I was chatting with my friend Kareena last weekend about her living room makeover project. She had gone all in on a modern minimalist look. White walls, white sofa, white coffee table, white rug… you get the picture. The room looked straight out of a magazine but felt about as cozy as a hospital waiting room. “I don’t get it,” she told me. “I followed all the trends, but my living room feels so flat and boring!” That got me thinking about how many of us fall into this trap. We go crazy for matching everything, then wonder why our spaces feel lifeless. The secret ingredient Emma was missing? Contrast and balance! Let’s start with a good visual… Picture two living rooms, one where everything is the same color and texture, and another where soft fabrics play against rough woods, where light colors pop against dark ones. Which one catches…