There are a wide range of styles to choose from when decorating your living spaces. One of the qualities most of us recognize immediately is the “traditional” style – the one that is “homey”, inviting and comfortable. We all tend to seek elements of this style when we want to relax, slow down and recharge ourselves. The qualities of this style of furnishing and decorating tend to be softer colors, softer lines, gentle curves and subdued lighting. These all combine to sooth the senses and create that inviting, relaxing atmosphere.
By staying away from extreme colors and choosing softer colors that tend to blend together without large contrasts, starkness is avoided. Although you do not want to create a boring color scheme, choosing colors of the same color family and close to each other on the color wheel maintains this soft blending. The objective is to make all the items meld together smoothly, but not all necessarily the identical color. The latter would defeat our purpose and create a stark monotone which would not be conducive to a relaxed atmosphere.
Lighting is the next area that can affect the atmosphere you are trying to...