How to Create a Dramatic Room

A red sofa adds a dramatic look to a living room.

When you live your life in a bold way, it's only natural that you would want a dramatic look for your home that reflects your larger-than-life personality. Even if you've been hiding behind neutral colors thus far, it's not too late to give your home a helping hand. By incorporating furnishings and decor that make a loud-and-clear statement, you'll impress visitors to your home and create an atmosphere where you feel comfortable and alive.

Instructions

1. Select wall decor that makes a statement, such as a funky design on wallpaper. You might also choose painted bold stripes for one or more walls in a room, plaster the walls and create a textured finish, or hire an artist to create a wall mural that reflects your favorite outdoor scenery indoors.

2. Choose furniture styles that are not commonly found. Scour antique stores for pieces that are hard to come by when you prefer a historic look, or commission a woodcarver or designer to fashion an exotic piece of furniture per your specifications.

3. Incorporate visually pleasing fabrics that are pleasing to the touch as well as the eye. A velvet couch, chair or bedspread in any color provides a sensual delight, as do items covered in silk or satin. For a more rustic look, choose suede, leather or corduroy furniture and pillows. Animal prints such as zebra or leopard in bold colors also make a dramatic impression.

4. Hang artwork that encourages conversation. Whether the painting is beautiful, lifelike scenery that draws compliments or a wild abstract that causes your guests to debate how drunk the artist may have been while he worked, the important thing is that people are talking. Choose a skillfully done nude drawing or an abstract sculpture made from discarded items as other options.

5. Incorporate unusual varieties of plants or flowers in your room and place them in strategic spots for a striking look.

Tips & Warnings

• Refuse to be offended by the comments of others. Occasionally, dramatic decor doesn't appeal to the people in your life. That's okay -- it doesn't have to.

References

• Apartment Therapy: A Roundup of Striped Walls
• Apartment Therapy: Visions of Velvet