We all want our houses to look fabulous this time of year with friends and family visiting the pressure is on. The key to having a fabulous home is to inject it with personality so when guests and family visit they are so tantalised they don’t know quite where to look. Colour is the easiest decorating tool around and adds instant pizzazz. Whether you paint a wall out in a beautiful hue or simply scatter beautiful velvet jewel like cushions on a sofa (H&M do fab ones) you instantly liven up an area. Flowers, vases, pictures will immediately add a striking visual punch just select ones with jaw dropping hues. As I’ve mentioned before you can have the most beautiful co-ordinated home in the world but if it all merges into a beige haze of blandness its going to feel super dull. To make a room pop add a mirror – I opt for super sized ones to give my space that Alice in Wonderland edge but you don’t have too, mirrors of any size or hue will expand horizons and add instant glamour. Talking about scale its a trick I use time and time again put big pieces in rooms that are too small and small pieces in rooms that are to large and you will have on your hands a surreal amazing interior! Layer, layer, layer, shelves, coffee tables, mantles with books, t-lights, candles, fairly lights and so on. The more layers you add the more intrigue you create. Fun hey!
Clever, clever colour, it gets the pulse racing the heart beating faster and is the easiest decorating tool around for injecting personality.
When you start playing around with scale magic truly starts to happen. Plonk an over sized cabinet as seen here (or mirror and lamps as I do) and your interior will take on a completely new lease of life. Both images by the way from Livingetc’s web site http://www.housetohome.co.uk.
Happy Wednesday I have a home day which is heavenly apart from a quick meeting in town with heaps and heaps to catch up on.
[...] Ways to give your rooms instant personality Abigail Ahern Wed, December 7, 2011 7:52 AM UTC Abigail Ahern Rate this story Share (function(){var [...]
To UK readers: Stop press! Primark at this time of year requires nerves of steel, but if you can get in early it’s worth it for jewel coloured oblong velvet cushions in shocking pink, deep purple or lime green reduced to £3!!
Thanks for the tip x
Hi, a silly question: In your opinion, is Charleston grey a dark colour on walls? Or is it a light one? Because I just painted one room in London Clay, and while I truly love it, I would like something a bit lighter for the other rooms. And if you would still consider charleston as dark, is there a lighter color that is equally fab?
Thanks so much.
Haven’t ever used Charleston grey before so not sure how it works but I would say looking at the swatch it looks mid tone. Lamp room grey is incredibly soft and pale also by F&B, dusted moss by dulux (a more taupe ish hue) is also soft but has some depth.
Thanks, I was mistaken then, I remembered that you had recommended Charleston… I’ve learnt to trust your eye in colour and that’s why I was about to order it. Don’t trust my own so much, when it comes to paint, so maybe I won’t now…
Beautiful greens on the 1st pic! Little tables look like leaves of a waterlily!:)
Thanks for the advices!
Cheers!