Cohesive Flow: How to Get it in Your Home

In this post: Everyone wants ‘cohesive flow’ in their home decor. But just how do you get it without every room looking like a carbon copy of the one next to it?

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Cohesive flow is that state of our homes where one room flows into the next seamlessly. Like every room belongs together…without looking exactly like the one next to it. So just how do we get that beautiful cohesive flow in our homes?

Well, first of all, we need to address the design and decor mistakes you’re probably making without even knowing it. Then we can look at exactly how to fix them. 

The Mistakes You’re Probably Making Without Even Knowing It

There are typically 3 mistakes that people make when decorating, that lead to a less than desirable, chopped-up look in their homes. They are:

Mistake #1: You tackle one room at a time in the wrong way

One month you decorate the living room, then another month you try your hand at the dining room, without an overall plan. By doing this, you’re working on each space separately without considering your overall home. (There is a right way to decorate one room at a time, but this isn’t it.)

Mistake #2: You buy whatever catches your eye at the store…

…thinking you’ll find a spot for it once you get it home. But the truth is, not everything you like at the store will work, nor do you need to buy every piece you simply like. You cannot mix every style and just hope it works out. 

Mistake #3: You paint each room a different color…

…because you don’t want your home to be boring. But instead of working together, all those spaces just look haphazard. 

How to Actually Get Cohesive Flow in Your Home

Cohesive flow doesn’t just happen in home decor. Although when it’s done right, it does look effortless. 

There are a few things that can help your home decor flow, of course. Like if you happen to be fortunate enough to have one or two continuous types of flooring throughout your house. Or if your wood and metal finishes (faucets, knobs, lighting, etc.) are all the same. 

However, not all of us are so lucky. Many of us live in houses that have been updated throughout the years and are often a bit of a hodgepodge of finishes.

As more than one of our lovely readers pointed out, we aren’t all starting from scratch. We have to make do with what we have.  

With that in mind, here are two ways to get cohesive flow in any house:

01 | With Style

If you haven’t defined your personal decorating style, it will be very hard to create any type of overall look for your home. You need to know what your decorating style is.  

Very few people like only one style though. For most people, it’s a combination of common decorating styles. 

Do you know what your unique decorating style is?

If you do, awesome!

If you don’t, you could start figuring it out by taking my Decorating Style Quiz here. 

Once you can nail down your unique combination of styles into one accurate description, and stick to it, you will find that it becomes easier to shop for and decorate your home. 

02 | With Color

Color is another easy way to create cohesive look in your home. And no, I don’t mean you have to have the exact same color in every room. 

What I mean is, you need to have a whole home color palette planned out.

To do this, here’s a very brief overview:

1. You need to take stock of the unchangeable elements in your home.
2. Then you need to choose:
   • a white
   • a neutral
   • one major color to carry throughout your house
   • plus 1-3 minor colors

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There’s a great post here to give you more detail and help you get started choosing colors you’ll love in your home. 

So, does your house have that cohesive flow we all want? Or do you need to work on it a little more? What other questions might you have about your decor?