A touch of contrast

When marketing your property, its styling should be an effortless ensemble of interesting areas and objects. Predictability, bland and average do not capture the interest of buyers.

 Search for fabric patterns that recall the styling of the room but are a touch louder in volume, like stripes of black against muted colours.

No need for special effects here, rather suggestive, subtle and realistic additions. For a simple way to turn up the volume a little, I suggest you choose cushions with contrasting features and some pattern. Check out the before and after images here to appreciate how that subtle addition of contrast makes the styling so much more effective.

 

Contrast is the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association. Playing with contrast is a matter of placing some colour, pattern or texture against a quite different background to achieve a surprising effect.

Our eyes register contrast, unconsciously sending signals to our brain and triggering interest and a positive response. The contrast I am suggesting in this post is just a small touch, such as the addition of a bolder pattern or of stronger colour. That one zig-zag cushion in the image below, catches the eye, complements the artwork above, and actually helps to balance the space, making it feel more complete and inviting.

How do you add contrast? Search for fabric patterns that recall the styling of the room but are a touch louder in volume, like stripes of black against muted colours. The easiest contrast is between black and white, or light and dark colours, but similarly you could be using complementing colours, which will activate and bounce off each other. Likewise, if contrasting colours is not your thing, in an elegant white on white room for example, the level of contrasting texture within the styling can achieve the same effect. Finally, repeating similar contrasting tricks throughout the property will tie the styling together with a uniform and elegant effect.

Cherie-Barber_Renovating-For-Profit_Contrast

Our eyes register contrast, unconsciously sending signals to our brain and triggering interest and a positive response.

Four ways to add contrast
  • The most valuable contrast is the subtle type
  • Clashing contrast is unpleasant, and will make investors recoil and should be avoided
  • When using contrasting patterns, moderate their strength by selecting them within the same colour range
  • Adding contrast is like turning the music up, don’t make it too loud.
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