What’s the difference between a house and a home?
A lot of people when decorating their houses have many fixed ideas on furniture design and what they want their homes to eventually look like….”contemporary” … “minimal”…”…”chrome “ …” leather sofas etc etc”. Which is all great….but my first advice is telling them ….maybe a little bit warmer ?…more human ?
No matter how many bedrooms you have , how big or small the place – a house becomes a home only when you make it “ yours”…..fill it with memories, personal artefacts, curated artworks – celebrating the people and things you love .
People focus so much time on the right decor, design, picking the perfect home furniture , that it can turn into a complete nightmare or worse an emotionless house straight out of a hotel lobby.
Trust me …it will all eventually come together…. just let it all happen when it does. Your mind and your wallet will thank you for it.
Here our 5 simple ways to decorate your house and give it your own personal stamp and identity.
⦁ A gallery or a wall of photos
A photo gallery of all your loved ones assembled around a wall, a foyer, a staircase is an easy yet wonderful feature in a home. Yet to make it cohesive, and not like something in your grandmothers house keep the prints or the frames similar in style or colour.
2. Have an accent wall
Before you decide to paint all your walls red or wall paper the entire room…start with an accent wall. Its cheaper and definitely more eye catching . Plus its easy to change it if you get bored ! You can use paint, fabric, wallpaper or anything that takes your fancy….and believe me it’ll make all the difference.
An accent wall papered wall just adds a touch of glamour to these rooms …and since its just one wall you can go as bold or dramatic as you wish !
A unique accent wall with painted shutters…..wow !
Simple wooden slats or reused crate pallets give an otherwise ordinary room a completely contemporary edge.
3 .Group images according to a theme
There’s no need to go out and start buying large expensive pieces of art. Simply grouping various items together…anything from botanical prints, baskets , plates make a wonderful wall gallery …a lot more interesting and innovative and defenitely showcasing your personality.
4. Say goodbye to traditional boring coffee tables and bring in one focal piece. The coffee table is the central part of all living room….please give it its due ! More texture…more wood…more edgy !
This ultra modern room gets its warmth from the unusual combination of a trio of wooden tables
5 .Get Eclectic: MIX, Mix …mix
A house like you , has a personality…it grows and changes along with you. Don’t be afraid to mix pieces that you like over the years because of changing opinions or budget. Mix the old with the new… mix the wood colours….mix the cheap vintage pieces with your hard earned buys ….and then you have a home.
Though mixing furniture is difficult to pull off but when done correctly it adds a whole new dimension to the room. Mix keeping colours , lines and textures in mind so that it doesn’t end up looking like ….well one big mess !
The Rustic wooden coffee table in a largely black and white contemporary room not only adds warmth but is what gives this room an edge.
A simple room which stands out mainly because of the mix of wood, wicker ,ceramic …the colours and texture combine to bring the room together.
The furniture styles in the room are all different…yet the room comes together as one cohesive individualistic room. …so much less boring!
The rustic dining table gets more contemporary with the upholstered chairs giving it a whole new look !
It’s very easy to follow a catalogue or the pages of some design magazine…..…or buy a whole lot of stuff from an online furniture store. Yes it can come together very well…even look beautiful but in the end it just misses a little bit of soul. From the art on the walls to the furniture pieces, don’t choose decor based on a specific style, but on what makes you smile.
What kind of things do you do to turn your house into a home?
