The Ultimate Guide To Transitional Decor

Are you struggling to decide on the best style for your home and coming up short? Transitional decor may be the way to go, especially if you like modern and traditional design elements. According to Apartment Therapy, transitional decor combines modern and traditional interior design. "It combines curves with straight lines, it's airy and polished, and it's textured but not cluttered," says Renee DiSanto of Park & Oak Interior Design. Traditional decor uses antique furniture, accent pieces, patterned wallpaper, dramatic chandeliers, and draperies. Modern design, however, features minimalism, neutral paint colors, and open floorplans.

You might think it would be hard to combine these two styles because they are so different. However, blending them requires only a few simple tips and tricks. Choose minimalist items in the living room and comfortable, grander options in the bedroom. Layer glass, tile, and wood materials to make this design style work. A neutral palette, a clear focal point, and a mix of new and the old will also help your home strike the balance that defines transitional decor (via MasterClass). Read on for more tips on creating a beautiful transitional home.

Want to add some color to those neutral walls? Colorful wall art is one way to go. Another trick is to add accent pieces or furniture that complement and contrast against your walls and the rest of the room.

According to Wall Art Prints, both contrasting and complementing pieces can work. They are simply variations on a theme. For instance, a piece of art in a deep shade of aqua would pair beautifully with beige walls and a sage green sofa because the colors are complementary. On the other hand, you could pair the wall and sofa with abstract art, including red, orange, and purple, as long as it contains blues and greens that match the remaining decor. Art serves several purposes in a room. It provides a focal point and makes a room appear finished (via MyMove). Additionally, it provides pops of color in the otherwise neutral palette of transitional decor.

There are many ways you can use carpets to decorate your home. Unlike rustic or more traditional styles, carpeting works well in transitional decor. The good news is that rugs and carpets come in various colors, styles, shapes, and sizes. Use them to add color and texture to your room. According to Architectural Digest, selecting your carpet or rugs should be the first thing you do when decorating a room. Start by choosing your first layer and then add to it as you would when deciding what to wear. Flooring will be the first decision you make. If you choose wood or laminate floors, you can liven them up with area rugs.

Area rugs are generally a better option for your floors for several reasons (via The Spruce). For example, they are easier to clean and can be updated if you get bored with a particular design. If you choose to change the color scheme in your room at some point down the road, area rugs are more convenient to swap out than wall-to-wall carpets. When selecting area rugs, consider the color, style, and size. The rug should be large enough to cover the floor entirely underneath the furniture in your room. Try to leave at least 24 inches from the wall on each side of your rug. Whenever possible, use them in the highest traffic areas of your home.

Modern furniture is known for its sleek design. Old-world style has always been more ornate. However, you can find simple antique pieces to create transitional spaces. Newer items also work so long as they are simple, clean, and utilitarian.

If you're looking to incorporate this design style into your home, you need to add simple, clean lines. According to Paradigm Interiors, clean lines are unbroken, uninterrupted lines. Contemporary design often uses rectilinear lines. Curvilinear lines are typically associated with femininity and are used in traditional furnishings to celebrate opulence. Styles associated with curvilinear lines are Baroque, Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern, and Post-Modernist. However, curvilinear lines can be clean when they are unadorned. There are plenty of ways to add this style to your home. If you are looking for larger pieces or want to make a statement, places like Da Vinci Designs take custom orders for wall units and other shelving units.

Soft fabrics are lovely additions to transitional environments. Suede, chenille, and leather were used in traditional styles and remain popular in modern interior design. According to SFGate, a leather couch makes a bold statement in any living room. However, you will have to plan accordingly if you're going for this style. Many of the neutral colors transitional decor is known for will be overpowered by the typical dark colors in leather couches. Sage green or light amber are better options, and you can counter these colors with other accents in the room.

You could also soften the look of the couch by adding throw pillows. Warm colors or cushions with metallic accents complement leather couches. Or you could add a different fabric into the mix by incorporating a velvet, suede, or chenille chair. Suede also works wonderfully on headboards, footboards, and curtains (via Houzz).

Add a striking pop of color to your room with an accent wall. Minor elements like colorful rugs, vibrant artwork, vases, and books also work great. According to Havenly, when you start with a neutral backdrop and simple furniture, it's easy to add pops of color.

Striped rugs, flowers, and accent furniture are simple ways to do this. Artwork is an even simpler one. As a plus, people are less likely to tire of neutral shades, so using them on the walls and in your furniture choices is wise. Choosing less permanent options that are colorful makes them easier to swap out, should the mood strike you. If art and rugs aren't to your taste, you could choose a textile instead. Brightly colored throws on neutral couches or chairs could be the splash you need (MyDomaine). Or you could choose a chair in a spectacular color that calls attention to itself. Adding a pop of color to your room can be as complex or easy as you wish.

Light floors work well with transitional decor because they complement minimalist styling. However, you don't have to lay them in traditional lines. If you're looking for something more visually interesting, choose tiles in a chevron or herringbone pattern. You might wonder about the difference between these two patterns and why they work in this style. According to Architectural Digest, chevron planks meet in perfect, aligned points, while the herringbone pattern is more staggered.

Or you could select hexagonal tiles. Tile with hexagonal shapes is very on-trend and comes in many varieties (via Lushome). If you're decorating with white tiles, go for textured designs or geometric printing. Deavita offers hexagonal tiles with gold trim, so you can also use metallic accents with this design element. They look lovely when combined with other finishes as well. Mixing wood planks with hexagonal tiles creates a charming flooring option.

According to Bob Vila, wainscotting is a decorative wall paneling covering the bottom half of a wall. Some examples are beadboard, raised paneling, board and batten, and picture frame molding. Board and batten fit transitional styles well because of the clean lines. Some homes have wainscotting or millwork already in place. If your home has wainscotting, accentuate it with a fresh coat of neutral or bright paint. If you don't have wainscotting, you can add it to any room and instantly elevate your home.

There are many different styles and ideas for wainscotting and millwork. For example, there are traditional neutral colors and much less common ones, like juniper, in a striped pattern (via The Finished Space). Chair rail comes in different widths, and you can use traditional wainscotting panels from floor to ceiling. These options will give your home a bit of old-world charm without damaging its modern-day beauty.