Imagine you could face some of life’s big decisions with the guidance and advice from someone who’s already gone through it. From someone who has learned what’s best, and what to avoid. Well, now you can!
Our podcast, Life’s Journeys, brings together the experienced and the newbie; the expert and those looking for guidance for the important choices in life.
In episode three of this series, we have interior stylist and colour consultant Sarah Twig Doyle sitting down with first-time buyer Shannon to talk all things interiors.
Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Here are the five top tips Sarah had to share;
- Take your time
Before you dive right in to styling your home, take the time to figure out what exactly it is you want from your space—whether it be someplace relaxing and cosy, or bright, airy and modern. Not rushing into anything straight off the bat is a good way to avoid making commitments to colours or furniture you may end up regretting. Search online to find inspiration and try and figure out what style you’d like to emulate before you go on a shopping spree!
For inspiration on styling your space, and ways you can welcome some Zen - check out our six tips for bringing Feng Shui to your home! - Make small spaces feel bigger
To make your home look bigger make sure to decide on a colour scheme for certain areas of your home, such as the downstairs, and stick to it. Variations of your chosen palette can be used but having a strong colour scheme will help create synergy in your home and make smaller spaces flow into each other, creating the illusion of more room. Another trick Sarah advises is to use the same flooring throughout the rooms to bring them together.
When it comes to maximising smaller spaces, light plays a huge part. If your home has a good energy rating, meaning you have good windows that keep the heat in, Sarah advises you swap out heavy curtains for lighter blinds to allow more light to come through and to leave more space. There are plenty more ways to make your home feel bigger. - Mixing styles
Don’t be afraid to mix styles in your home, for instance mid-century and modern. If you keep all your furniture and décor within complimentary colours, it matters less if the styles and eras are mix and match. The main thing is if you love a piece of furniture but fear it doesn’t match the Scandinavian style throughout the rest of your home—it doesn’t matter. If you really want it, keep it. Just find an area where the colours around the item are complimentary. - Choosing the right colours
When it comes to colour, there’s much debate, but Sarah’s expert advice is that there are no rules! Not everything has to match, however, if you have neutral walls, you can add in accent colours through blankets, cushions and rugs. Colder coloured rooms can be accentuated with warmer tones such as mustard, rose and rust. Equally, warm rooms can come together nicely using cold accents such as blues and greys.
Choose colours that match the function of the room in question. Maybe you want a restful beige in your bedroom, or a lively orange in your kitchen where your family spend most of their time hanging out.
Consider bringing the season’s latest colours in through your accessories, which can always be sold second-hand or donated to charity shops if you get tired of them. Check out these top five interior design trends for 2020 for some inspiration! - Feature walls do’s and don’ts
Deciding on a darker feature wall can seem like a risky move if your space is quite small. Sarah’s advice if you choose a darker colour is to avoid putting it on your window walls—keep these white or off-white. This will allow your light source to shine and keep the room from feeling too dark, or overwhelming. This is a good compromise if you’re going for a dark feature wall in your home.
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