How to Use Modern Home Decor in Unexpected Ways

If you feel like you're seeing all the same decorating ideas over and over and would rather take a fresh approach to your interiors, consider these 9 ways of using home decor to revitalize your space.

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Wake up your walls with a covering made out of unexpected materials.

BAUX Acoustic WoodWool Panels & Tiles are made from wood wool, cement, and water—and are recyclable and eco-friendly.  

Consider all types of containers to store magazines and more.

Use an unusual basket or tote as both an organizational tool and statement piece. The tote stands upright so you can easily place it next to your sofa or under your desk.

Photo courtesy Room & Board

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Use opposing materials to demarcate a special area.

It might look complicated, but Studio DB's Britt and Damian Zunino, the duo behind this stunning bathroom space, say transitioning tiles to wooden floorboards is surprisingly straightforward. "The first step is getting your contractor on board, but the actual work isn't that complicated," they told MyDomaine. 

Photo courtesy Preston Schlebusch for The New York Times

Take pattern to the floor.

"I think this type of floor treatment is most appropriate in areas of transition, [like] entry areas, open baths, or even kitchens," says Zunino. Why? "It's a creative way to delineate space without a hard line." 

Photo courtesy of Studio M

Inject reclaimed wood.

Modern Sprout’s planters were designed by Nick Behr and Sarah Burrows, two Chicago apartment dwellers who wanted to grow their own garden, but didn’t have the space. Struggling to maintain plants in their apartment, they tried hydroponic planters, which yielded results, but were expensive and unappealing to look at. As a result, they designed their own planter—a hydroponic, self-watering system that hides its mechanism beneath a reclaimed wood planter box.

Use music and sound tools as decor.

How about this upright record player to start a conversation‚ or to brighten a living room with sound, color, and style?

Photo courtesy COOL HUNTING

Don't be afraid of a bold wallpaper.

In the new powder room, Jill Malek wallpaper adds graphic punch to custom cabinetry.

Photo: Brent Humphreys

Should animals act as decor? What do you think?

It's a very contentious subject; join the conversation if you feel strongly about it one way or the other. 10,000 bones cover the walls of this Mexico restaurant. "A lot of people were skeptical about the idea, even though it wasn't the first time I pulled off something crazy," Cadena says. "I just trusted my intuition and the philosophy of the chef."

Photo courtesy Jaime Navarro

Tie a room together by manipulating interior elements.

Yuko Shibata made the 10-person dining table using $130 sawhorse legs from Maruki Wood Products Company topped with a sheet of birch plywood. A hole in the sliding wall fits over the table, enabling it to be used in both the library and the meeting room. Then, there's the rug.

Photo: Ryohei Hamada

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