Design tips that have a transformative effect.
The Top 5 Lessons We’ve Learnt From Decorating Homes Over the Last 5 Years
Design tips that have a transformative effect.
Styling our products into hundreds of homes over the last five years has given us plenty of insight into what does and doesn't work when it comes to decorating a house. Simply adding in décor for décor's sake isn't enough – you need to know a bit about who lives there, how the space is used, what it's lacking or has too much of, and how you can appropriately elevate it with the right pieces.
You don't need a stack of cash and you don't necessarily need to buy all new things to make your home beautiful. We've rounded up the top five things we've learnt over the last five years that make a significant difference to the look and feel of a home.
1. Your space should reflect your personal style
If you're looking to create a home that feels beautiful and that you love coming back to at the end of each day, it needs to be a reflection of your personal style. Following trends can be fun and useful in small doses but swathing your whole house in the style du jour may not actually result in a home you actually like. It can also lead you to feel like you constantly need to redecorate to keep up.
Staying true to your personal style and filling your abode with things that you love, be it items you've collected while travelling, colours you find most attractive, or art that speaks to your personality will transform your house into a home.
2. Layering in textures is key
A sure-fire way to add interest, volume, and beauty to a room is by layering in textures. In doing so, you will create a space that feels warm, welcoming, and personal. This is particularly important for homes where the colour has been kept to a minimum. But this doesn't mean just adding clutter into a room.
Adding a rug is a wonderful way to add texture to a space, as well as visually define and finish a room. Cushions and throws are another flexible and easy way to add texture to a room.
You can opt for furniture pieces with natural textures like rattan, seagrass, and macramé and introduce bedding like linen to the mix. We would also recommend handcrafted items like ceramic pieces to add interest to your home.
3. The importance of bringing the outdoors in
It's incredible the difference adding greenery to your home can make. Whether it's with indoor plants or a bouquet of flowers, adding a touch of nature to a room will elevate it tenfold and turn a home that feels lacklustre into something special.
A nice floral arrangement is something that almost all guests will notice when they come to your house, not to mention it will give your home a lovely scent.
4. It doesn't need to be expensive
Many of us would love to be able to update and decorate our homes with fresh furniture and décor whenever we like. It’s exciting to have a new look in our homes, but unfortunately, this isn’t a very financially or environmentally friendly way of living. If you're feeling uninspired by your home's aesthetic but don't have the budget for a full makeover or don't want to be wasteful, never fear.
Giving your home an update doesn't need to break the bank. Rearranging furniture to give you a fresh perspective, introducing more plants, swapping out art prints, painting walls, and bedding in a new colourway are all affordable ways to revamp a room that will have a huge impact on the look and feel of a space.
5. Less is more
If you're excited about decorating your space it can be easy to over-style it. It's worth thinking about each item and what purpose it serves rather than just buying lots of things or using every single thing that you have and scattering them all around. Focus on investing in a few quality pieces and then let them shine. The things you have that you don't really need should be gifted or donated. Negative space is also powerful and can help create a calm room.
If you're a maximalist you can still ensure that all items have a purpose, even if that's purely to bring you joy.