Truth is we all want our home spaces to be beautiful and to truly reflect us and our personalities. But this is not always possible, especially thanks to shops like IKEA, your home could be anyone’s. But all hope is not lost, there are ways that you can still introduce some flavour and personality into your make space and make it uniquely yours!
Granted the pandemic made us realize the importance of having a safe and comforting sanctuary at home. Homes during the lockdowns became more than just a place to sleep, they became living spaces too. We had to find ways to creatively entertain, work, rest and cook within our homes without feeling overwhelmed. Thus more than ever it is important that our homes are comfortable and able to cater for our needs.
I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear me say the following – forget all the interior design principles I always talk about. Personalizing is about adding things unique to you and you alone. Below I will share a few ideas that you might find useful in adding your personality, taste and style into your home so that it becomes your beautiful cocoon from the world.
1.Add pictures
Displaying pictures of you and your loved ones of your valuable memories is an easy way to make your home look and feel unique to you. To even take this a notch higher, you can use personalized frames to nail this point. An easy way to find unique picture frames is by going thrifting. Look out for odd-shaped, interesting coloured frames as they make for the most unique find which is one of kind.
When hanging your photos be sure to do it tastefully. Rather than cluttering the space, remember that often less is more. If you love a gallery wall, a good option to do is to look for one piece that you love which is oversized, and use 2 or three other pictures to anchor it.
2. Change hardware
If you have a piece of furniture that you think looks dated, try swapping out the hardware and you might just be pleasantly surprised. I love this option because it’s one of the easiest and more renter-friendly ways to upgrade the hardware of your furniture and space. If it fits your interior style, a nice idea would be to switch out your hardware with something funky, unusual or quirky.
Other types of hardware that you can replace are your door handles and taps. If you have knob-style door handles, a lever-type would be better since it is more ergonomic and helpful when you are carrying heavy groceries. Instead of staying with a traditional metal like gold, you can switch things up by using rose gold or even a ceramic finish.
- Add plants
Nature in any space is always a plus. This is because it gives a relaxing and calming feeling and is great to express that indoor-outdoor living which is so famous these days. Plants also have a personality and you can use them to accentuate your home. If you love a contemporary style, think of a large plant with huge leaves topped off by a neutral pot. In a maximalist space, pick a bushier plant with loads of leaves which is colourful. In an elegant glam home, an orchid would work best.
Remember that the pot that you choose for your plant is also an opportunity for you to add personality and character.
- Colored Doors
If you’ve ever been to Capetown or Paris, you’ll agree with me that the coloured doors that some houses have are quite charming. A can of paint will immediately give a dated door a fresh take on life. And even more so if you add a popping colour. Choose a colour of your choice that will add character to your home. Colourful doors are usually exterior doors, but if you feel brave you can go ahead and do that for interior doors as well.
For a rental-friendly option, you can use contact paper instead of paint. The contact paper will be easy to remove without spoiling the door. But be sure to patch test overnight before going for the big kill.
- Art
Art by its nature is very personal. Art evokes different emotions in people. So why not take this as a chance to display some of your favourite pieces of art. To make sure everything looks cohesive remember that your art should have at least one colour that is also contained in your interior design colour palette. Remember to hang the art correctly at eye level so that anyone can enjoy it whilst standing.
A great tip here is to hang a mirror opposite an art piece, this gives you the possibility of enjoying the art piece from two views and angles.
- Collections
If you’re a collector of something, why not use your collection as part of your deco? All you have to do is think of a clever way to display your collection. Of course, if you have 1000 stamps, for example, you don’t have to display all of them. Rather you can choose to display only a few of the collection in some stylish frames on a wall.
A good collection to display is vinyl records, trust me this will be a great conversation starter when you have guests over. They will be curious to know which music is part of your collection. It also works great if you have a midcentury-retro vibe as it fits perfectly with that interior style.
- Other general items
Besides actual collections, you can display some personal items as décor items. In the kitchen, you can hang your wooden boards on a wall if you have a lot of them. Be sure to keep them in good condition though by oiling them constantly. Guitars are also good deco accessories. You can choose to hang them from the wall or sit them in their stands along a wall. Another option to hang is hats. These will look great in a Boho bedroom above the bed. To make it aesthetically pleasing, group the items in groups of threes or odd numbers.
- Scents
Don’t forget that interior design is about creating emotions and sensations. You can create this by using visual, tactile and olfactory stimuli. Scents and smells are one of the biggest stimuli to people. It is often overlooked but you can place pleasant scents into your design. Particular scents are convenient to help people link a place with a memory. If memories are linked with scents, they become stronger. Scents also affect people’s moods so be sure to use the right scent in the right room.
Fresh and clean in kitchens – you could go for a classic citrus scent like Lemon, or you could add a twist with Grapefruit or Mandarin, which balances the citrus tang with a hint of sweetness. Relaxing and warm – bathroom and bedroom use lavender. Match scent to the season like Christmas or summer.
You can do this by using diffusers, candles, and essential oils.
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