Turning your home into a beautiful, one-of-a-kind space can be a daunting task. By following these simple tips, you can transform any space into your own personal oasis.
When it comes to interior design, there are few tasks more intimidating than taking a soulless, unremarkable room and giving it a new lease of life. You can know all the latest trends and exactly what you want from the space on a practical level, but it will never feel like home without a personal touch. By following our five simple tips, you can create an environment which is both beautiful, and unique to you.
Create a mood
Rather than thinking of a particular style or aesthetic, consider how you want to feel when you walk into a room. Relaxed? Invigorated? Cosy? You might love the idea of an ultra-modern monochrome kitchen, but if you want your kitchen to be a warm, tranquil space, a less formal style would be a more sensible option.
Once you’ve decided how you want to feel in a particular room, it’s time to consider what decoration will help conjure that feeling. Warm colours create a warm atmosphere, so sunny colours like orange and red, and rich textures like wood counter tops will make any kitchen feel like the heart of your home. For a relaxing bedroom consider airier, pastel colours combined with plenty of texture, like big fluffy rugs. This will create a more tranquil environment. Experiment with different styles and objects before deciding, and don’t forget the bathrooms and hallways, which all too often are seen as purely practical spaces.
Ignore trends
Choose items that speak to you; that make you feel happy, relaxed or excited, rather than what the latest interior design magazine is telling you to buy. Fashions come and go, but by following your heart your home will inevitably become more unique. Even small purchases like candles, flowers, throws, pillows and vases can dramatically change a room by elevating it with personal touches.
Vintage Furniture
Vintage furniture is one of the most effective ways to ensure your home is decorated with one-of-a-kind, characterful pieces. Every piece of antique furniture has its own story to tell, of which you and your home can be the next chapter. Every style imaginable is housed under the umbrella of ‘vintage’, from elegant art deco dining chairs, to a statement vintage sideboard in teak. Websites like Vinterior are a great place to browse a wide selection of beautiful historical pieces.
The rule of three
It may be that there are dozens of objects you would love to put into a space, and that would help to create the desired atmosphere, but working out how to put them together is a daunting task. A simple guide to follow is the rule of three. Limit your colour palette to three complimentary shades (for example, white, blue and yellow), and choose decorations accordingly, varying the shades from light to dark to create some depth and variety.
Create some friction
If everything in a room is perfectly harmonious, then nine times out of ten the space will feel overly formal. Creating a bit of tension or friction through decoration is the most effective way to break up an over-starched aesthetic, making the room feel more homely by creating points of interest. This can be done with both size and texture. Put a big lamp or plant on a small table, or choose supersized art for your walls or a stressless recliner from https://europeanleathergallery.com/stressless-sales-discounts/. If you have a velvet sofa, consider fluffy or metallic leather cushions rather than velvet ones that the eye will simply gloss over. Unlike with pattern, it is impossible to overdose on texture, so take this opportunity to play with different materials, to create a home that is truly unique.