25 Top Tips To Help You Style Your Home With Confidence
Or what I have learned from posting my home 3,661 times on Instagram, how NOT to be influenced (I know, the irony) and why it takes time to really evolve your core style.
One of the best things about being in the interior spectrum for my work life is seeing new things and new ideas. I will never get bored of having a magazine land on the mat (yes, I have reduced the quantity of my subscriptions for economical reasons but I would rather cut off my own head than not be a Livingetc recipient) and my appetite for late night Pinterest is never quenched. Over the nine years that I have worked on Instagram, this deluge of aspirational beauty has formed the basis of how I decorate my own home and I’ve seen the changes myself in how I like to live. Back in 2015, I was so happy to find others who enjoyed decorating their homes as much as I that I wanted to try EVERYTHING. All the pattern, all the colour, all the accessories, all the art. You name it, I’ll have tried it.
But gradually, as the years progressed, I narrowed what I loved down to my own core style that worked for me and made me feel happy. I think that it’s really easy to be bombarded with different influences on social media - I see houses who have incorporated every idea under the sun into one rainbow of a space - but knowing what works for you doesn’t come quickly. You have to live with it to know if it works. You have to switch it out, maybe switch it back in, add to it, take away from it; eventually, it will ring true to your own style.
Anyway, over the last (almost) decade, my home has finally reached a stage where it works for me, combining a neutral backdrop with warm, earthy tones and natural materials, with the colour coming in the form of art and accessories (and the occasional pop of red. I like red). This way of decorating is certainly, I think, a pull back from our lockdown incarceration, creating homes that feel cocooning and comforting rather than shouting loudly. And I LIKE it. It’s calm, welcoming and cosy and even my abundance of collections don’t make the space feel cluttered. It enables me to combine my love of new ideas and design (a field in which I’m lucky enough to work) with my endless passion for vintage sourcing and thrifting.
Back in 2015, I would have cast aside more subtle shades in favour of brighter, more impactful colours and a deluge of trend led, viral accessories (if you don’t recall the pineapples, cacti, disco balls or sheepskins, were you even on Instagram?). My house was an abundance of plant life that more often than not had no chance whatsoever of survival due to sheer quantity of watering required. But now? I edit, consider and reflect when it comes to adding to my home and it works. Give me ALL the warm tones, whether that be a soft green, a sky blue, a dusty pink or a warm caramel.
So what gems have I learned from the not inconsequential 3,661 posts I have made of my home on Instagram over the last nine years? What will I take with me when we finally leave this house and move on (manifesting, manifesting) to a new blank canvas? Here are my Top 25 tips to style your home with confidence and reach maximum interior happiness.
Plan your rooms out. Don’t just whack on a paint colour and then hope that all the rest falls into place. Unless you’ve worked out a scheme, it won’t. You’ll be left in that terrible middle place where you can’t see the wood for the trees and you don’t know what to do next.
Use a moodboard. You can use an online app for this (I wrote a how to here) or you can, if you are so inclined, create a physical one with actual fabrics and papers. Yes, this might seem like a faff but I can guarantee you it will not only create a cohesive space where everything works together, but it will also make you feel like a genius for getting it all right.
Never buy just for a space, buy also because you really love it and, even better, if you can use it in multiple areas of your home. What you add to your home needs to be able to be multi tasked so that you can make the very most of it. Flexible buys are long lasting buys.
Invest in as much artwork as you can. Not only does it bring happiness but you can also completely switch up a space by swapping it around. Trust your ideas. If you fancy trying a bit of upcycling, picture hanging or wallpapering a wall, give it a go. Don’t think about it too much, just do it. If it goes wrong, it’s not the end of the world. Unless it’s electrics, obvs. Or, actually, plumbing. The professionals do that better.
Try, very hard, not to be influenced by trends. A lamp, a cute accessory, a cushion; fine. But when it comes to the big stuff, ask yourself seriously if it really fits with your core style. Will you still love those patterned tiles or that bright velvet sofa in two years time? Trends, schmends.
If you don’t know what your core style is, use Pinterest to help you nail it down. Set up Boards - you’ll find, eventually, that you’re pinning the same kind of room, the same colours, the same textures. That’s a good start. Your wardrobe or fashion Boards are another good place to look for confirmation - what colours are hanging there, what are you pinning?
Sell to buy. Don’t just splash the cash if you want to add to your home; sell what you no longer love and use the money to invest in the new. This is a good way to be a) sustainable and b) not have to justify your purchases to your partner.
Always combine contemporary alongside vintage/second hand in your spaces. This juxtaposition creates interesting rooms with character which is exactly what you want. No one wants a catalogue room set.
Always add vintage, even if, as in this case, it’s just vintage books. When you’re adding to a room, first look at what you’ve already got by shopping your home. That side table in the living room might work equally well at the bedside. Same applies to accessories. Large bowl on coffee table works nicely on the kitchen worktop. You get the gist.
Create collections by grouping similarly toned, themed or textured accessories together. Alone, the vase might look a little boring. Group it with others, it becomes a collection. This trick always works, whether it’s vintage coloured glassware or ceramic sardines collected on holiday.
It is not possible to own too many cushions or throws. Plus, it’s perfectly okay to swap them up for seasons and store the others in the garage for a few months. Whilst on this theme, it’s also not possible to own too many tablecloths, candle holders, pretty bowls, nice mugs, vintage serving dishes, scented candles or large arty boxes of matches to light them with. All of these things will make you happy so laugh in the face of anyone who tells you otherwise.
It is not possible to own too many candlesticks. Fact. Group them all together and they become a collection. It is also not possible to own too much art. Ever. Picasso said, ‘art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’. You need art in your home to inspire you and to make you smile. Plus, by supporting artists you are helping them get their work out there and make a living doing what they love.
Anything can be framed to create an interesting wall and you don’t have to spend a fortune. Tea towels, postcards, old family pictures, magazine covers, bus tickets, bus blinds, your kids drawings, YOUR drawings, a restaurant menu, invitations to memorable events. Your home should be full of memories and personal touches.
Never pass a charity shop without popping in to have a look if there’s anything good. Spoiler: there almost always is and you should always buy it.
Shop the High Street, but also equally shop and support smaller, independent makers. They need your support to thrive. Buying from independent creatives and makers is investing in their business and helping them continue to do what they love.
The best rooms are a combination of lots of lovely different textures - natural materials, metallics, soft textiles, marbles, all the stuff. When you’re planning out your spaces, bear this in mind and mix it all up.
Never style a room without a plant, even if you are terrible at looking after them. There are great faux that will do the job. Greenery brings the outside in and connects the spaces with nature (see my post tomorrow for ten that you will have difficulty killing, even if you have form).
Take inspiration from everywhere. Holidays - whether that be Cornwall, Skegness or Thailand - will provide endless new ideas for your decor. Take photos, lots of them, to inspire you upon your return. And never return from a holiday without a piece of interior memorabilia, even if it’s just a shell from the beach.
Be inspired by your travels and never come home without treasure. Every now and then, switch it all up. Strip the mantel, clear the shelves, whip the stuff off the coffee table and assess what you’ve got and whether you actually still love it. It’s extremely therapeutic and very satisfying.
Which leads me straight to, if you don’t love it, ditch it. Or rather, sell, give to a friend or donate to charity. If you’re not sure, store it in the garage whilst you consider it. If you don’t really like it, remove it.
There is never a situation when a rug is too big. Unless it is actually bigger than the room, obvs. Rugs anchor your space, pull the room together, add texture and create cohesion.
Always use odd numbers to group your accessories. Odd numbers allow the eye to veer off course and not focus on one place, meaning that the viewer gets to take full advantage of your excellent styling.
Vary your lighting heights. Floor lamps, table lamps, reading lamps, wall lights. The average room should have at least four light sources, which, I stress, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OVERHEAD LIGHT. This should be for decorative purpose only unless it is over a dining space.
Use multiple light sources and never, ever the overhead light. Yes, you can paint your kitchen cupboards yourself if you don’t want to pay someone to do it. Clean and lightly sand, use a primer first and then the top coat. Use a mini roller for the main doors for a smoother finish. Ditto, tiles. You can tackle these yourself, no worries.
And finally, do not ask your friends, family or partner how to decorate your house. Or anyone else, for that matter. Your home should make YOU happy and no else. What sings to one person doesn’t have to sing to the next. Stop caring what they think, believe in your own ideas and trust your instincts.
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This, Lisa!! I’m about to send this to all my interiors nervous friends! It’s like a free interiors therapy session…. Could not agree more that your home should be what makes YOU happy. I also think that the most interesting and amazing homes to visit are those that truly reflect the people in them.
I love the idea of not being influenced. Clearly, everyone gets influenced, but the slow collection of a home over time makes for the most satisfying and idiosyncratic spaces. Viva la slow-curated home!