Styling your Home to Feel Lived In

Once the tiles have been laid, the paint has dried, the hardware is installed, and the furniture has been placed, it is time to add in the details. Styling and adding the finishing accessories can be the magic that pulls everything together and makes a house feel more like a home.

When it comes to styling it is more than just fluffing pillows and hanging pictures, it is about creating a space that looks like it has been staged for a photo shoot but feels lived-in and also still functional.  Today, we will be providing tips on how to enhance your space and make a home come to life.

Adding Personal Touches

Homes are personal spaces, adding a personal touch to your home is critical to feeling comfortable and it tells a story about the family within that home. Print out your favourite memories in different sizes. Mount them, frame them in pretty frames, and create a unique pattern/gallery on the wall.

Adding items, you have collected on trips, and even styling a coffee table with books that expresses your interests, are all great ways to add personality. We all like to buy those mementos from our trips; rather than have all your possessions crammed into that one back closet, do them justice and display them throughout your home. Put up floating shelving units, have end tables and keep all your novels placed in stylish bookcases or laid out on coffee tables.

Merging Form with Function

When we style our homes, we are always considering how our clients will use the space and bringing beauty to functionality and its details is where all the magic really happens. Think about what is most important to your home and your “must-have” list  and work from there. Having a clear plan and idea of what you really want to get out of your home is the best possible way to avoid falling into the trap of ending somewhere in the middle where your home is not that space that you had envisioned and does not feel like it is YOUR space. 

Whether it is a catch-all on your console table to store keys or a pedestal next to the stove-top with a pretty pepper mill, adding layers of function to your home can also bring dimension and interest with the right accents.

Layering Textiles

There is something about mixed and matched texture combinations that feel thoughtful and curated that really complete the look. Whether it be adding different pillows combinations or draping your throw over your sofa or over the arm of a chair arm instead of folding it perfectly is a simple way to make a space feel more lived-in and functional.

There is something about adding layers of vintage that really bring a space to life. Adding Vintage pieces brings character to your house and creates the feeling of warmth, and it tells a story of history and detail. It can be adding a vintage rug to the space instantly makes the room feel lived-in and textural.

Follow Your Instincts and Break the Rules

That little voice in your head is usually right…there are some design rules that help steer us in the right direction, regardless of current design trends. And while these guiding principles can be helpful when you don’t know where to start, how boring would homes look if we all followed the rules? Decorating rules were made to be broken. Do what feels right when it comes to picking out what you like and don’t like. Stop striving for symmetry, mix metals and forget about matchy matchy decor and have some fun with your design space!

Let it Evolve

Take your time; decorating a home to feel good does not have to be done in a day, a week, or a year. Let your decorating evolve. When you take the time to let the rooms evolve over time is when you create rooms that fit perfectly into your life. The more you edit, follow your gut, and break the rules, the more you will feel at home.