Decorating our homes comes with a lot of decisions and doubt, even for the professionals. We sat down with interior design authority Emily Henderson to talk about how we can make a home that represents our , that feels comfortable, and brings us joy when we step inside. Joining us on a call from her farmhouse sunroom in Oregon, Emily shares her rules for making a living room that feels cohesive, a bedroom that helps us drop off to sleep, and a kitchen that feels characterful.
'What's kind of annoying about design is it's both an art and a science,' says Emily, 'and if you know the science, you can go crazy with the art. But it's important to know the basics and then take the risks, right?' If you know the rules, you can break them – here are Emily's design rules for a home that feels visually balanced, warm and soulful. We spoke to Emily as part of her work with Samsung Frame and the .
We often assume that a small-scale or loveseat is the only option in a , and furniture of small proportions can definitely work, but Emily recommends doing the opposite. 'I used to say if you have a big room, get big furniture, if you have a medium room get medium furniture, small room, get small furniture, and that still generally is the rule, except with a small space,' says Emily. 'I have found that a small space with less, but larger furniture works so much better.
' So shoving the sofa against the wall, and making it big-scale and loungy will actually , says Emily, and you'll use more of .
