Top Functional Decor Ideas For Modern Living Spaces
Our homes are lived in as much as looked at, so let’s transform our spaces with functional decor. From shelves to dual-purpose furniture, functional decor lets us use our homes with ease. It’s not all about aesthetics, but we’re past the days of sacrificing our style for function. With modern luxury design, we can incorporate functional elements into our home that work practically without impacting our design vision. We’re here to go room by room to show you how to create a practical, stylish, and inspired home.
Functional Decor: From The Kitchen To The Bedroom
Every room in our homes requires a different level of practicality. Accordingly, the kind of functional decor we use will depend on the room that we’re working with. While you can use the same shelves in your entryway and your bedroom, there are much better ways to make the most of your design space. Additionally, there are some functional pieces that work in almost all spaces, like mirrors. Mirrors are an excellent example of functional decor– they enhance your space by opening it up visually, but you can also use them for practical purposes like checking your appearance before heading out for the day. Let’s take a look at how we can use functional decor across several rooms.
Entryway
The entryway is the first impression of your home. It’s the first interior impression that guests look at, and it’s also the first space that greets you when you come back from work. We want to avoid an entryway that feels overly cluttered or cramped, which can happen easily without proper organizational design. A shoe rack, for example, gives you a dedicated transitional space between outdoors and your home, and the storage it provides keeps the floor of your entryway clear and tidy. We love partnering shoe storage with a bench. An entryway bench is multipurpose– you can sit down to put your shoes on before heading out, or you can store your handbag on it if you’re just making a quick stop at home. An entryway bench reduces clutter, creates routine, and gives you ample space to welcome guests into your home.
Living Room
We spend a lot of time in our living rooms, both personally and while entertaining. For this reason, functional decor can play a large role in adapting this space to our needs. Many modern living spaces are focused around the TV. This is a functional part of our decor! How you style your TV, for example, whether it’s wall mounted or surrounded by book cases or shelving, impacts how we use our living rooms practically. We love coffee tables with hidden compartments for remotes and coasters, making it simple for you to clear away tabletop items if you’re entertaining or take them out for a relaxing home day.
Living room shelves, especially modular shelves, help you create visual interest and levels in your design. Shelving provides storage for home accessories and other decor, and it also provides sigh lines that help shape the overall impression of your living space.
Dining Room
The dining room is another space that requires adaptation. From small family dinners to large dinner parties, this room often needs to fit anywhere from 2 to 20 people. To make the most of your space, we recommend using a convertible table. These tables can expand to create space for extra guests, and you can return the table to its compact size whenever you’d like. This is especially useful when dining room tables are already statement design pieces. With luxury functional decor, you don’t have to give up aesthetics to gain function.
Another key player in functional decor is the bar cart, combining stylish storage and function in one. You can use bar carts for drinks, canapes, glass storage, and so much more. They are easily moved around (so they can be used in any area of your home) and they add personality through their unique design styles.
Kitchen
As kitchens are functional spaces by design, you’ll find that you’re likely already designing this space with function in mind. However, there are plenty of ways you can transform your kitchen space to add even more practical aspects. Custom cabinetry is one of the best ways to utilize your kitchen space, especially if you’re a home cook. Spice racks, countertops you can cut on, and custom cabinet hardware add to your home’s style while making it more functional.
One of the most important aspects of making a kitchen functional is lighting. Instead of mood or atmospheric lighting like in many other areas of our home, we need lighting that serves a purpose in our kitchens. Use pendant or direct top-down lights over kitchen counters for the best functional set up. You can still embrace style and personality when choosing lighting fixtures. In fact, lighting is one of the best ways we can put our home’s design style on display.
Bedroom
Reducing clutter in the bedroom is essential for a good night’s sleep and mental rest. This means that functional furniture in the bedroom often provides extra storage. Ottomans can hide extra bedding, and a vanity with drawers lets you pack away your belongings between uses.
This is also a prime location for built in storage, whether it’s under bed or in closets. Built in closets are also a great way to utilize your extra space for smart storage. With a large enough closet space, you can dedicate your vanity area and even a small seating area to a closet for you to get ready or wind down in peace.
Functional Decor In Boca Raton
Functional decor is design used with intent. We need to think about how we use our homes practically, and work backwards to create a space that’s both stylish and functional. With small changes, our spaces can transform into rooms that are easier to use and easier to keep tidy. Functional furniture is adaptive, personalized, and doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics to deliver form.
Visit our Boca Raton showroom to see functional design up close, and be inspired to add more function to your home’s style. Or give us a call on 561-961-4149 to speak with our interior design team.