I’ve always believed there’s a big difference between living in a house and loving where you live. Over the years at Sweet Dreams, some of my favorite moments haven’t simply been helping someone choose a beautiful sofa or bedroom set; it’s been getting to know the why behind the room we’re helping create. Our homes are the backdrop to so much of our lives. And as life changes, our homes should be able to change with us.
Here are a few things I’ve learned that can make creating a home feel a little less overwhelming and a lot more personal.
- Start with how you live, not how you want the room to look.
Before choosing a sofa, dining table, or bedroom set, think about how the room is actually used. Do you entertain often? Are the kids constantly coming and going? Is the space now used by two people instead of a family of five? Furniture should fit the way you live now, not the way you lived ten years ago. Maybe the kids have left for college, you’re furnishing your first home together, or a parent is moving in with you. Start by asking, “What do I need this room to do for me now?” - Pay attention to scale and furniture placement.
One of the biggest challenges I hear is, “I know what I like when I see it. I just don’t know how to put it all together.” That’s where scale and placement can make such a difference. A piece of furniture can be beautiful on its own and still feel wrong in a particular room if it’s too large, too small, or positioned in a way that makes the space difficult to use. Before purchasing, measure the room, consider traffic patterns, and think about how much space you need to move comfortably around each piece. Sometimes the answer isn’t adding something new. It’s moving what you already have. - Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Bringing a room together can feel overwhelming, especially when there are so many options. A fresh set of eyes can help you see possibilities you may not have considered and, just as importantly, help you narrow down the choices. At Sweet Dreams, our design team can meet with you in our showroom or come to your home. We can look at measurements, furniture placement, scale, colors, fabrics, and finishing pieces and then create digital design boards and layouts to help you visualize the possibilities. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you ask for help. That’s our job!
Katy Law and her husband, Greg, are the owners of Sweet Dreams Furniture & Mattress, which has been helping families around Lake Norman create comfortable, beautiful homes for 25 years. Visit one of their four area locations or shop online at ShopSweetDreams.com.
