I am decorating a new home- I like the French, Water, and Hunting themes. How do I make all of my rooms flow?
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The easiest way to give your rooms continuity, and still being able to use the various themes, is with color. You can use elements of the various themes in all the rooms because they would complement each other. Find a color that you feel comfortable with to use as a starting point. Go to any of the major paint outlets, such as Lowes, Home Depot, etc., and they will match any color and will be able to give you charts showing all the complementary colors.
You can accessorize with all kinds of elements of each style without clashing, if you're careful.
Color flow is a must when you use different themes. Consider
blue [ water ], green [ hunting ]; both should go with French.
1] I would make all the flooring the same or same color - all hardwood, all neutral carpet or neutral tile [ you can add rugs for color later].
2] walls can be different colors for different rooms, or for instance - kitchen color #1, living room [ LR ] color #2, and dining room [ DR ] between them - 2 walls color 1, and 2 walls color 2., or above chair rail 1 and below 2, etc.
3] keep level of formality same in rooms open to each other - if LR has drapes, DR should also.
4] Frame your art in similar materials - walnut or oak, brass or silver, smoke blue or sage green. This provides a lot more flexibility, if you rearrange or move.
5] consider the furniture you already have - do you still want them in the same rooms? Would the LR sofa look better in the FR? Does that sidechair need to be in the DR or can you use extra seating in the LR? Can your bedside table enhance your front hall? Does anything need to be replaced or refinished or reupholstered?
6] invest in same afghans/runners/quilts/throws in your colors to toss over furniture that doesn't 'match' enough.
Buy the nicest painted or photographed picture with a really nice frame. Whatever the colors are in that picture, use them from one room to the next.
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