When styling a room or a home, whether it’s for a photo shoot or for a client's home, I follow some simple basic rules, which work for almost every situation, no matter what the style, size or budget. Finally, to complete the styling, there are a few simple touches that will help to elevate any room so it doesn't look too generic or 'staged', instead becoming more personal, welcoming and unique to the family that inhabits it. There are many ways to add the finishing touch to a room's styling, but I’ve chosen a few suggestions here which I find very effective. See if they work for you.
LARGE WALL ART
Large oversized pieces are always great to make a statement. Invest in one large piece you really love and place it in a key position like above the lounge, over the sideboard or at the entry foyer to give a strong first-impression and set the mood for your home styling. Large art pieces also simplify the styling as they don’t require other works around them, easily commanding the whole space by themselves. If you don’t wish to go with one large artwork, a grid of smaller works which create a large square or rectangle in shape, will achieve a similar and strong effect.
GROUPING OBJECTS
Grouping objects together, creates a stronger styling element and can completely transform how each item would look if shown individually. A successful grouping has a theme, which may be the colour, the shape, or maybe the function... For example, odd shaped and coloured small vases or bowls you’ve collected, bottles small or large, candlesticks of different style and heights... My favourite way is to place them in a group of 3 or 5 (always odd numbers) of differing heights and sizes. This kind of grouping helps the collection to look important no matter how precious or what price you paid for the objects.
ADD PLANTS
One of the simplest and most cost effective ways to accessorise any room is to add some greenery. I love plants and have one in nearly every room in my house and more than one in my bathrooms. Whether it’s a small pot plant on a coffee table, or an amazing and oversized glossy leafed palm in the corner of a lounge room playing with scale, greenery always makes a space feel relaxed and inviting. A great thing about indoor plants is that they help blur the lines between inside and out, and help soften the feel of hard surfaces and straight lines, like in bathrooms and kitchen.
LESS IS MORE
This saying is an old but good one. More often than not, reducing the number of objects or colours offers a more effective statement than showing too many at once. Just like having only one but important ring on a girl's hand seems to have a more stylish impact than one ring on every finger, in interior design, strong colours or patterns or contrast, when used in a sparing way have a stronger impact than many colours and patterns all used in the one space. So choose what’s going to be the 'star of the show' and give it space to shine.
Treble of Tips
only add finishing touches that complement the overall styling of the room, in style or colour
to make them shine, leave plenty of space around objects and important pieces of art
don't over-style: remember to ‘edit’ and allow the room to be lived in, not just to be looked at.
James Treble is an ambassador for Planet Ark and firmly believes in sensible purchasing, recycling and creative re-purposing. James has 3 decades of accumulated experience in the Building Industry, Real Estate and Interior Design and regularly shares his knowledge and experience in adding value to homes through clever design & styling. Watch his free videos on YouTube, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram for more free information.
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