3 Means Of Expressing Your Home Design Prowess, Without Being Gaudy

It’s fair to say that if you spend any amount of time on our website, you’re likely interested in good design and the inspiring principles it’s based on. Yet expressing your design understanding and taste is sometimes as much about restraint as it is expression. An interior designer will be able to tell you that empty space helps to punctuate the implementations which have been put in place for a reason.

That being said, design is also about fun, and presentation, and implementing something so it can be seen. You may feel that the exterior of your home could do with some design care, then. But how can you apply your expression within making the home feel gaudy or a little too sure of itself? It’s a difficult needle to thread, because after all, every decision you make will have an implication.

Well, we believe there are a number of principles you can follow if you want to balance good design with appropriate external restraint. Let’s discuss what that may involve, and why:

Express Natural Character

Working with what your house already has going for it usually looks way better than trying to force some completely different style that fights against the building’s bones, and most homes have some kind of natural character that you can bring out rather than covering up with trendy options that might look dated in a few years. If you’ve a Victorian terrace, for instance, then leaning into those period features like original brickwork or bay windows will look much more authentic than trying to make it look like a modern minimalist box. Or, if you’re lucky enough to have a thatched roof, using roof thatchers every decade could be very helpful to keep it in the best condition.

Go For The Best Materials You Can

Spending more money on fewer, better quality materials usually looks much more impressive than spreading your budget thin across loads of cheaper options that end up looking a bit rubbish after a year or two of weather and wear. Good quality stone, timber, or metalwork might cost more to begin with, but it ages beautifully and often gets better looking over time, and you avoid the faing, cracking, obviously budget look of any other facades you put in place. Even if you’re just putting in a garden path, the principle applies..

Natural materials like wood, stone, and metal also tend to work better together than trying to mix loads of different synthetic materials that all age differently and clash with each other. You’re better off choosing one or two really good materials and using them well rather than having a mixture of mediocre stuff that never quite looks right together.

Consider A Point Budget Allowance For Each Space

Giving yourself a specific amount to spend on each area of your home’s exterior helps you avoid going overboard in one spot while completely neglecting another, which can make the whole place look unbalanced and a bit all over the place. You might decide to spend more on your front door and entrance area since that’s what people see first, while keeping landscaping simpler, or you could focus your budget on really good quality windows and keep everything else pretty understated. If you’re trying to avoid a maximalist bent, that can be a good way to restrain yourself.

With this advice, you’ll be sure to express your home design prowess for the better.