First things first, I don’t have any secrets to share on getting your house to do the washing or vacuuming for you so if that’s what you’ve come here for, I am sorry to disappoint. Truth be told, I actually don’t have any secrets to share at all. What I do want these next few paragraphs to do is get you thinking about ways you can enhance your day to day by creating simple moments in your home that give back. Forgetting the rules and perfectionism to focus on creating a sense of belonging and finding joy in sharing your uniqueness.

Architecture - Maguire Devine
Styling - This Vacant Space
Photography - Adam Gibson

Creating a stylish, aesthetically pleasing interior isn’t just about walking in to a store, selecting an on trend piece of artwork and some throw cushions the salesperson has talked you in to. Sure, these pieces might look visually good together and don’t get me wrong, I’m never going to so say no to a jaw-droppingly beautiful sofa or statement vase. But what I am asking you to do for a moment is step away from the urge of making emotional purchases to consider how these pieces are positioning your home to feel.

I am a firm believer that our homes should be our sanctuary. What this looks like will vary from person to person, but ultimately a place to return to at the end of a long day, exhale a sigh of relief and feel at ease.

So how do we do this?

Architecture - Preston Lane
Styling - This Vacant Space
Photography - Adam Gibson

Visual storytelling
Creating mood in a space often comes down to good visual storytelling. Finding moments that evoke memories and let your eyes wander through the layers. Shelving units, mantle pieces and sideboards are usually the perfect starting point for this. My challenge to you is not to overthink it. Gather a selection of pieces (old and new, you’d be surprised by what you already have) and start reshuffling and grouping items that will tell a story. It could be a gallery wall of family photos mixed with art, heirloom treasures placed on a stack of books or your favourite sculpture from a trip overseas (remember when travelling was so easy?).

Colour
Colour lovers unite. On the walls, in furniture, styling, joinery; whatever it is, colour is by far the easiest and cheapest way to transform a space. A bit of research into colour psychology will help to decide which direction to take but start by thinking about the overall goal (mood) and work backwards from there. Saturate the space or add a bold, punchy pop, once you start you’ll never go back.

Functional space planning
The success of any great interior is a functional layout and practical storage solutions. This will require some careful consideration into how you run your day to day life. The best place to start is by drawing up your space with the furniture layout options and knuckling down on what matters to you. Not what you think matters, but how you actually live. Do you entertain a lot? Is your entryway a bag dumping ground? Do your spaces lack a sense of evoking conversation? Homes won’t feel beautiful unless they function superbly so take some time with this one and reshuffle until it works for you.

Inject life
Decorating your home can be stressful. It’s easy to overthink and lose sight of what you are actually trying to achieve. If your space feels like it is lacking, my advice here would be to inject ‘life’. I don’t mean human bodies (I’m sure you’ve got enough of them leaving mess around the place), but instead adding elements of greenery or florals that will work wonders in lifting your space and adding another element.
At the very least, don’t overlook the simplicity of what a home really should be - inviting, nostalgic and ultimately, tell your story.

Is your home doing the work for you?

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