Some people are intuitively good at design. But it’s definitely a skill that can be learned and honed over time. Today, we’re giving you some of the best tips on how to cultivate great style in your own home.
1. Update What You Can, Even if It’s a Rental
When people rent an apartment, they’re afraid to do too much decorating and renovations, because they want their security deposit back. Because of this, nearly every apartment looks relatively the same. The truth is that as long as you don’t damage the apartment, it should actually be fine to give it a bigger makeover. Before you get started, ask yourself if the changes you plan to make are an improvement on the space, or a detriment. As long as it improves the value of the house or the apartment rather than lowering it, you should be fine. Obviously, don’t knock down walls or do anything dramatic. When a property doesn’t belong to you, most changes can only be cosmetic like painting, wallpaper, etc. You should never assume that it’s okay to change something structural if you want your security deposit back.
I’ve actually experienced this first hand. A few years ago, I worked in an office of an apartment community. There was one tenant who took the time to install new light fixtures, light switches, knobs on the kitchen cabinets, paint, and more. When she moved out, we were trying to rent the apartment to someone else. It was surprising to see how dramatically different her apartment was to nearly every other tenant, since I had seen the inside of a few dozen apartments. I asked my boss if she got in trouble for doing so many customizations, or lost her security deposit. The answer was no- she kept her security deposit. And they can actually charge more rent for that space now, because the former tenant took the time to improve it. So your makeover could actually help your landlord! When in doubt, ask your landlord for permission.
2. Focus On The Areas Where You Spend The Most Time
A lot of people make the mistake of buying a fixer upper and wanting to do renovations immediately. This is probably because they see this on TV, and think that it’s a normal, logical thing to do. However, most people don’t have a huge budget to throw into renovations right away. Instead of doing makeovers immediately, live in the house for a few months first. As you go throughout your daily life, you will quickly realize which rooms you spend the most time in. When it’s time to gothrough with the renovations, start with the “heart of the home”. You’re going to get the most enjoyment out of that space immediately. This positive experience will also help motivate you to keep moving forward with the other rooms in the house.
In the beginning, you want to completely avoid renovating the rooms that are barely touched. For example, a lot of people almost never spend any time in their formal dining room. It’s usually set up for special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and left untouched the rest of the year. Most people prefer to cook and eat in their kitchen, because it’s a lot more casual. So, in this scenario, would it make sense to pay for a dining room makeover in the first year of owning the house? Of course not. You’d do the kitchen first, and then maybe get to the dining room a few years down the line. Just by reading this, you might already know exactly which rooms in your house fall into those categories of priority and secondary projects.
3. Make Every Day a Special Event
Some people live with the mindset of “It’s just me living here. It’s not a big deal”. Cleaning gets pushed off, and makeovers are put low on the list of priorities. But the moment they’re about to host a party or have friends over, they suddenly clean the house and re-evaluate everything. These are the moments when people question if they need to change something before guests arrive. A great style tip is to always stay in this mindset as often as possible. Instead of waiting for that party to happen, treat every day like a special event. Your home is worthy of being beautiful, even if the only people enjoying it are yourself and your immediate family.
Once you start to think with the mindset of making every day special, everything changes. You’ll start to find that you clean more often, and that you begin designing your space more naturally. If you’re reading this during lockdown, you can’t have people over anyway. But this is something you can also do for yourself. Think of lockdown as an opportunity to do all of the makeovers you’ve always wanted. The best example I’ve ever seen of this is on a YouTube channel called The Chateau Diaries run by Stephanie Jarvis. She treats herself incredibly well by always eating her food on porcelain china, and wanting to surround herself with beauty. This uplifts your soul, even if it’s just for you. Every day deserves to be filled with beauty.
4. Trust Your Intuition
As a rule of thumb, always trust your intuition with everything in life, including the way you decorate your apartment. There’s a good chance that you’re going to get a lot of advice from family, friends, and even people on TV. But at the end of the day, you’re the only one living in that house. Choose what works for you, not anyone else. Your subconscious has a great way of trying to communicate to you what you actually want deep down. So if you’re looking at your options at the store or shopping online, go with your gut.
Unfortunately, going with your gut might mean that you want things for your house that are really expensive! Luckily, there are almost always cheaper dupes to the style you want. For example, I wanted a Sputnik chandelier in my bedroom, but they cost around $400. When I tried to tell my family about it, everyone told me that it was over-the-top and a complete waste of money. Logically, I knew it was too expensive, too. But I kept going with my search, because I just knew in my gut that I needed something like it. Eventually, I found a starburst chandelier for only $80, and it actually works much better with the space. And now that it’s installed, my family instantly understood why I wanted it so badly, and they finally agree that it made a huge difference in how the space looks and feels.
5. Less is More
When in doubt, go for a minimalist lifestyle. For most people, clutter is one of the major roadblocks stopping them from having a stylish home. Or, they try to do a makeover, and they simply put way too much stuff in the room. In most cases, you can’t start designing a room until you have a blank canvas, and begin to build upon it with a lot of thought and effort. Too many objects in a room can be suffocating. Remember to let your pieces shine, and give them room to make a statement all on their own. In the words of Coco Chanel, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”
Unfortunately, millions of Americans suffer from hoarding disorder. In fact, here on Home Addict, we’ve already written the 40 Signs Someone is On The Road to Becoming a Hoarder. With that being said, not everyone is willing to live a minimalist lifestyle. Maybe you love your collectibles, because they make you happy. There’s nothing wrong with being a maximalist. However, even maximalists can figure out a way to display their belongings in a stylish way. As long as you can incorporate your belongings into your everyday life without interfering with your lifestyle in a negative way, it’s not hoarding. Some of the best examples I’ve ever seen in maximalist style are the Architectural Digest tours of the homes of Dita von Teese and Danny Elfman.
6. No Detail Is Too Small to Overlook
Sometimes, people skip fixing or improving a small detail in their home because they’re working on the assumption that no one will notice. This could be a crack in the wall, cheap door knobs, dull light bulbs, and so much more. Even if that’s true that no one or notice, all of these small details seriously add up. People will walk into a room and feel a sense of unease or dislike, even if they can’t put their finger on the reasons why. It happens constantly during real estate house tours when people are looking to buy a new house. They might say “no” to a home simply because it feels cheaply done. Even if it’s subconscious, people can still feel the love and care that was taken into decorating a space.
The benefit of knowing that small details matter is that it works out perfectly for people on a small budget. If you can’t afford to give your house a huge makeover, make small changes where it counts. For example, my parents recently painted their baseboards and steps white. Before, I would have said it wasn’t necessary, because everything still looked clean and white from far away. But the fresh coat of paint made everything pop, and made the house look newer and well taken care of.
7. Do Tons of Research
A lot of people make the mistake of finding something cute at Home Goods or Target, and buying a bunch of stuff. But then they get home, and they’re not even sure where to put these things. Sound familiar? Before you get started redecorating your home, you should do research before spending any money. Figure out exactly what you’re looking for, and give yourself a budget. Create a real-life mood board by printing out photos and using fabric samples. Or, you can simply do a digital Pinterest board or use Photoshop to gather your ideas in one place.
The more you research and visualize what your home should look like, the easier it will be to find the objects you desire. Suddenly, you’ll zero on in those great sales at Home Goods or At Home. It’s so much better to go into a store with a game plan. Without one, you’ll end up wandering around lost. You may leave empty-handed, or worse- buying lots of things you don’t need. When it comes to doing larger renovations, also do research to see how much that project will cost. You will be able to budget how many projects you can afford each year, and schedule them whenever possible.
8. Have A Space that Tells A Story
When you’re styling a space, you want it to tell a story. A home should reflect who you are as a person. When an interior designer is creating a space for a client, they always keep that person in mind as a character in their head. They ask themselves, “Who is this person (or family)? What do they need in life? How can I represent them in this home?” If you’re doing this on your own, make sure the space reflects yourself, as well as your family.
For example, my space is painted in a light cream color, and I only have cream, white, and rattan furniture. The windows are large, too, so there is a ton of light when you first come in the room. Even though all of my basics are neutral, all of my artwork and accessories are bright colors, or have a beachy or bohemian inspiration. I have been told by multiple people that my space feels like a breath of fresh air when you walk in. It feels clean, happy, friendly, and artistic. Even though that’s my vibe, I know plenty of people who want the exact opposite effect in a room. Some people want their space to be dark, moody, and sultry. So their space would tell a totally different story when you walk into their home. Ask yourself what story you want your space to tell.
9. Use Fashion as Inspiration
In a lot of ways, fashion and interior design are parallel to one another. Colors that are popular during certain years, as well as popular vibes and aesthetics on the runway usually end up being represented somewhere in home decor. Just like telling a story with your space, you can sometimes express your style by using your clothing as a representation of your decor choices.
For example, if you wear a lot of black, chances are that you might want black furniture, too. Or, you might love to wear bright colors. So of course you want things to be colorful and happy. Some people suggest taking your favorite piece of clothing and just draping it over a couch or chair in the space you plan to makeover. Ask yourself if it’s possible to incorporate that design into the space.
