Is Formal Home Décor for You? Consider Functionality and Upkeep

Most homes today are decorated in a more casual or family friendly style rather than the formal don’t-touch-anything style of past generations. However, this formal look can create an elegant and luxurious atmosphere that is lacking in many homes today. The question is…is this a look that you could really maintain and enjoy? Before you start planning your home’s interior design or choose to decorate your home or single room in a formal decorating style, consider the functionality and upkeep that go along with maintaining this classical, and often expensive, design style.

Formal home décor usually involves using dark, intricately carved hardwood furniture and floors. They are often coated in shiny, highly polished lacquered finishes to reflect the lights and attract the eye’s attention. This can be a sleek and expensive look, but it can also collect dust and is easily marred with fingerprints and smudges. Wood furniture and floors need to be dusted, polished, and mopped on a regular basis to keep them looking clean and luxurious.

Some formal rooms use dark leather sofas, chairs, frames, or accessories and these also can easily accumulate dust. In addition, leather needs to be treated with moisturizers on a regular basis to keep it from cracking or fading. Leather furniture can also be difficult to repair if ripped or stained, so if you have pets or small children you might want to reconsider leather furnishings.

Long, thick drapes of heavy velvets or expensive silks are often used in formal rooms to add a sense of height and warmth to the room. Decorative, boxed cornices might be used over the windows and rope tieback with large tassels might hang from the drapes. While beautiful, these are other locations that you might not expect dust to accumulate. Since darker fabrics are generally used in formal rooms, dust can be seen more easily than on lighter fabrics.

Another thing to consider with formal rooms is the practicality of them. Oftentimes these rooms are only used for very special occasions once or twice a year and when they are used you spend the time worrying that someone will spill a drink, drop some food, or break a fine antique. The stress of worrying that your precious formal room will be ruined can often lead to the room not being used at all.

So, before you decide to spend a lot of money decorating your dream room in a formal décor style, consider the maintenance and practicality of the room itself. While a formal room can be a wonderful place to entertain or display your finer collectibles, it can also be a commitment that you might not necessarily want to keep.