particular one. The kitchen in the picture below shows a typical industrial interior – a lamp in some sort of fabric would have felt very misplaced above the dining table.

Photo: Amsterdam Living

Use the same floor

Having the same flooring throughout the home creates a consistent feel. As soon as you deviate from this, you have to work extra hard with other details to get it all together and create that common style theme.

Photo: Entrance Fastighetsmäkleri