Tips

Five tips for decorating your home

May 14, 2017

Don't overdo the cushions, and use green plants instead of flowers.

Decorating a home can be surprisingly difficult. It can be hard to know how to make the most of your space, and how to make it look cozy and comfortable without cluttering or overdoing it.

These five tips will have your home looking like an interior designer has decorated, but not in a sterile, display home way, and without the exorbitant price tag.

1. Light, neutral walls

As tempting as bright or bold colours can be, they will make a room feel smaller. Most colour trends are passing fads, but variations of white never go out of fashion and will always look clean and fresh.

If you want colour, frame an eye-catching painting or print instead, and save your colour for accessories.

2. Don’t go over the top

While buying cushions and throws can be addictive, don’t go overboard! You don’t want to have to throw 30 cushions off the couch just to sit down. The same goes with furniture. There are a lot of nice pieces out there, but you don’t need every inch of floor and wall covered. Have only what you need.

3. Indoor plants

Nothing makes us happier than a big, bright bunch of fresh flowers, but they are expensive and don’t last long. Instead, use green indoor plants. They bring a bit of nature inside, freshen the room up, and they last a lot longer than cut flowers.

4. Use interesting focus pieces

You don’t need shelves upon shelves cluttered with knick-knacks, but a few interesting pieces, like unique vases, a favourite candle in a pretty jar, or a decorative bowl. The most important thing to think about is whether you love them, not if they look “designer”.

5. No themes

Try to steer away from themes. If you choose, say, a nautical theme, you’ll find yourself crowding your space with things you don’t love but which fit the theme, and passing over unique pieces that you do love. It will also look like you’ve just purchased the lot from one showroom, and it will lack imagination and individuality. Don’t put yourself in a box!

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to decorating, but if you follow these tips you will be able to make the absolute best of the space you have, and best of all, you will love being in your space.