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Here’s the thing about rules – they are best ignored! Rules constrain us, they limit our horizons and make us conform so I’m here to tell you to ignore them, kick them to the kerb and do exactly what you want to at least when it comes to decorating. Who said your colours have to match, or you can’t have such and such because it’s too large, or you can’t paint a north facing room in a cool tone? Phooey to rules they take the joy out of decorating which should be fun, exciting and liberating!
So lets start debunking them!
RULE One. Keep your Ceilings white. Why may I ask are SOOO many ceilings always white. They make walls look so stumpy and short. Paint them out the same colour as your walls I say and watch magic happen. How many times I say this a week I do not know but it’s the single most transformative thing you can ever do to any room. Trust me on this!
RULE Two. Keep artwork at eye level. Again why? I’ve seen it dropped really low, taken above the door frame to pull the eye higher, anything goes. Just do what feels right.
RULE Three. Restrict the amount of patterns in a room. I say restrict the amount of hues in a room and then you won’t need to worry about restricting the number of patterns. You’ll be surprised how you can up the intrigue by reigning in the colour palette and simultaneously overdosing on pattern. Game changer!
RULE Four. Cover up anything ugly. I think we should all embrace a bit of ugly or something that perhaps isn’t completely perfect like a threadbare rug or a chipped vase. Going for a grand cover up can restrict the spontaneity in a room so that it all starts to feel a little too uptight and contrived. Add a bit of ugly I say.
RULE Five. Don’t paint a small room out in a dark colour! Wrong on 2 counts firstly why not? Who decreed that? Secondly thirdly, fourthly (shall I go on)? How much bigger do you actually think painting a room out in a lighter hue will make the space appear? A third bigger, a half, seriously! Even more annoying is that this rules makes us feel there is something wrong with small rooms but there isn’t. I love them and painting them dark makes them feel cosy and intriguing and cool.
RULE Six. Colours should match. Why may I ask, they don’t in Mother Nature so why should they at home? Seriously the more unmatched you go the cooler the space. The freer you go with your choices the more organic and laid back your space.
RULE Seven. Your interior style should marry the architectural style of your building. Phooey to that. Do what you want, put contemporary stuff in old buildings and old stuff in new builds nothing has to have anything to do with anything else. Make sense?
I literally think rules should be broken, and when it comes to decorating toss them out of the window. I have and I did and look where it’s gotten me!
