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Strike a balance between functional additions and decorative frills to reflect the detailed complexity of life.

Perhaps for reasons that will never be fully explained, a blank canvas will attract a painter’s brush and masterpieces will come to be appreciated for their details more than the sum of their parts. Just as most prized paintings began as blank canvases, a living space sometimes starts off as a sparse array of furniture and accessories, increasing in complexity with time as the signs of life accumulate within it. A barren living space can be easily remedied with the addition of a lighting fixture or a piece of artwork to draw the eye - but if you seek to design an elegant living space layered in intriguing complexity from the beginning, then read on.

Personal Touch

Sentiment binds us together with shared meaning despite our individual differences, with personal significance and nostalgia occasionally representing greater value than even the most commonly treasured of material objects. Aside from all the known characteristics that make up the range of decorative styles prevailing in our present time, the single most influential factor that differentiates an interior is self-expression. The designers of the pictured seating lounge, M Innovative Builders, demonstrate this philosophy in practice by bringing together favoured and seemingly disparate decorative elements to produce a space that is uniquely cohesive and tailored for the comfort of the residents.

Fine Details

Bland spaces tend to have little to say, but adding a handful of details in the background - or a few comforting accessories such as a coffee table or clutter tray in the foreground, imbues a space with layers of complexity to capture attention and entice the wandering mind. The Roof Studio demonstrates the striking effects of imposed detail by decorating this living room with an abundance of wooden surfaces and placing them in close proximity to the high-pile carpeting. The result is an elegant array of layers that evokes interest with complementary details in texture and shade.

Tips: The addition of a few accessories does more than provide some comfort. Without the necessary amenities (throw cushions, floor lamp, end table, coffee table, clutter tray, and potted plant), the result would potentially resemble a furniture showroom rather than an actual living room.

Repeat Motifs

The pursuit of elegance entails a delicate balance struck between grace and ingenuity, necessitating careful consideration when selecting colours and materials. As decoration is simultaneously an art and a science, the creation of a décor should be subjected to creative and logical guidelines to achieve a cohesive and visually appealing arrangement. In the pictured seating lounge decorated by ST Concepts, complex layers of wood, stone, and light are created with a sprinkling of decorative and functional accessories - all unified in the complementary shades of the neutral palette so as not to overwhelm the eye with dissimilar elements.

Tips: When you want to shy away from bold and colourful patterns, texture is your best friend. Neutral is never boring when a variety of textures are used. Mix it up! Repeating the same pattern throughout a room is also a reliable way to achieve cohesiveness.

Art Aesthetics

Handcrafted artistic works represent countless hours of effort and are often valued for their uniqueness and irreproducibility - even more so in this age of automated manufacturing. The introduction of artwork does more than provide a splash of colour or texture - art has the potential to evoke emotion, inspire thought, and invite critique, with the results leading to a discernible rise in the complexity of a space and its character. To illustrate this, X Dimension Design incorporates serene landscapes into the décor of the pictured living room, with the artwork diligently curated to echo the hues of the space.

Light Up

Large pieces of furniture and glittering artefacts tend to draw the gaze of naïve observers - occasionally, to the detriment of a sparsely decorated space. Lighting fixtures are useful add-ons that serve to simultaneously highlight subtle decorative features and direct the eye away from default points of attention. In the pictured seating lounge, Sachi Interior Design opts for an intriguing floor lamp fitted with a robust diffusing shade to at once illuminate the furniture arrangement and throw an array of light and shadow into a corner for a visually striking effect.

Tips: Even neutral coloured spaces can benefit from a beguiling display of light and shadow. This living room presents additional variations of the neutral shades with the aid of prominent lighting fixtures.