What Makes a Casual Room?
If you’re creating a casual room, you probably know the descriptions you want to avoid: stiff, formal, stuffy, aloof, cold, delicate, fragile, pretentious. Casual implies a different set of descriptions: relaxed, unassuming, welcoming, warm, sturdy, comfortable. Casual isn’t really a style. It’s a mood. It’s a feeling that nothing has to be perfect. If the pillows get scattered around the room, it’s OK. If books are open around the coffee table, the room isn’t aghast at the unsightly mess. The real question becomes, how can we create a casual room that still looks cohesive and intentional? A room that your parents can walk into and say “Oh, this is so pretty.” And at the same time, a three year old and a dog can run around in it into it and no one gets anxious. A mood is difficult to pin down with guidelines. You can create the same mood in lots of different ways, so guidelines are easily broken. But they’re a place to start. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind until you branch out into your own style to create different moods!
