It’s all gone a little crazy here since the big spread in the Times newspaper yesterday (a whopping four pages) calling me the most exciting decorator on the planet! I’ve woken up to a ton of emails suggesting projects, collaborations which when I get back from my morning swim I’ll sit down and digest, and probably pinch myself a bit and maybe (certainly) do a little dance (away from the team obviously)! Amazing thank you Sunday Times, I am flattered, delighted and overwhelmed all at the same time!
Today I wanted to talk about fashion. As we all know fashion and decorating go hand in glove. Dressing well and decorating beautifully is a form of expression that reflects an individualistic taste not to mention our own point of view. Not sure what my oversized pj’s and holey t-shirt say about me right now but lets leave that for another day! I thought it would be fun to take some of the guidelines that we all reference when buying a new outfit to the home such as…
Mixing high with low. I say this in my classes a lot but if you want to create a killer look at home mix high end with low end. Like fashion once the key players are nailed say like a coat or fab pair of heels, accent with less expensive finds. In a nutshell invest in the key pieces and save on the smaller stuff. Plus as odd as this sounds if everything were top to toe Prada it wouldn’t look as intriguing as if you were mixing Prada with a bit of vintage and a dash of high street thrown in. Same principles apply at home, everything from the same designer or store feels one-dimensional contrived and stale. It’s all about the mix!
Buy what makes you feel good. You know that feeling you get when you buy an item of clothing and it makes you look great play upon that when choosing stuff for your home. It’s as simple as that.
Express yourself. Like fashion our homes should reflect our personal tastes so buy items that mean something to you and reflect your personality. I keep this in mind at all times, not what’s in or what’s out but what I instantly emotionally connect to and with.
Add some statement pieces. All good outfits have the odd killer statement piece from a cool necklace to an amazing pair of shoes. You want the same for your homes. A few décor pieces that blow your mind, that draw the eye shout ‘look at me’ and bedazzle. Maybe it’s a painting, piece of sculpture, cushion, something upholstered it could literally be anything.
Play up to your rooms shape. Lets say you’ve got low ceilings (or to make another comparison short legs) you’ll probably not be opting for ¾ length trousers that often because you want to elongate the leg just like you’ll be wanting to elongate your walls. Paint the ceilings out the same colour and watch as magic happens and suddenly your walls will look a zillion times taller. OR if your room is small accent with reflective surfaces to expand horizons and add depth and take the attention away its as easy as that!
Happy Monday x