So you’ve got your beautiful piece of furniture and you’ve put her in her intended spot in the room. She’s gorgeous and you love her. Now what?
How do those interior designer folk use accessories to make their statement pieces look so effortlessly chic? I’m no interior designer but I can tell you it’s easy if you follow these tried and tested tips.
I am not exaggerating when I say I have spent HOURS styling a piece before I’m happy with it. And I’ve done hundreds. Every time we finish a piece we need to style it before photographing it for sale or for our social media, so I have lots of experience! I have also consulted two local experts for their top tips/pennys worth. None of these ideas have to cost much. You probably already have most of them lurking around the house.
Where to start;
#1 Decorate your house with the things you love. Show your personality and interests. Use books or things you have collected on trips abroad or photos of you on a wonderful holiday. Things that make you smile. Here is my example from my own home; A budda-head lugged back from Thailand when we got married there; a photo my brother took of my daughter frolicking in the long English grass last summer; A pop of colour with a pink decoupaged bust I bought in Florence.
#2 Choose a theme colour. Or maybe you already have one. My Living rooms theme colour is pink and purple. This works well as the base palette is neutral with beige rugs and cream sofas. So I bought pretty purple and pink cushions, threw in a gorgeous purple orchid, and to bring it all together I invested in a gorgeous print with pink and purple in it for the wall. You can see why the pink bust accessory works well in this room.
#3 Cushions and Throws; You can pile up cushions and throws for next to nothing. Follow your rooms’ theme colour, it will all tie in. I have a purple and a cream throw draped over my chairs and sofa (to hide the cat scratches).
#4 Flowers and vases; The Easiest and most obvious to me is flowers and candles. Praps because these are my favourite things and everyone has a favourite flower… mine are pink peonies, blue hydrangeas and white tulips… I bought them because I love them, not to “match” my interior. But you can’t go wrong with some gorgeous high quality fake flowers. You can put them anywhere.
A selection of beautiful fake flowers at The Parlour
#5 The rule of Threes; Apparently there is something pleasing to the eye to have a display of 3 of the same together. Here I have 3 large vases each with purple orchids. Use 3 candles, or 3 pretty vases. I don’t know why but it works.
Three in harmony
#6 Layering; Layer mirrors and photo frames ; on any level surface. I use the floor and the top of my cabinets. I am OBSESSED with black and white photos, I have no space left on my walls. I believe you can never have too many black and white photos. The happy memories they project make me smile and layering gives a casual not-too-staged look to the room and gives it interest.
layered black and white framed photos
#7 The Eclectic look; Mix vintage with contemporary, Country with Hamptons Chic, but don’t go nuts one way, keep it balanced and diverse. Ebay is great for vintage. I got my Salter scales for 7GBP! And I picked up my antique glass bottle for 5 pounds in a bric-a-brac shop in England :)
#8 Candles; Always candles. That is all.
#9 Throw in a basket; I adore baskets and they’re practical! I store blankets in one basket in the living room, I use another to throw toys in for an easy tidy up - I even use them for piling up spare toilet rolls in our bathroom!
#10 Greenery; you need plants. I’m not known for my green fingers but my favourites at the moment are my little succulents. And I’m looking for a nice bunch of dried lavender to cheer up my vintage tin jug…
greenery and baskets!
We have been lucky enough to have had the brains behind “Interiors by Gemma Ralph” (The Queen of Hamptons Chic herself) come in to and style some pieces for us at The Parlour; Gemma is one of those annoying people who just have that knack. Literally EVERY time she styles a shoot for us, she makes the piece look entirely different, using gorgeous things she had plus pieces I own but would NEVER have thought of using - or placing them in the way that she does. Here’s what she says;
#11 Hamptons Chic; “My style is all about creating a homely feel in a space that’s adaptable for day to day living. Natural fabrics and textiles are a must here, think hessian rugs with tasselled throws laid across white comfy couches, neutral accents of colour accessorised with clear glass hurricane lamps and an abundance of chic coffee table books.
I love to put together various wooden pieces, this really works to create my signature Hamptons style, another great way to mix it up is to have a few pieces painted or distressed, this is a fab way of putting your own unique stamp on your home.” #interiorsbygemmaralph
Aisling Young from AdoreDecor never fails. I love EVERYTHING she does. Everything she touches turns to fab-chic! So I asked for her top tip on accessorising. She says;
#12 Light, Life and Sculpture; “Try to include the elements of light, life and sculpture in your display (or vignette if you're feeling fancy)! 'Light' could be from a lamp or candle, 'life' from flowers or plants and 'sculpture' would be any other small decorative piece. Keep a unifying theme running across your objects, eg. through colour scheme or style, to ensure a polished look. Oh, and add something shiny. Metallics add glamour and catch the eye making sure your piece gets the attention it deserves!” #adoredecordxb www.facebook.com/adoredecordxb
So now you’ve had my top tips and advice from the experts, so go on give it a bash, I know I’ve inspired you with at least one of the tips above. It’s not as hard as you think :)