Top Tips for Styling Your Space
Ever wanted top tips for styling your space by an award-winning interior designer? Well look no further! This week we have the pleasure of hosting Lauren Gilberthorpe on our blog. Read below for her top tips for transforming your living space.
Designing a space doesn’t stop at choosing carpets, furniture and paint colours. Once the installation is finished the next stage of the process is styling. I’ve put together my top tips for styling which will equip you with the knowledge to create a beautifully curated space with purpose and style.
- My first top tip and probably the best place to start is to purge your space! Essentially this is just the ultimate spring clean. I would start by getting everything out and putting it all together on a table or in the middle of the room on the floor. This way you can properly assess what you have, how you might be able to use it differently and what you can get rid of.
- As a rule of thumb try to avoid items that are smaller than an apple. Items that are too small can end up just looking cluttered and will have little impact in the room. An exception is if you have collection of small objects but even so try to avoid too many small clusters.
- Adding in plants is a great way to revitalise your space, introducing a sense of freshness and a pop of colour. Plants really do bring a room to life and whether it’s a small succulent or a big cheese plant get some green into your home.
- I think one of the biggest things to avoid is overstyling your space. Know that less is more and be careful not to feel the need to fill every single gap. Leaving some empty space will accentuate the pieces you do have. I will often remove a few of the last bits I’ve placed to knock it back a little.
- Trays are such a good styling tool. Use them as a way of grouping items together creating a feature that looks really intentional. This works particularly well as a solution for styling everyday bits in the kitchen such as oils, salt and pepper. Also a tray always looks great on a coffee table or ottoman.
- Try to group things in odd numbers. Single items will look instantly better when grouped.
- Cushions and throws are an obvious one for styling and probably something you feel a bit more confident in choosing. Throws are amazing for adding additional texture on the sides and tops of a sofa. With cushions the trick is to karate chop them! They should be plump and inviting – flat pancake cushions are not a good look! I would always advise buying feather cushion pads that are 2 inches bigger than the cushion cover to make them really plump.
- Scale is really important to consider when styling. A larger statement item will make a much bigger impact rather than a group of small cluttered pieces. Opt for fewer large pieces that will really stand out in the room.
- Creating a sense of balance is the key to success with styling. Think of rooms as a cityscape and introduce different height and widths to encourage the eye to wander around the room. I love using floor lamps, ladders, bookcases and tall plants for this. Also hanging artwork above a chair or sofa will lead the eye up the wall.
- Be mindful of the seasons. I love moving stuff around, especially in autumn when you want your home to feel cosy. Add more texture in the colder months with soft throws and also lots of candles are a must!
Now, with these top tips, you have the skills to style your space time to get started. As a final point my last piece of advice is to edit your space. There is always a pressure to get things right first time but actually when I’m styling a space it can take hours. Stand back, asses and edit. If you need to – live with it for a while, or go and have a cup of tea to gain a better perspective. ALSO Home have some beautiful accessories and furnishings so we are going to share some of our favourite picks below. Happy styling!
