Interior design and furnishings: a comprehensive guide to making the best choices

Interior design and furnishings is a bit like conducting an orchestra: it involves coordinating the various elements in a space and ensuring that they all work together in harmony.

While in the past, interior design and furnishings focused more on eye-catching solutions and ostentatious luxury, today the protagonists are discreet furnishings, enriched by a few iconic pieces with a strong personality.

What is the role of design in interior decoration?

Design plays a key and very delicate role in interior decoration. Whether it is furniture with unusual lines, decorative elements or accessories, design objects give a very distinctive look to a space and can become the undisputed protagonists of a room or an entire location.

The presence of designer furniture and accessories immediately conveys a feeling of luxury, as well as suggesting that the people who live in the house love beauty and elegance and have refined taste. However, it is important that designer pieces are shown off to their best advantage and chosen strategically. In other words, they must complement the other furnishings harmoniously.

In particular, the biggest challenge when creating designer interior furnishings is to highlight the aesthetics of original furniture and accessories without compromising functionality and practicality. At the same time, it is important not to overdo it, to avoid an excessive, artificial or cold effect.

When it comes to interior design and furnishings, true luxury lies in enriching your furnishings with design elements that have a strong personality and can give a unique touch to the environment. Equally, it is necessary to respect the identity of the spaces and the stylistic preferences of those who live in the home.

What are the most interesting design trends in modern furniture?

Taking inspiration from the most trendy interior design and furnishings solutions , you can find useful tips and suggestions for enhancing the décor of homes, offices and commercial spaces. In other words, it is always possible to achieve an extraordinary result, whatever the circumstances.

In spaces furnished in a contemporary style, you can incorporate ideas that combine design and minimalism. These could be pieces of furniture with clean lines embellished with unusual decorations or a few pieces of furniture custom-made by a designer.

Mixing and matching materials, textures and colour palettes can also be a way to create eye-catching designer furniture. Depending on the case, you can focus on unusual patterns, innovative materials or textures that stimulate sight and touch.

Another observation. In modern furnishing solutions, design increasingly goes hand in hand with technology. Thus, furniture with original lines is offered together with home automation and smart solutions to ensure the perfect combination of beauty and living comfort.

Lighting is then used to highlight everything and give the room a refined and sophisticated look. The combination of natural and artificial lighting must be balanced and able to highlight shapes, sizes, volumes and materials. Thanks to careful lighting design and ad hoc research, it is possible to find the right combination of lights that, in terms of direction and temperature, best defines the domestic atmosphere and creates interesting effects between the illuminated and shaded areas.

Interior design and furnishings: which solutions should you incorporate into your home’s interior design?

It may seem obvious, but it is worth remembering that integrating design solutions into interior design and furnishings requires attention and care. It is necessary to ensure that aesthetics and practicality work in harmony, and that one does not prevail over the other or vice versa.

In this sense, it can be an excellent idea to focus on modular or multifunctional furniture. This type of furniture generally has distinctive lines and a high design content, which allows it to perform multiple functions or change its appearance depending on the needs it has to meet.

But that’s not all. Those looking for even more original solutions can consider custom-made furniture. Being based on a dedicated design, this furniture can be perfectly integrated into the space and responds exactly to the needs of the client.

The success of designer furniture ideas also depends on the skill with which the elements that complement the main furniture and furnishings are selected and incorporated. Carpets, textiles and other decorative objects are therefore essential for giving personality and character to spaces and increasing their aesthetic appeal and comfort.

Any other advice on interior design and furnishings? If you want to create designer interior furnishings today, you cannot ignore innovation and technology. We are talking about high-performance technical materials (for use in the kitchen or bathroom) and innovative fabrics used for curtains, sofas and armchairs. We are talking about intelligent systems that use sensors to optimise air quality. In short, there is no shortage of solutions to make your home modern and pleasant to live in!

Il Piccolo, second generation family-run carpentry shop, opens its showroom in Lugano. With over 50 years of experience, Il Piccolo brings with it a wealth of technical and design knowledge of the highest level, thanks to the many interiors designed and furnished all over the world. In addition, Il Piccolo represents the most prestigious brands of furniture worldwide. Il Piccolo designs, manufactures and sells the best of interior design made in Italy, following the customer from design to implementation, delivery and installation of the work, integrating the process with a precise and professional service. CONTACT US