It’s funny how a really small thing can change your mood for a whole day (sometimes even a week!) – like not having time to make the bed, accidentally breaking an old sentimental keepsake or seeing a neglected pot plant wither and die.
It’s time to let go. It’s time to perk things up a bit at home!
If you want to bring order, ambience and comfort back to your home, here are some interior design tips that will help you master the art.
1. Mix & Match
Often, we are so focused on trying to match that we forget how good contrasting can be. They key to mastering contrast is to mix and match different styles, textures, patterns and colours. Contrast once or twice only. Any more and you simply end up with a haphazard collection.
MIX IT UP: The lilac and grey vintage pattern print contrasts with the black and white striped flooring to create an eclectic living space.
2. Go Green
Lavish your home with nature – real or otherwise. Bring the best of the outdoors in with some strategically placed pot plants and flower vases. Don a wall with nature art or photography and you’ll be greening Australia in no time (well, your home at least).
GREEN SPACE: It’s all about nature, not about green, so dress a wall with this ‘Pink Hibiscus Leaves’ print to branch out into other colours.
3. Cushion For Impact
You can never have too many cushions! Decorate your indoor and outdoor living areas, bedrooms and reading rooms with cushions to add colour, cheer and charm. Be inspired by this room, below, by Stockholm-based interior designer Svenskt Tenn, featured in Trendir.
SOFT LANDING: Bring a room to life with colourful cushions of all sizes, colours and shapes.
4. Focus On Art
Distract from an ugly air-conditioning unit or a cluttered shelf by adding exciting art that shifts the focus of the eye. Rooms that are designed well have a focal point. It could be a fireplace, a mirror, a window or chandelier. Art is a popular focal point as it can be instantly striking.
STRIKING: This colourful blue Abstract piece, ‘Nimbus Evolving’ acts as a wonderful focal point in this living room.
5. Welcome Back Wallpaper
Patterns are back and they’re the epitome of plush, so if you’re looking for glamour, wallpaper is your answer. Don’t be shy about adding pattern on pattern to achieve a cosmopolitan appeal.
COSMOPOLITAN: Get creative with patterns using the beautiful neutral tones of this ‘Dusty Deco’ print on top of a subtle, yet high glamour wallpaper print.
6. Be TV Free
Say goodbye to the TV and hello to the quiet. Jane Lockhardt Interior Design‘s living room, below, shuns the television and welcomes a log fire. What a great place for conversation.
FREEDOM: Make one room in the house clear of audio visual clutter and you won’t even know yourself.
7. Ring In The Bling
If you love Hollywood glitz then it’s time to embrace the bling, making use of golds, silvers and coppers in your ornaments and artwork. The trick is not to let it take over the whole house. Pick one room and bedazzle it.
RAZZLE-DAZZLE: This ‘Circle And Gold’ work of art combined with a gold coffee table will glam up a room in no time.
8. Reinforce With Rugs
Not a fan of Persian and Oriental rugs? Discover the new era of rug design, with a whole exciting spectrum of texture and colour.
Loloi is a great place to start looking, with this gorgeous rug, below, part of Justina Blakeney’s Folklore Collection. Use rugs to cushion hard floors, provide comfort and create a sense of warmth.
RUGS A MILLION: Curl up and enjoy the look and the feel of a Justina Blakeney rug. You won’t be able to keep your feet off!
9. Long Live Leather
Leather furniture never goes out of fashion as it lasts and lasts. While other design trends come and go, leather outlasts them all. Leather comes in a range of colours and suits absolutely any decor.
BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: This leather couch, masterfully accentuated by this ‘Galloping Panoramic’ print, will see generations come and go.
10. It’s All Smoke And Mirrors
Make a space seem bigger than it is using white paints, mirrors and smokey trimmings. The reflection in this mirror, below, brings the outdoors in – creating the perception of spaciousness.
The use of pastels and smokey tones rather than bold blocks of colour give the feeling of more elbowroom than there actually is.
PARLOUR TRICK: This ‘Soft Swirling Grey’ print, combined with whites, pastels and mirrors, helps achieve the magic of spaciousness.
11. Be Yourself
If you can’t express your individuality in your own home, where can you? If you love art that’s a bit different from the the norm, don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Find a room in the house that’s all yours – an office or retreat – and style it exactly how you want it.
OWN IT: This edgy ‘Twisted’ print from Wall Art Prints’ Urban Collection is an expressive piece that adds colour and excitement.
12. Declutter Like A Pro
There’s a skill to removing clutter. The skill lies in going beyond a Spring clean. Step 1: Throw everything out that you don’t want. Easy right? Step 2: Throw everything out that you don’t need. Fair enough. Step 3: Throw everything out that you want. Much trickier!
Of course it’s important to keep a few sentimental, signature pieces but if you’ve discovered absolutely everything holds sentimental value then it’s time to start admitting you’re a hoarder.
It’s time to get Zen.
ORDER ORDER: If you’re struggling to cleanse your life of ‘stuff’ then use Zen art to inspire mindfulness.
13. Layer The Lighting
It doesn’t matter whether your home is dark or light, layering lighting maximises ambience. Don’t just rely on recess lighting, add hanging lights, table lamps, floor lamps and cupboard lighting for atmosphere – lighting at all different levels.
This House Of Turquoise by Kevin Thayer Interior Design, below, uses an abundance of layered lighting in the kitchen and dining area to make it truly sparkle.
SPARKLE: Bring to the fore a room’s inherent beauty using layered lighting.
14. Go Large
Trinkets are for teenagers. It’s time to let go of the little things in life and, as an adult, embrace the big. We’re talking big ornaments, big vases, big canvases.
Remove the fuss and fanfare and instead add a signature piece to every room in the house, like this massive 180 x 120cm contemporary art piece, below.
SUPER SIZE ME: Master the act of adulting with a big signature art piece like this contemporary ‘Immerse’ print.
15. Accessorise All Areas
Just because you prefer (or can only afford) understated furniture doesn’t mean you have to settle for an understated house. As with fashion, it’s often about becoming a master at accessorising.
What is going to take that little black dress to a whole new level? What is going to help that neutral living space reach new heights? Accessorise with cushions, ornaments, lamps and artwork.
MASTER THE ART: This ‘Spectacular Rainbow Rose’ print leaps out at you, helping you forget a room is actually quite plain.
16. Make The Bed
Last but not least, make the bed! It may seem like a simple proposition, but it’s actually one that – when we’re caught up in a fast-paced life – is often left to the sidelines. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your linen is, if your bed remains unmade day in, day out, your room will never feel complete.
Making the bed will not only make you feel better, but taking pride in the appearance of your room will make you enjoy the ritual of going to sleep. Buy a new quilt cover or throw and add some art and your room will be complete, each and every day.
HOUSE PROUD: As you crawl into a perfectly made bed every night to enjoy the ‘Soft Evening Clouds’ print, your efforts will be rewarded.
