Transitional Style for a Comfy, Cozy Home

While everyone admires beautiful, magazine-worthy homes, there is no shortage of people who also want their homes to be comfortable and relaxing, an oasis from the stress of the outside world. When designing a room, it can be a challenge to balance comfort and style to get the look that you love. How do you know when to choose comfort over style, or vice versa?

When modern decor seems too minimalist and traditional seems too stuffy, where do you find that perfect balance? Whether you are starting from scratch or tweaking your existing style, these guidelines can help you design a space that gives you the perfect mix of chic and cozy.

Incorporate Comfort Elements into Your Decor

Did you know that there is a design style that balances traditional and modern design? An aesthetic that works on the premise of striking a balance between style and comfort? If this appeals to you, then you’d probably like transitional decor for your home.

It’s important to make the distinction between bringing rustic elements into modern decor to create juxtaposition and contrast. Or even bringing a few modern elements into rustic decor. If that’s your style, that is what you should be doing, and we are all for it.

However, this is not the same thing as a full-on transitional look. Transitional decor focuses on using an equal amount of traditional and modern pieces to create a balanced look. But remember, it’s a balanced look we are going for, so it doesn’t mean that you’ll need to match one for one, necessarily. It means that you will not want one or the other style to seem dominant.

Other hallmarks of transitional decor include incorporating clean, straight lines; warm neutrals such as chocolate brown and tans; and woods. Then, punch up the space by mixing statement elements or pieces that are either trendy or vintage.

Notice how this living room mixes warm metals with cold woods. The customizable sofa from Huntington House gives you many options in upholstery as well as arm, leg, and back style. The warm grays in the room make it possible to mix warm and cool tones throughout the space.

Opt for Comfort Where It Counts

In a perfect world, you would never have to choose between style and comfort when furniture shopping. However, what is comfortable for one person may not be for another. That means testing out your couch, chair, or bed for comfort as well as style.

The Vibe Collection by Broyhill Furniture demonstrates how transitional style pulls in various elements. The tapered legs and metal-capped feet showcase modern design. The cherry veneers and rich dark finish are a nod to more a traditional style. This unique style will stand the test of time in both looks and comfort.

If you are not sure when to prioritize comfort over style, consider where you need comfort the most. It doesn’t matter how cool and modern your couch or bed looks if you don’t like to sit on it. You’ll end up replacing it pretty quickly. Prioritize comfort when choosing functional items such as furniture to lounge on and things that you want to feel good. This includes flooring and textiles.

Add Style with Accessories

After you’ve got your comfortable foundation, it’s time to play. Take a step back and look at the space. Identify areas where you bring your sense of style into play. If the possibilities seem pretty much endless, that’s because they are. That makes this part both fun and challenging.

Start with areas that will have the most visual impact, such as the color on the walls, pieces of art, throw pillows and other accessories, and light fixtures.

Buy What Brings You Comfort

We’ve all, or at least most of us, have heard of KonMari, the decluttering method that prescribes keeping only those items that bring you joy. I’d like to revise that to say buy or keep what brings you comfort, style, and joy.

Comfort and style are completely subjective. You may love what looks like a professionally designed room, while someone else may prefer a room that looks casually put together. Spoiler alert: they may both be professionally designed, it doesn’t really matter as long you like the space you are in.

Since only you know what fits within your aesthetic and comfort level, our best advice is to see all of your design elements in person. Online shopping can give you ideas about what’s out there, but you won’t know if that sofa or chair really is comfortable unless you test it out. Not to mention color matching, since no screen renders colors exactly the same.

If you want to add a few transitional pieces to your existing decor, or completely redo your home to match this style, contact one of our in-house designers. Taking advantage of Baer’s Furniture’s complimentary design service will make getting your style exactly right easy and fun.