Do you ever find yourself feeling bored and uninspired with identikit interiors straight out of the Ikea catalogue? Sometimes it can feel like you could go into any home, anywhere in the world and spot that same HEMNES chest of drawers! We all want homes which reflect our individual personalities and tastes, but if you don’t have the budget to commission custom soft furnishings and hand painted wallpapers, it can feel hard to break the mould and really do something different. But eye catching features and unique decorative touches don’t have to cost the earth.
Don’t make the mistake of trying to buy it in all at once – true stylish individuality in interiors only comes gradually over time and as your life evolves in a space. With the increase in new-build housing, with its perfect, bland beige interiors, being able to express your personality and individuality through your home feels more important to more people than ever before. Adding some impact can be done easily and in a relatively budget-friendly way if you know how. Start by making little changes and, as you discover your taste, you’ll get bolder and more experimental over time. Inject some much needed originality to your space today.
Try some new materials
Sometimes, adding a dash of the unexpected to your home design can be as simple as switching up the materials you choose to use. Using something from left field is a great way to experiment, because you can make it as neutral or as statement as you like – the material choice alone is enough to elevate the design, before you even begin to layer in factors like colour and proportion. The materials you choose to use can enhance the look you’re going for.
Unrefined textures and raw materials can bring the great outdoors in and create either an industrial chic or quite a rustic home look, depending on how you choose to use them. Successfully incorporating unusual materials is all about creating enjoyable design contrasts – like silk tasselling on a lampshade paired with an exposed brick wall.
Textured wallpapers are making a comeback too and are a brilliant low key way to add a subtle impact to a space. Embossed or leather effect materials can be used for headboards or feature panelling on the ways in a very effective way. Polished concrete floors can look hugely luxurious as well as being the ultimate in practicality for those with small children or family pets.
You can think outside the box and achieve amazing results – what’s to stop you using those amazing floor tiles as a wall display, or even using artificial lawn as your hallway floor covering – click here for some samples that may well give you ideas. Daring to be different here can really create the wow factor.
Go for a hybrid design
Where bold originality is required, blending disparate styles that you love can produce a startling original result. Whether you’re into vintage finds, a bit of industrial chic or bold prints, combining differing trends and finding the balance between them is a sure-fire way of creating something that doesn’t look straight out of a catalogue.
The key to a successful mash-up is in keeping the different elements in harmony. Much like successful fashion, the best looks feature a contrast – clean modernist lines clashed with overblown, chintzy florals or heritage shapes in modern materials such as the Kartell Ghost chair, which marries a Louis XIV style design with clear Perspex. Great design is all about visual contrasts, so get thinking about what elements you could combine.
Show your personality
Your home should be all about you and showcasing what you love, so turn a collection into a talking point by presenting it properly. Into vintage china? Use shadow box frames to create a striking display of your favourite patterned china pieces and give them the focus they deserve. Grouping similar objects together can give a room a real focal point and elevate a normal space to something that feels more high-end.
If you collect beautiful shoes, source a vintage armoire, cover the interior with patterned wallpaper and display your most gorgeous pairs. Or if you love family history, how about creating a stunning wall of framed black and white portraits of family members through the ages – a modern version of the ancestral oil paintings.
If photos aren’t your thing it could be a collection of vintage movie posters. When similar objects are grouped together, rather than scattered around your home, they begin to look far more intentional and make much more of an impact. It’s a great talking point for your home which is highly individual and injects a huge dose of personality into your space.
Add some detail
Standing out is often a case of adding some bold and unusual detail that takes your room from run of the mill to show-stopper. A super bold patterned wallpaper can have the effect of lifting a room and adding design interest. If you have gorgeous historical features in a period property or you have something you really want to highlight, such as architraves, dado rails or cornicing, try painting them in a really bold shade like shocking cerise or cobalt blue.
This trick also works amazingly well with just the edges of door frames – bringing a subtle but intriguing burst of colour into a room in a very different way. Similarly, painting floorboards in an unexpected design or opting for patterned tile flooring can make a very big impact in a small or hard to use space and freshen up the whole look easily.
Review your lighting
Sometimes, adding personality to your home can be as simple as changing the lighting scheme. Instead of uninspired central fixtures, seek out retro lamps with patterned shades, wall mounted down-lighters or colour change LED strips that can complement the mood you’re going for in a room. A unique cascading ceiling light or striking chandelier can add intimacy and drama to an otherwise unremarkable space. Never underestimate the ability of great lighting to change up the feel of a room. Quirky light shades can also be a very easy and cost effective way to give your room a whole new look as well.
[disclosure*]