Remaining true to your personal style is essential when creating a home that’s uniquely you. Whether you prefer the calm elements of minimalist style, or have a hobby that you want to show off, there are plenty of ways to make your space personal.
From your flooring, to colour scheme and furniture plus the smaller details, there are a few elements that play an important role in pulling a space together. Décor pieces like rugs, lamps and throw pillows can provide a stylish accent while more sentimental items like photos and wall art can add warmth and help personalise a space.
Wondering how to get started? Here’s some helpful info to keep in mind when designing your home.
Exploring colour schemes For Personal Style
Colour plays a significant role in interior design, helping to reflect your individual tastes and setting a home’s overall tone. But how do you begin to create the perfect colour scheme with so many colours to choose from?
Consider the overall theme and mood that you want to create in your home. Do you want light and airy with colours like soft neutrals? Or do you prefer a statement wall in a bright colour like a red or a green? This can help guide your decisions when it comes to picking out colours.
Keep in mind also that colours are more than your walls. Certain textures and materials can also provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Think warm woods of luxury vinyl or hybrid flooring, or the industrial, tough look of concrete-look flooring to tie the look together.
Tips for choosing colours
The colours you choose can dramatically impact the overall mood and feeling of your space. When choosing your colours, take note of things that you love. You can draw inspiration from your favourite piece of artwork, clothing, or from your surroundings, including coastal shores, rugged landscapes and the lush beauty of forests.
Brighter colours like red, yellow and purple can transform a dull space into a more vibrant one. Make bold colours the focal point of your colour scheme with a feature wall or a statement piece such as a sofa or an area rug. You can also pair different patterns and textures to make a bold, maximalist statement. If you don’t want to fully commit to a bolder colour palette, opt for throw blankets and pillows in brighter hues to add a pop of colour without overwhelming the space.
For something softer and more subdued, there’s the classic neutral palette. Among the most versatile of colour schemes, it can serve as a blank canvas to express your creativity. Go for a traditional look with layers of warm off-whites or create intrigue by combining moody whites and greys with other textures like wood or sleek stone. Pair earthy tones for a more serene feel or blend stark white with either black or chocolate brown to create a striking contrast.
Furniture That Tells Your Story
Furniture is more than just finding a comfortable sofa and some throw pillows to match. Instead, it’s a great opportunity to experiment and to showcase your personal style. Here are some of our favourite tips:
- Mix and match different pieces to create a unique and stylish look.
- Balance classic with contemporary design by pairing modern furniture with vintage pieces, creating character and depth.
- Invest in statement pieces that reflect your individual tastes and serve as a focal point. Vibrant wall art might suggest a bold personality type while an ornate chair or lighting fixture can reveal a taste for the finer things.
- For additional support in making these decisions, Onton offers a new AI interior design tool that can help you visualise any furniture or design choices in your space.
Another key part of picking furniture that reflects you, is ensuring it works for your lifestyle. Practical pieces such as sectional sofas, storage units or bathroom vanities can double as a centrepiece and save on space, evolving with your changing needs. Functional accents like side tables or benches can also be used to complement the main furniture in a room and to add personality and charm
By balancing form with function, you ensure that pieces not only look good but also serve their intended purpose.
Personalising With Accessories Additions
A house isn’t truly a home without that personal touch. Take a look around at some of your favourite items. Do you have a book collection that you’re dying to display? Perhaps your passion is candle-making in your free time. Personal items can also be used to tell a story, showing off mementos that you’ve collected over the years and reflecting your individual taste and style.
Room by Room Ideas
Here’s a few ways to personalise each room of the home using decor accessories:
- Living Room: Filling bookshelves with your favourite novels, lining shelves with souvenirs or creating a gallery wall made up of photos from your travels.
- Bedroom: Personalised bedding in your favourite colour or pattern, keeping framed photos by your bedside and hanging up inspiring artwork and photography.
- Study: Decorating your desk with personalised stationery and other accessories, creating a custom calendar and hanging up a photo clip string filled with precious memories.
- Kitchen: Opting for small appliances in bold colours, laying out dinnerware in bold patterns or displaying unique crockery and utensils in a cabinet or on the wall.
- Bathroom: Fitting tapware in bold finishes, creating an earthy vibe with scented candles or putting out towels in your favourite patterns or tones.
Arranging for Impact
Make a strong statement about your personal style by arranging decor accessories in a way that will enhance their overall look and feel.
Create a stylish sense of symmetry by arranging items according to colour and theme. This works especially well for books, making a strong artistic statement. You can also create an eye-catching contrast by pairing items in other textures, eg. a rattan basket or spiky plant with a smooth patterned vase.
Group together items of different shapes and sizes, particularly when it comes to candles and ceramics. Start with the tallest and work your way down, placing the smallest objects at the front to create layers for your arrangement while increasing its visual weight.
Conclusion: Make Your House a Home
Designing your home to reflect your needs is an ongoing process that should be fun and rewarding, giving you an opportunity to experiment with your personal style.
Before giving your home a refresh, set a realistic budget and evaluate existing decor. Consider the overall ambience of your home and take the time to explore different design elements, including furniture, flooring and colour schemes. Also try to create an emotional connection through personalised accessories, making your home feel warm and inviting. Because in the end, it’s the little things that make a house truly feel like a home!