More than anything else, your home needs to reflect who you are and to tell your story. After all, it’s your personal space – an extension of you. An interior designer can do a lot of the hard work but it’s the treasures you add over time – how a space evolves organically – that will personalise your space and turn it into your home.
Start by thinking about what makes you tick. You can ask yourself a few simple questions:
- What do you value most in life?
- How do you feel joyful and inspired?
- Is there a kind of space that makes you feel relaxed and happy?
Whatever the answers, connecting with the things you love is the perfect inspiration for creating your happy place.
Once you’ve got your answers, turn your thoughts into a vision board. Include anything that makes you feel good – photos, items, colours, textures. You can go old-school with a pin board, photos and clippings or create a digital collection for inspiration. You can refer to my article on Planning Your Space to get more mood board ideas.
Now it’s time to find those special pieces that will capture the essence of you. In my experience, you’ll already have many pieces that you can work with hidden away. I only have two rules when it comes to personalising your home.
RULE 1 | ONLY DISPLAY ITEMS YOU LOVE
Only display items you love, is the first step to create a home with personality. Forget trends and focus on pieces that bring you joy. Your unique pieces will add little pops of personality to create something unexpected and individual.
Surround yourself with eclectic things that make you happy! It could be a gorgeous shell collected on your favourite beach or a wooden bowl discovered on your travels. An accent cushion you found and just had to have, books you have read and loved, photos to reminisce, a beautiful orchid – just because. The best part – if it is something you love, old or new, it will never go out of style.
RULE 2 | DISPLAY ITEMS THAT HAVE MEANING TO YOU
Using items that have significance to you is a simple way to customize your home. Maybe you have some awesome books you’d like to showcase, or your Nana’s cross stitch you can hang. Incorporating items that make you feel warm and fuzzy, will remind you of special times and make you feel good.
I like to collect a memento when we travel, so our home is dotted with reminders of those special times. We have also incorporated family heirlooms and vintage pieces that we were drawn too, along with other modern pieces and they both co-exist beautifully together. This stops your home looking sterile, generic and overly matching. It instantly adds character, personality, warmth and interest.
Keep adding to your scheme but striving to maintain the original feel you love and be careful not to confuse ‘personalising’ with clutter.
This bedroom is a great example of personalisation. The beside tables are Chinese antique side tables that we’ve had for years. These combine with a brass pinned, linen bed head and leather bed end stool. The room also features a bone inlay sideboard from India, along with a retro pendant lamp. Although the space is predominantly white, pressed metal panels above the wall shelf add texture and interest. The natural colour scheme with luxurious textures, ties everything together.
Six of my favourite creative (and easy) ways to put your own personal stamp on your home:
1 | PERSONALISE YOUR HOME WITH YOUR OWN FEATURE WALL
There’s no better way to feel happy and inspired in a space than to fill your walls with things that bring you joy. Displaying photos, prints, art and hanging items that tell your story is a wonderful way to personalise your space. When it comes to creating an impactful feature wall, mix it up but have a theme to add cohesion. You can read more about how to create the perfect gallery wall here.
2 | PERSONALISE YOUR HOME WITH BOOKS
Books are an easy, inexpensive and colourful way to add a personal touch to any space. Choose titles you love, books that have meaning to you or covers that co-ordinate beautifully and they will instantly give your room more character and charm. You can read more on how to style the perfect coffee table here.
3 | PERSONALISE WITH NATURE
If you feel happy and relaxed in nature, plants will add colour, texture, movement, fresh air, scent and a jolt of feel good into your space. It could be a large feature tree, a little pot of succulents, some herbs on your kitchen windowsill or a pretty vase of tropical leaves from your garden.
4 | PERSONALISE YOUR HOME BY STYLING YOUR ACCESSORIES
Accessories styled the right way add interest and personalise a your home, but lay them around haphazardly and they can make your space feel cluttered and messy. With a few tips, your furniture can be instantly transformed into a stunning focal point that expresses your unique style. Here are my 9 top tips to style the clutter you already own into stunning arrangements.
5 | PERSONALISE YOUR HOME BY CONSIDERING THE LITTLE DETAILS
Personalise more sterile areas of your home like kitchens and bathrooms with little details such as cupboard handles. New hardware can really improve the look of your cabinetry and compliment your personal style. From sleek stainless steel, to whimsical stone or boho leather pulls, there are so many options to choose from and each is as unique as you are.
6 | PERSONALISE YOUR HOME BY CUSTOMISING YOUR STORAGE
Get the right storage in the right place and daily life becomes infinitely simpler. Custom joinery ensures that everything has a place. That way your space will never feel cluttered and overwhelmed.
7 | PERSONALISE YOUR HOME BY UPING THE COMFORT FACTOR
My ideal ‘relaxation’ space is a resort. Yes, complete with butler and maid! Sadly, in reality I am the butler and maid but I do up the little luxuries that make me feel like I’m living in a resort – white cotton sheets, fluffy towels, deckchairs by the pool, scented hand soap, a comfortable throw for snuggling, scattered cushions for an unexpected nap or the soft flicker of a candle burning your favourite scent. It’s these little personal touches that make a house feel like your welcoming, cosy home.
So, let’s embrace the quirky details that make us so unique and keep our homes a true reflection of everything we are! Design is about more than just a beautiful space. Our homes are an extension of who we are – a place to showcase our unique story. It’s about crafting a space with character and individuality where you can express your values, share your stories, make memories and be yourself. A space to bring you joy. I’d love to hear how you personalise your home.
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