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Should You Design for Comfort or Style?

Choosing between comfort and style is a common dilemma among homeowners and home designers. Focusing too much on aesthetics and neglecting comfort can result in a home that is impractical, not conducive to relaxation, and unsuitable for entertaining guests. A comfortable home with unimpressive décor, on the other hand, may evoke a sense of dullness and lack of personality. 

Comfort and style are both important in the creation of an ideal home. Therefore, you should attempt to strike the right balance between the two when you are designing your home. Follow this guide to achieve the perfect mix of cozy and chic.

Opt for a Transitional Style

Furniture
Image by Jesse Bridgewater from Pixabay

The transitional style is a cross between traditional and modern styles. The main purpose of this home decorating style is to create a well-balanced blend of comfort and style. It involves more than just adding rustic elements to a modern-looking room or contemporary pieces to a traditional-style space to create contrast and juxtaposition. Instead, a transitional space focuses on incorporating a somewhat equal number of traditional and modern pieces to create a balanced and harmonious environment.

Some of the hallmarks of the transitional style include straight and clean lines, warm neutrals such as browns and tans, and wood elements. You can use statement elements that are trendy or vintage to add flair to your space.

Choose Comfort Where It Matters

When you are deciding between comfort and style, you need to take into consideration the purposes of different items in your home. Give precedence to comfort when you are selecting furnishings, fixtures, equipment, or objects that play an important role in providing comfort. Examples of such items include couches, beds, chairs, flooring, and textiles.

It is also important to put comfort ahead of style when you are choosing an HVAC system. While a compact HVAC unit is usually more visually appealing than a larger one, it may not have enough capacity to deliver the desired cooling or heating effect throughout a large area. If you want a system that is powerful, aesthetically pleasing, and energy-efficient, consider going for a ductless HVAC system. Also, you can install a refurbished PTAC from PTAC4Less to make spare rooms more comfortable. PTAC is a ductless heating and cooling system that can be easily installed through the wall. It guarantees exceptional indoor comfort in your home by incorporating either a fresh air intake or a traditional refrigerant.

Use Visual Elements to Infuse Style

Look at space
Image by THAM YUAN YUAN from Pixabay

After you have created a comfortable foundation, take a step back, and look at the space. Identify areas where you can incorporate your personal sense of style and focus on those that will have the most significant visual impact. These may include the color of paint for your walls, wall hangings, lighting fixtures, and decorative items.

Since trends can change quickly, it is a good idea to choose items that are affordable. That way, if you want to give your home a makeover at some point in the future, you can easily replace items such as pictures and pillows to create a new look without putting a big dent in your bank account.

Creating a home that is both comfortable and stylish is not easy. It requires a good understanding of the functions of different furnishings, fixtures, and objects in your space. Items that are meant to provide comfort should be selected or replaced with that goal in mind, while the rest can be used to enhance the aesthetics of your home.