Want a home that lives up to the picture perfect images you see in magazines like well, this one? Then we have, I’m afraid, a wake-up call: you can’t, at least not consistently. But you can get close. The secret’s in the styling, the fun stuff you do in the last week of a project, or when prepping for a sale. Here’s how…
By Kirsty Lake
Interior styling isn’t quite the same thing as interior design, but the Venn diagrams certainly overlap – and everyone gets confused between them anyway. The big difference, of course, is that what I do as an interior designer is permanent – or semi-permanent. It’s certainly designed to last. Styling, however, is transitory, here for a day or a week or a season; if you think of it in terms of fashion, I make the clothes, then the stylist pairs them with models or hairstyles or makeup or accessories to have them look their very best. In the home, styling lies in the finishing touches; those additions and rejigs that brings a room alive. It is, you could say, the fun stuff.
Here at The Curator’s House life’s been following a common mid-winter path: we’ve been tidying up last year’s projects, and working on the first stages of this year’s. And so, as we wrap up a few large installs, we’re now (finally!) getting to the styling phase, after all those long months of CAD work, procurement, endless deliveries to be taken in and so much packaging to be got rid of… But hurrah, the rooms are now pretty much complete; just a little soulless, maybe. After all, nobody’s actually living there yet. With one last layer added, however – all those plants, pictures, accessories and books – each scheme will finally tie together. The result? A home, not a series of hotel rooms.
Some clients, of course, have a wealth of interesting pieces they’ve collected over the years, telling of travels and hobbies, work achievements and family stories; if so, great – they’re an excellent place to start. Others, however, have very little of that, providing a completely blank canvas for us to curate. We use texture, colour, form and light to bring everything to life, alongside a series of hand picked pieces to make your eye travel around the room; the idea is not to dominate, but rather to create small vignettes and areas of interest. These accessories should act together as a collective, creating a look and feel that complements the furniture. Much of this is common sense, really. Rattan boxes will rarely work in a sleek, high gloss space; equally, gleaming polished metal trinkets and cut crystal may not sit comfortably in a cosy cottage aesthetic. Though, of course, never say never: some rules can be pushed and pulled at more than others – and I’ve yet to meet one that can’t be broken entirely, if you’re brave, bold and lucky. (Having been born with supreme, ground-breaking good taste helps here too, of course!) The rule, then, is that there are no strict rules – but there are wise things to bear in mind.
As with clothing accessories, don’t add too much: less is often more, and as you minimise how much clutter there is in each space, individual elements start to have room to breathe. Sculptural pieces add a high-end hint of luxury; the more unique they are, the more likely they’ll become a talking point. So give them space, and give them light. This can easily be forgotten, but one of my mantras is: if you’ve invested in a piece you love, light it well. Styling isn’t just for the days before you move in, of course – or for those rare occasions when you’re trying to sell a house. Indeed, if you’ve lived in your property a long time, it may be the perfect moment for a reshuffle, just to freshen everything up and perhaps help you fall in love with your home all over again. Move that vase that’s been in the bedroom for years across to the lounge; switch the plants around; make a new space for books in the dining room or hallway. Just jiggle things about, without necessarily buying any additional items, until it all starts to feel fresh and new again. To find out a little more about styling, I had a chat with top Bristol based home stylist Hollie Kingston, which you’ll find below…
Hollie has a background in textile design, show homes and visual merchandising, and works with clients from Pukka Herbs to Fujifilm; these days she combines her art direction and styling services with developing Formé, her range of art pieces for the home – key pieces include desktop mobiles in soft shapes and muted colours.
So, you’re styling a property, Hollie. What are the first things you do? I really get to know who the space is for. Does it need to lend itself to a wide demographic, or can it be more personal and specific? I tend to look at lighting early on, too; I’m really drawn to spaces with lots of natural light and so, on a personal level, it’s often the first thing I notice. If there isn’t a huge amount of light coming in, I’ll focus on how I can best illuminate the space, using mirrors to reflect where light is limited and otherwise create warmth. This can be as simple as introducing plenty of soft furnishings where it might feel overly bright or stark.
Who instructs you to style a property,
and why? My background is mainly in styling homes to make them ready for sale, having worked in-house styling show homes for several years. But I love seeing spaces that are loved and lived in by clients too, so it’s not just ‘home staging’, as we call it.
Once you get going, what does the process look like? After getting a clear picture of my clients’ needs and budget, I generally start by creating a mood board of images and key pieces to source for the space, including lighting, artwork, soft furnishings and accessories. I start by highlighting the main function of the room, pick the key features to use as the focal point, and work from there. As I’m very conscious of the impact my work has on environmental consumption, I try to incorporate a range of old and new pieces where possible. Houseplants have become such a key feature in all our homes, and I rarely do a scheme where there isn’t some greenery – as it quite literally brings life into a home. Real plants are preferable but, where needed, a good supplier of artificial foliage can be a game changer. (There’s so much poor quality stuff out there that needs swerving.)
How would styling an interior for living in differ to styling it for a photoshoot? When styling for a lived-in space, it’s important to prioritise functionality and longevity as well as aesthetics. Styling for a photoshoot, you think less about how that space might be lived in. So there’s little need for durability in the fabrics and soft furnishings, for example – the focus will be purely on creating the most visual impact. After styling show homes for years, it took some adjustment to work on editorials for magazines, where the space is only ever seen on the page. In some ways this can be easier, of course, as you don’t need to consider the natural flow of the room and can focus purely on creating the best composition for an image. And you have skilled photographers on hand, who know how to work magic with lighting themselves, completely transforming the outcome.?
Our homes, and the ways we use them, are changing: has this impacted on what you do? Styling a property can really highlight the multiple functions of a room, particularly where space is limited. We are now using our homes as workspaces more and more, and making extensive improvements more often than we’re upsizing – and this often involves really maximising the space, and highlighting the potential that’s already there. Yes, it’s often about increasing a home’s value, but what I do is becoming more than that – though, of course, I still meet most of my new clients when they’re selling their house, a time when styling services become key.
Finally, what tips would you give to someone looking to style their property for sale? I would say: declutter! It sounds obvious, but it’s by far the easiest and most cost effective thing you can do when hoping to sell your property, so it’s still the best place to start. Remarkably, though, it often gets overlooked. When you’re buying a home, you’re looking at the overall space – so that’s exactly what you need to see. Our homes are often deeply personal (as they should be), but that means they’re full of stuff. Clearing the clutter from the kitchen and bathroom surfaces, coffee table, windows and shelves – and leaving just a few larger pieces in the living area, like a fruit bowl, books, a plant or a vase – can make a huge difference, and allows potential buyers to see themselves in the space that much easier.
THREE’S COMPANY A trio of top tips for styling your home…
1. Use a tray
This is a great way to cut down on visual clutter, while grounding your decor at the same time. And it works in the same way that a picture looks best in a frame: you put a tray (or basket, or bin) on a table, say, then place items within it. On a coffee table, for instance, one tray might hold candles, reading glasses and remotes, and another books and magazines. In the kitchen, a tray by the hob might contain oils, spices and wooden spoons, and another by the sink house all your soaps and sponges.
2. Create visual triangles
This really comes into its own when taking photographs of a room, but works amazingly in ‘real life’ too. It’s basically a way of grouping items so they relate to each other and hang together in a pleasing fashion, creating a frame of sorts and leading the eye around a space. Staggered heights and differing sizes work best, as does overlapping and odd numbers: group items in threes, or fives. (After all, most of your furniture is four-sided and at least a little boxy, so simple triangle shapes can add variety.)
3. Asymmetry is your friend
It’s also a great pal to the rule of triangles, above. By playing with shape, scale, height, even texture, a room starts to sing. So: a large sofa looks great alongside a smaller, off-centre chair; one big picture works well opposite several little ones with a similar combined visual weight; a small bright red item can balance out a much larger taupe one. Balance creates harmony, yes – but it doesn’t mean everything has to look the same on both sides of the room.
Image Credits: See published article
Magazine Published by Media Clash, Bristol Life
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