5 Dated Decorating Rules I Break (And The Ones I Never Will)

Everyone's got home decorating rules that they swear by, like match your metals, never mix patterns, group things in threes. But what if I told you that some of the most cozy homes I've ever seen break a lot of rules? I'm Christina, and after 16 years of decorating cozy spaces, I've learned that there are actually some rules that are worth breaking and others that'll make or break the comfort of your home. Let's talk about it. So here's what happened last week. Someone came over and they said, okay, your home feels so cozy and so inviting, but there's a lot of things that I'm seeing you do here that are breaking almost every decorating rule that I've ever seen. And honestly, she was onto something. But here's the thing. Some decorating rules are worth keeping, while others you can kind of bend or break a little bit. Look at my kitchen, for example. I have some warm brass tones in the hardware. I have some cool shiny chrome in my faucets. Plus, I often mix copper decor accents here in the seasonal months, like fall and winter. Every design magazine and so many design blogs even say that that is a no-no, but I have learned that mixing metals is what can truly elevate your space and make it feel so much more interesting. And this stack of books. So many people say that you should vertically line up all your books, while I like a mix of vertical and horizontal stacks. Doing both creates such a beautiful texture and rhythm in my space. So let's start with a big rule that I love to break, and that is matching metals. Years ago, we would always see people use the same metallic component in every single element of their house. So for example, if you choose oil rubbed bronze, everything from your doorknobs to the hardware on your kitchen cabinets to your candlesticks was oil rubbed bronze. Now we're seeing a mix of different metals. Two metals, three metals. This creates visual interest and lots of real homes and interior designers are mixing metals now. The secret to doing this in a way that feels cohesive is to repeat metallic colors throughout your space. I generally like to repeat each color three different times in my room, and that makes everything feel like it works together. So for example, if you're going to mix vintage brass with polished chrome, use that vintage brass tone on your kitchen handles, on a picture rail, on a shelf or a range hood like I have, in some decor accents. And then you can use polished chrome in your faucets, on your appliance handles, maybe as accents in your decor. And this is going to create connection through your space without it feeling like a matchy matchy showroom. Now, many interior designers say to use the rule of three when grouping items in your home. And I definitely teach this, the rule of three or the odd numbers method in my cozy formula interior styling course. However, there are certain times where pairs actually work better. This can create a really calming look. It also can feel quite traditional when you have a symmetrical look in your home decor. Take, for example, my front door. I have one planter on each side of my door. We have this pair flanking the door. This gives my entry a really nice, symmetrical, traditional look. And it just makes sense in this space. I also like to decorate my mantle in more of a symmetrical way. So I usually have two groupings of candles on either side of my mirror. In bedrooms, especially, pairs are going to make your bedroom feel calming and intentional. It always looks best to have one nightstand on each side of the bed and one pendant lamp on each side of the bed. So we have a pairing going on here. Don't let that rule of odd numbers or rule of threes prevent you from creating a look that you love if you prefer something more symmetrical. Design magazines often obsess about color schemes. Everything has to coordinate in the same color family. We can't use more than one or two colors in a space. But I like to practice and teach something different. I love the 60-30-10 rule where we have 60% of a neutral tone, 30% of a coordinating color, and then a 10% what I call a pop color. And this 10% pop color is going to be something really fun and exciting that you inject into your space that doesn't necessarily have to match your other tones in your room. I've been seeing over the last couple years the rule of red in home decor where someone just throws in a little red accent. Maybe it's a little table, a picture frame, and that pop of color just adds some energy to a space. And that's what's going to transform your neutral home into something a little bit more exciting and personal. Most people are afraid to commit to a pop color like this, but the good news is that it doesn't have to be something permanent. You can play with different colors that really make you happy. Now, lots of home decorating advice, especially for small spaces, says to push all of your furniture up against the walls to create more floor space in your home. But pulling your sofa even 12 inches away from the wall is going to create that conversation area that feels so much more cozy. It's also actually going to make your room feel bigger because you're creating zones in your space and you can anchor your zones with area rugs. Even if you pull your couch or your chairs 12 inches away from the wall, add a console table behind, this is going to give your space a more lived in and intentional look. Now, a good lighting always happens in layers. I like three different layers of lighting. It never just comes from one overhead light. We rarely turn on our big overhead lights in here after, say, 6 p.m. We like to add ambiance through table lamps, floor lamps, even twinkle lights and faux candles. And these create that cozy, warm feeling that overhead lighting just cannot replicate. It's the difference between feeling like you're in an office or an airport and feeling like you're in a cozy, enveloping space. So those are the rules that I break. Let's talk about the rules that I never break in my home decor or when I'm decorating somebody else's home. Non-negotiable number one is every room needs a variety of textures. This is the number one decorating mistake that I see when people are wondering, why does my space not feel cozy or finished? It's because you're not using enough textures in your space. Most people just use one texture or two. Mostly everything is smooth or hard, but try adding a variety of different textures into your space. What I teach in my cozy formula course is the five texture rule, smooth, soft, shiny, fuzzy, and rough. And if you incorporate all those textures in your space, your space is going to feel amazing, even if you use mostly neutral colors in your home. My next non-negotiable rule is use lighting from a variety of different sources. Even if I do have an overhead light in my space, which I do in every single room of my home, I always add a couple more layers of lighting into my space. So we have the overhead light, but let's add some task lighting like the pendant lights over the island, like the light over my sink, like reading lamps. And then let's add some accent lighting through things like candles, twinkle lights. You can get creative with this one. Next, I always try to include something with history in my home decor. Every room needs something that has a story behind it, whether it's a thrift store find, a vintage find, an heirloom passed down from your family. These pieces add soul and story into your home decor that nothing else can match. And it doesn't have to be an expensive antique piece. It can just be some sort of an interesting story that'll make your guests say, Hey, where'd you get this from? This is so interesting. What's the story behind this? And this next one might be the most important rule that I never break. I always want to include personal connection in my space. Every room in your home needs to have something that tells your unique story, your family story, whether it's a framed piece of art from your child, whether it is some shells that you collected from a family vacation, maybe it's some photos of your family. Spaces without these personal touches can feel like hotel rooms and not have something that connects you all together. My next non-negotiable is making sure I have clear pathways in my space. This is not only important for safety, but it also makes your room feel less cluttered and more accessible. I like to maintain 30 inches of width in my main pathways in my home. And then in those smaller secondary pathways, like between my sofa and my coffee table, for example, 15 to 18 inches is perfect. So you might be confused. How do you know when you should break a rule and when you should follow a rule in home decor? It really comes down to this one simple thing. Does this rule serve my lifestyle and my family's lifestyle in my own home? Decor is extremely personal and you should decorate your home for you and your family. First of all, if the rule serves some other abstract idea of home decor, or maybe it's a rule that would work in someone else's home for their lifestyle, but not yours, go ahead and break it. It's your house. My kitchen breaks all sorts of rules like matching metals, like matching cabinetry. I have two different colors of cabinets because I love the look. My front entryway breaks the rule of three because I wanted it to look more traditional to match the exterior of my home. Hard and fast decorating rules are really helpful when you're just starting to learn about home decor and you really don't have a place to start. But once you get comfortable with decorating your home, once you've lived in your home for a long time and you know exactly what your patterns are, your lifestyle, then you can really pick and choose what you're going to follow and what you're going to break. So here's what I want you to remember. The best decorating rules are the ones that serve you and your family's lifestyle. If your rule helps you create a home you love, follow it. If it doesn't, break it with confidence. Create a space that is uniquely you. Start with my non-negotiables. Adding those five different textures to your space. Adding layers of lighting. Something with history. A personal touch to your space. Making sure that you have your pathways cleared. And once you have these foundation pieces, you can pick and choose which other decorating rules you want to break or follow. I would love to know in those comments below which decorating rule that you have heard of in the past that you think that you should break and why. I would love to know. We're all so different and unique and have so many different ways that we live in and use our homes. And it's really fun to see other people's perspectives. If you like this video about decorating your home, you're going to love to watch this video here next. I'm sharing some more decorating ideas on a budget that you can use to make your home cozy and beautiful.