When looking to make a statement in the design of your new home, one often considers a stunning granite countertop or a stone-wrapped fireplace to be the bold feature that stands out. While these items can certainly be attention-grabbing, often the design of a home is far more eloquent and “put-together” when the statement is being made by a piece of furniture, a feature colour, or even a texture.

Great design begins with a great inspiration piece.

Pick a Piece...

Furniture

Sometimes a statement piece is a piece of furniture that is unique in style, texture, or even colour. It should speak to the specific style in which you plan to decorate your home. Is it rustic? Modern? Shabby chic? What makes this piece of furniture unique?

Decorate the room by carrying those specific characteristics into other pieces throughout the room in order to complement but not compete. An example could be if your furniture piece has delicate features such as thin legs, select other pieces with a similar “weight” to their structure. You want to enhance the design of your statement piece without drowning it, ensuring everything in the room is fluid.

Lighting

In your home décor shopping, have you discovered a certain light fixture that you would just love to have in your home? A chandelier perhaps, or simply a pendant light with a bold design? This could very well be your inspiration piece. Your lighting can set the ambiance in a room both in the way the fixture looks, and how it disburses the light.

Use the texture or materials used in the design of the fixture to carry into other pieces throughout the room, such as black metal, organic wood, or brushed gold. Does the fixture have a unique shape? Mimic the curves and angles of the piece in other décor items.

Rug

Your statement piece can also be a stylish area rug with a bold pattern or colour scheme. Without overdoing it, carry the pattern to other pieces, such as a framed canvas on the wall, or a similar—yet not identical—pattern in a throw pillow. Be careful, though, patterns can very quickly become overdone, so remember to be delicate in your use of the same pattern.

It's considered trendy in 2017 to mix patterns, such as using subtle stripes against geometric shapes, or floral with polka dots. This takes some trial and error, and maybe a lot of inspirational shopping on Pinterest to strike the right balance. The secret to mixing patterns, though, is to ensure there's one consistent colour between them. This ensures the patterns are visually linked.

Paint

You may choose to paint a feature wall as your statement piece. Whether you have a favourite tone, or you want to try out a popular paint palette for 2017, this can definitely go a long way to creating a visually interesting space. While using paint to get playful with your décor, it's highly recommended you avoid painting an entire room in a bold colour, as this can make the room look small and create an overwhelming feel to the room.

One wall is enough, and it should be a wall that contains a major piece of furniture. In your bedroom, paint the wall behind your headboard. In a great room, consider the wall containing the fireplace. By doing this, you're allowing yourself to carry the colour to the opposite side of the room, creating balance in the space.

As an example, if your main wall colour is a light grey, you may choose a bold colour such as plum, burgundy, or navy blue as your feature colour. Then, you can carry that hue into vases, artwork, or a furniture piece on an opposite wall.

Rules of Thumb

One, Two, Three...

The rule of three is a great way to ensure your décor doesn’t go overboard. If you select a feature colour for your room, repeat it in three different accent areas. This ensures continuity, but you're also limiting yourself from overpowering the space.

Tone It Down

Keep it simple. To ensure your signature piece stands out, be subtle with everything else in the room. If your piece contains a bold pattern, minimize the patterns around it. For example, if your piece has bold striping, adding stripes in other areas of the room is fine but select thinner, less distinct versions.

If your piece is a bright colour, neutralize the colours throughout the room around it, introducing smaller “pops” of that same colour elsewhere in minor applications.

Scale It Back

Be sure to keep scale in mind. While you want your statement piece to stand out, you also don’t want it to look like it doesn’t belong. Maintain similar “weight” in your pieces and match complementary heights and sizes.

Don’t forget to have fun! After all, this is your own space and you can use your personality to create any style you desire. Let yourself experiment and don’t limit yourself to what you see in magazines. Try something new, you never know how beautiful it could turn out.

If you prefer to leave your new home's design to the pros, there are also great reasons to use an interior designer. Ask your builder about their recommendations for an interior designer that can lend you a helping, creative hand.