Are you happy with your home or are you working on creating the right style and things just aren't pulling together? When you sit and look at home magazines and wander through shops, you see things you love but you just don't know how to pull it off in your home? Perhaps you have a modern home with a love of vintage, a Victorian home but a love of a fresh clean Nordic home or a vast space that you just don't know how to fill, then these tips may just help you to find your style and pull it together, working with what you have already.
Do some research
Stock up on home magazines, hit up Pinterest or simply search on Google for home interior ideas and see what catches your eye. Take note of what furniture you love and what decorating features make your heart fuzz. Don't just look at these things though, make note as well of how others use their space to make the most of it, utilise those awkward spaces like bay windows and alcoves which are a big issue in older homes. With new homes the problem tends to be that having such an epic blank canvas to play with, the inspiration has to come from scratch, so it's a great idea to search for homes built in the same era as yours
Work with what you have
Think about the style and age of the property you live in, what features it already has and how you could adapt these in a way that suits your tastes. Although any style can be adapted for your space, with a little research you may find some inspiration to utilise those features to make the most of them with some simple painting or styling. Study each room in your home, take note of all the things you really love, keep these in mind with any future home shopping and for anything you're not so in love with, keep note of what it is that bugs you and be sure not to buy things like that again. It's all about working towards that style and it's very likely you already have things to help create that, you just need to position or display them right. You may just need to up cycle some furniture, add simple feature walls or touch up kitchen cabinets, it doesn't always have to be big changes or expensive makeovers.
Look at other areas of your life
Take a look at the clothes you like to wear, the music you enjoy listening to, the places you feel happy in and what makes you happy generally. Think of ways that you can incorporate these things into your home styling too. Perhaps it's the beach that makes your heart sing, or blues music that makes you feel relaxed. Maybe the bright patterns of your clothes or quirky jewellery show a taste you hadn't thought of showing in the home too. Are you drawn to neutral tones, natural fabrics, metallics? Reflect these things into your living space as well and you'll soon start to feel your home grow around you.
Choose a starting point
Whether it's a vintage chair you've inherited, an Ikea mirror, A painting, a cushion, anything that is completely you and that you love. With a starting point however small you can soon build a room around it. Find ways to display it, add accessories to it or feature it in a room and you'll soon be able to see your style coming together as you compliment your favourite things.
Start small
Before tackling an entire room, play with a single shelf, a table display or art wall and see how it feels. If you're enjoying it then you can explore more ideas that go with it, without investing too much time or money into your style. Buy new, second hand, reclaimed, explore free sites and charity shops and pick up things that either reflect your style or become an easy project to fit in well with your favourite style. Never underestimate the power of something like a tin of paint, which can be cheap, go a long way but be easily changed if need be.
Nobody can direct your style, it really has to come from you, but by following these five simple tips you'll soon be well on your way to creating a living space you truly love to be in. Whatever your home is like now, there's ideas everywhere for inspiration for awkward spaces and areas that people generally struggle with.
