How to make your own stuff stylish

Ever feel like you have too much of the wrong stuff to make your space look stylish?

Nothing matches and your not sure how to make everything fit in with your current ideas?

Magazine stylists get to start from scratch or have a multitude of choices to fix things just right for a photo. Styling a space thats easy to live in is considerably harder. You need to include most of what you have and then insert your family, friends and pets into the picture, not to mention the reality of keeping it clean and tidy.

I am with you! I have been given gifts over the years and bought myself pieces that I shake my head at now. That’s life, the reality they don’t show you in the glossy magazine pics!

I will let you in on one of my secrets……the trick is to find a way to justify your mix. Sometimes this is easier said than done but hear me out. More than belonging to a ‘style’ your space needs to have a storyline. The best interiors are always eclectic anyhow because the cleverness required to combine styles harmoniously is what makes a room truly unique.

For example, I had quite the ‘snow chalet’ look going on at home this Winter and now that the weather is warming up I am transitioning into more of a tribal/indoor jungle feel. It is amazing how many accessories still work regardless of my change of head space. The faux fur and animal hides still work as does the rattan arm chair and deer antlers. Add an abundance of indoor plants and some feathers and the change is as good as a holiday! (Almost.) Sometimes its surprising when you list the different characters in your story how many of them can cross over. Have I lost you?

Another example, you may have amassed a series of soft furnishings in bold colours, ended up with furniture in different timber tones and then moved on to harbour a love of all things industrial, typography and metallics. Add to this the global items collected on your travels and a love of music and you have New Orleans playing the leading role in your story. The city is colourful. Its also a mix of European styles especially French that is filled with graphic posters, lights and artwork enticing the music lover in you to come sit at the bar.

You get me? Either make a list of what you want or what you have and go from there.

My New Orleans list looks like this:

Saturated colour, wrought iron, shutters, gilded mirror frames, brass trumpets, cool Jazz bars, voodoo, historic timber furniture, shop display cabinets, wallpaper, posters and street art, chandeliers and candles. Draping plants like Spanish moss, Oak trees, quilts and monograms, pillars, arches, corbels and lanterns. Sort through what you have that fits the storyline and use the tale as a guide for anything new you buy. You don’t need it all and I am betting you will be surprised at how much difference it makes when your pieces have a purpose…………

All images via Pinterest

Find a story that suits your stuff! It can be done and yes, sometimes you have to move some stuff into storage until you need it again for your next change of heart, however, it also gives you an excuse to go shopping for new and exclusive features for your current adventure 🙂