7 important elements of styling
I think we can all agree that the final touches to any space are what give it character. While the furniture is obviously functional, a fully furnished room with no accessories is nowhere near complete. Here are a few tips to styling a space to give it a fully layered and complete look.
You always need pillows. Vary sizes, colors, patterns, and materials to get a curated feel. I am not a huge fan of matchy matchy. I love vintage textiles, linen, mud cloth, boucle, or florals and stripes personally, but you choose what’s right in your home! I always use down inserts and size up for a full look. ie. 22x22 insert inside a 20x20 cover. It never fails.
Books are your best friend. Coffee table books are the perfect way to add height and sometimes depth to your styling. Stack books on top of each other alone, pair stacked books side by side, or play around with accessories on top of books. They don’t just have to be for decoration either. I often times pull out a book and peruse the pages for inspiration in my home.
Vases, objects, and bowls are my fav. I have slowly stopped purchasing accessories from big retailers and started collecting pieces from small shops, thrift stores, and flea markets. I think it creates the perfect collected look and prevents my home from looking just like everyone else’s. The goal is to find pieces in different heights, materials, and colors and pair things in groups of 2-3. This could be a large vase next to a bowl, candlesticks and coasters on a book, or a piece of art layered behind a vase. Anything goes!
Art is a must. Art is one thing I have found to be super tricky because taste is so subjective and personal. I love figurative paintings or prints of things like fruit and some people think that’s bizarre. To each their own. Just find what you love and try to incorporate a blend of paintings, framed art, canvases, etc to mix your media types. I love combining affordable art prints with original pieces because art can be pricey! Nothing makes a statement quite like a gallery wall and it shows a great deal of your personality through the art you’ve collected.
Plants are always a good idea. If you have a green thumb, congratulations and I envy you! You should use all the beautiful real plants you can. From ficus and olive trees in your main living areas or bedroom, to snake plants in the bathroom, to small greenery in your built-ins or kitchen. It brings life to the space quite literally and gives a cozy indoor outdoor living vibe. If you cannot keep real plants alive, there are so many great faux options these days. Plant some of these bad boys in a gorgeous pot and top it off with some moss and they will never know!
Rugs work anywhere. Contrary to what some people believe, I think rugs on carpet are still a must. Rugs ground your space, allowing all of your furniture a place to come together. It adds, color, texture, and dimension to the space and also protects your floors with a nice rug pad underneath on wood or tile. Never underestimate the power of a good rug!
Window treatments are last but certainly not least. I cannot stress the importance of window treatments enough. They are both functional and beautiful and soften up your space. There are a wide array of options from soft sheers for looks, to roman shades in your bedrooms, to drapery for a big statement, and maybe even cafe curtains in your bath or kitchen. Gone are the days we just slap on some shutters. This is the ultimate way to elevate your space, other than paint or lighting of course. It is also a great way to add height to a room by drawing your eye upward in a room. Always mount your curtain rods higher than you think, at least 8-12 inches above your window if possible.
I hope these tips are helpful in guiding some styling decisions you face in the future. You can make small changes that have a large impact in the way your home looks and feels. Find pieces that are unique and bring you joy and look for ways to incorporate them into your home for a curated finished product!