10 Top tips for home styling

1. De-clutter

It seems obvious, doesn’t it? but for some reason, it is so hard to do. Whether that be because we are time-poor, have children that just refuse to throw out the last 4 years of happy meal toys or us hoarding keepsakes like an Imelda Marcos shoe collection. Whatever it may be, if it’s time to style to sell or stay, you have obviously made the clear decision to change the way your home looks … right? So, let’s bin, store or gift on some of these items that are simply stopping us showcasing the beauty of our home and what it has to offer.

2. Keep it clean

De-cluttering whilst good will also highlight all those areas that have been gathering dust over the years. Here is what lifehack.org suggests will come of a clean space:

- You discover resources that you never knew you had
- Tidying the space will tidy your mind and allow your creative juices to flow
- You save time each week as you don’t have to navigate through or clean nearly as much
- You become more social! And why wouldn’t you want to show off your newly styled property
- A peaceful and ordered place with no clutter around, you will feel less stressed, less distracted and overall healthier

3. Discover your style 

Now the workspace is clear and clean we can start getting into the nitty-gritty. Interior styling works best when you choose a style and then stick to it throughout so the property looks more harmonious and less hodge-podge. So what is your style…Hamptons, Boho, Shabby Chic, Luxe, Modern contemporary, mid-century, Coastal, Scandi, Urban, Industrial?

4. Get inspired

So you know your style, now it’s time to get inspired. We are so lucky to be living in a time with technology so that all our visual inspiration can be contained within our mobile devices. Could you imagine being of our parent’s era of having to go around display homes in the local area or waiting patiently in the newsagency for the next edition of House and Garden to be published to get the latest ideas!

5. Start with the art

So the big-ticket items (with the exception of the fixtures) in your home are the furniture and the art. Simply introducing artwork, soft furnishings and décor you can easily achieve your desired style. The artwork is so important in this process as it will create a focal point to your room so you need it to be interesting and unique to your style. 

6. Mix and match is out (complimenting is in!)

Gone are the days where you needed to match your red lipstick, with the red nails, red stilettos and thin red belt with your favourite new dress. Instead of pairing colours, compliment them instead. Look at your artwork and find the less dominant colours within or associated tones and use these to guide you when choosing your decorative touches.

7. Don't overwhelm the senses

You might get excited that you have found your style but it’s so important not to get yourself back to step 1. Purchasing too many decorative items and soft furnishings can simply overwhelm so if you randomly find yourself at the K-Mart checkout with 2 trolleys full of items be mindful not to allow the clutter to creep back in – swap items in and out as you get bored instead.

8. Go with the seasons

Put simply if it’s cold then introduce warmth and if it’s hot introduce cool. In winter textures like fur, velvet or wool work well particularly in deeper darker tones. Summer will welcome linen and cottons to bring in cool especially in lighter more neutral tones.

9. Embrace the light and the life of the home 

Breathe a bit of extra life into the property through both natural and artificial light. Open the curtains and turn on the lights when presenting your home… and oh one of my best tips is making sure the light bulbs are the same colour and actually work! The other way to introduce life is through greenery - either live plants or artificial ones. If you are a green thumb and can keep a plant alive then make them a welcome addition inside your home. But if you have a tendency to neglect your flora never fear as there are great fakes out there that can create ambience.

10. Have fun!!!

And last but not least… .Styling can be very subjective and not everyone will like what you create. However, it’s most important that you like it and have fun in achieving your desired results!

Source: The Block Shop