My Interior ‘icks’ - and how to avoid them!

Ok there are so many and I could get really specific (in fact there may be a part 2!) - think shiny silver carpets, cheesy quotes (Live, Laugh Love) hung around the house, grey everything (& yes I have been guilty of this one) - you get the gist! I thought it could be useful to break some of these ‘icks’ down so you can create a considered, stylish space. Obviously I have to caveat this with - your home, you decorate it however you like but if you’re reading this then I suspect you’re interested to hear my expert design advice...

Image 1: SCS Image 2: Crafted Beds Ltd Image 3: The Rugs

Everything Must Match

No, it most definitely shouldn’t! You may be very confident with your design choices and you may know what works with what, however I think we are often sold this idea that everything should match. Of course for retailers it can be a real winner - you walk into the showroom and buy the sofa, the matching armchair and footstool. Then you notice the coffee table, sideboard and bookcase and purchase the lot. It’s a strategy that works when it comes to swift decision making and keeping the showroom in business, but you end up with a flat, carbon copy; a carbon copy of countless living rooms around the country. Often soulless and lacking personality (imo!).

The same goes for accessories. Don’t buy the entire matching range in only one/two colours. Add interest by mixing materials like wood, metals, marble etc. Introduce plenty of texture - think soft furnishings and accessories. Bring in personality through books, artwork, pieces you’ve picked up on your travels. Add personality to your space, don’t be a lemming.

Trends

I’ve written about this in a previous blog post and I admit I love a trend but that doesn’t mean I’m going to dive head first and re-create it in my home. Chances are that in 6 months to a year you’ll tire of it and be ready to go with the next trend. My advice is to know what trends you like and take elements that you can add to your space but also replace easily and inexpensively when the time comes. It’s also worth considering whether ‘that trend’ will work in your home. There should be some cohesion between all the spaces in your home so don’t go rogue by jumping on the latest trend and having a space that is at odds with the rest of the house.

Grey Everything

Now this one I am definitely guilty of and, whilst I don’t have anything against the colour grey per say, the grey trend did endure and has left a lot of us with grey walls, grey furniture, grey cushions (50 shades)….. The problem here is a lack of personality and potentially cold and flat feeling spaces. I have learned that whilst I err towards a more restrained colour palette, I love to bring warmth to spaces using colour and texture, whether this be through wall colour or artwork, accessories and warm toned furniture. You want to create depth and interest in a space and grey on grey on grey now feels dated, dare I say it can look cheap (think shiny crushed velvet), and lets be honest, flat and boring. It was a prescriptive trend which everyone could achieve. Maybe now is the time to re-paint those grey walls and look at adding colour and texture to inject some interest and personality!

Too Much - Consider Negative Space

Now I’m all for adding personality as I mentioned earlier, however that can sometimes result in ‘too much’ which can look & feel overwhelming and busy. To create a successful space you must also consider the negative space. Not every surface needs to be covered, not every corner adorned. By considering negative space you allow objects, furniture, pattern to shine and it creates a much more balanced and successful space. My mantra is less is more.

Below are a selection of beautiful, considered spaces. For me these are successful as there is balance - a mix of materials, colour/tone added to a more neutral backdrop, classic simple shapes and enough negative space to make everything sing. If in doubt keep it simple and err towards clean lines and classic shapes that have and will endure.

Images courtesy of Pinterest