A coherent furnishing concept. What does that actually mean?

For many people, the word "coherent" implies monotony. They fear a design-related and colorless uniformity where rooms lack character. But that is by no means the case, as a look at the following interior design variants shows.

This is what a Feng Shui interior looks like

Feng Shui has its origins in Southeast Asia. The term refers to a system of rules that can be applied primarily when choosing a building site and when furnishing, because ideally, building and furnishing should take place in a "lucky" location. The living area becomes the center of harmony. Anyone who spends time there experiences relaxation, security, and peace. Anyone who decides to furnish their living space according to Feng Shui must first declutter, tidy up, and clean, because order and cleanliness are the principles of Feng Shui.

These tips should be considered when furnishing:

– Light

Light is a decisive factor in Feng Shui interior design. This means: Large windows are welcomed and decorated only with translucent curtains. This allows Chi to flow unhindered. The artificial daylight that is also needed in the room must be adapted to the use of the room. In other words: The study needs bright light, while the living room should have light sources that allow for coziness.

– Furniture

Furniture should be light, simple, and adapted to the size of the room. Angular furniture has no place in a Feng Shui apartment, nor do massive, room-filling wall units. According to Feng Shui, storage space is needed, but decoration is not. In the kitchen, the rule is: kitchen utensils must disappear into the drawers. While decoration is avoided, plants are essentially important. They provide oxygen for the residents and support the natural flow of Chi.

– Separation

Admittedly, in some cramped living conditions, it is not always easy to separate the different areas of life from one another. Ideally, however, the bedroom should be a place of rest without a home office desk, as this article at betten.at emphasizes. There is an exception for the children's room: here, sleeping, learning, and play areas must be combined. If the room is large enough, room dividers support this intention. Different colored areas can also help to make the multiple use visible.

These interior design styles are also enjoying growing popularity

Figure 1: Furnishing according to Feng Shui means that light and open space dominate the apartment or house. This combination is intended to ensure harmony.

While Feng Shui interior design is primarily intended to have an effect on body and mind, the following styles are primarily visually recognizable.

This is an overview of the latest interior design variants:

The Lagom style comes from Sweden. Basically, "Lagom" means that the "golden mean" and a balance determine this interior design style, as stated in an article at kurier.at. Living Swedish in this case means not longing for more, but feeling happy there and with what surrounds you. There are no regulations for colors and materials. Instead, according to Lagom, there is only the recommendation to pay attention to balance – regarding colors, materials, and the number of furniture and decorative pieces in a room. This allows the Lagom style to be located between Feng Shui and Hygge.

Even if the Wabi-Sabi interior design style initially reminds one of the sharp Japanese horseradish, the interior design style naturally has nothing to do with it. Instead, Wabi-Sabi stands for purism – in the Japanese way. It is true that subtle colors and light wood make up Wabi-Sabi. This interior design style does not have to be sober and bare at all. The furniture is simple and functional. The decoration, on the other hand, provides the right amount of coziness – with cushions, blankets, and rugs.

Shabby Chic, similar to Vintage style interior design, is above all one thing: dangerous. It is all too easy for the shabby and the old to become too dominant and for the class to disappear, which has a negative impact on the feeling of living. In both interior design styles, pieces of furniture with character play the leading role. They stand for timeless elegance, which, provided with a patina, is intended to become a masterpiece. While the imperfect is allowed and even desired in Shabby Chic (made possible by painting in light colors), Vintage interior design is about perfectly restoring old Furniture pieces and setting them perfectly in the room. Vintage can easily seem heavy, because the look of yesteryear (which was often dark) is to be preserved here. Shabby Chic is much more romantic.

Figure 2: The country house style with lush flourishes is long gone. New Country is the name now when natural materials are allowed to remain massive and are prepared in a light way to ensure a modern look.

Anyone who thinks the country house style means it is rustic and old-fashioned here is mistaken, because more and more modernity is being breathed into the country house style. In addition, a mix of many craft traditions is recognizable in the modern country house style. Influences of the Scandinavian interior design style are just as visible as influences of alpine and English craftsmanship. After the word "modern" was obviously often overlooked, the interior design industry came up with a new name. New Country is now the modern variant of the country house style, in which natural materials and muted colors dominate. There is no trace of purism here. Instead, there is massive furniture, but without flourishes.

Figure 1: pixabay.com © Life-Of-Pix (CC0 Public Domain)

Figure 2: pixabay.com © katjasv (CC0 Public Domain)