How to Have Versatile Furnishings

Here's how to choose furnishings that will be useful enough to move to many different rooms.

Difficulty Level: Easy      Time Required: Planning time

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Here's How:

1. Choose furniture and accessories on the small side, so they will fit into most spaces as you move them around in your home, or (as you move) into new homes.
2. Collect useful storage pieces such as a chest of drawers that can be used in a bedroom, foyer, living room, mudroom, and more.
3. Choose 2 loveseats rather than one huge sofa. They can be used together or separately in the living room, family room, den, or bedroom.
4. Cover upholstered furniture in a sturdy fabric of a pleasing natural color (tan, camel, dark green, navy, black, etc.). This will be your anchor color.
5. Collect pillows, fabrics, and accessories that harmonize with your anchor color. On a green loveseat for example, you might choose yellow floral pillows for summer and camel tapestry pillows for fall.
6. Use slipcovers to change the look of sofas and chairs without breaking the bank.
7. Make your own side tables (round or rectangular) of plywood, then cover with an undercloth of felt (for softness) and a tablecloth of coordinating fabric. Use these in a living room or as nightstands by a bed.
8. Purchase some items in pairs (such as lamps, vases, side chairs) to add symmetry and continuity, while still allowing for versatility by using each element in different rooms if necessary.
9. Develop a versatile color scheme using your anchor color and white, plus other coordinating colors. Stick to these colors for all fabric and accessory purchases.
10. If storage is an issue, try to add furnishings that will incorporate storage (a coffee table with drawers, an entry table with a cabinet underneath).
11. Think "outside the box" when rearranging furniture to use things in unexpected ways (a loveseat at the end of a bed, a TV stashed under a tablecloth, a dresser that holds video tapes).
12. Don't be afraid to experiment!
    

Tips:

1. Buy furnishings with an eye toward versatility. Can the piece be used in other places and rooms?
2. Use your color scheme as a unifying element.
3. Mix it up! If a picture has been hanging alone, then add it to a wall grouping the next time you move or rearrange.
   

Related Features:

• "15 Uses for One Piece of Furniture"
• "Storage Solutions for Living Areas"
• "Adding Personality to a Room"
  

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