Often contemporary or modern interiors get accused of being cold and sterile, but they don’t have to be. Here are 7 ways you can soften up your interior.
1. USE PASTELS
Pastels, and light colors in general, can a make a space feel larger and softer by reflecting more light and making it more welcoming.
Connect Lounge by Anderssen & Voll for Muuto.
2. ADD TEXTURE
Adding texture with cozy blankets and throw pillows softens hard edges of a couch or chair. You can drape a knitted blanket over the back of a couch or keep it in a basket for easy access and to make your space feel less cold.
Photography via Marks & Spencer.
3. ADD A RUG
No one likes walking on a hard surface like concrete or wood with bare feet, so adding a rug can literally make your space feel softer (and it can help define a space too).
Photography via Not on the High Street
Photography via IKEA
4. BRING NATURE INSIDE
Plants do more than just look pretty. They soften up a space, purify the air, and improve your mood. Adding other elements of nature, like raw wood and natural light, also soften and warm a space.
Interior design by SVOYA Studio. Photography by Tanya Kovalenko.
5. HANG SOME CURTAINS
Hang some long, light colored curtains in a billow fabric, to add a sense of softness to your room.
Left: Photography via Modular Lighting Instruments. Right: Curtains by Hillarys.
6. INCLUDE SOFT LIGHTING
Lighting can make all the difference in an interior. Opt for a soft, glowing light, rather than a harsh, direct light to warm up a space.
Designed by Webber + Studio and built by David Wilkes. Photography by Paul Bardgjy.
7. CURVES MATTER
Hard edges can make a space feel cold an uninviting. Adding pieces like a coffee table with curved edges to an interior dominated by hard lines can soften up a room.
