Tips to create a home that reflects your own style

When it comes to designing our homes, it’s easy to get caught up in the millions of images of décor inspiration that are available to us and lose sight of what our own sense of style really is.

We live in an internet obsessed world where there are so many resources to inspire our creative side. Looking through home magazines and browsing images on Pinterest, Instagram and interior design blogs can assist greatly when inspiring and determining the foundation of your style.

Creating a folder or inspiration board of images that you like is a great place to start, however keep in mind you don’t need to duplicate something out of a magazine or website to create a beautiful home – your own style is what will make your home beautiful.

There are some great online tools out there to inspire you and design rooms that reflect your style. Pinterest for instance is a great staring point for ideas, and with Design It Yourself – a new app for home decorating – you can recreate and redecorate your rooms on screen as many times as you like, saving your favourite items to a shopping list to revisit later.

Design it Yourself Founding Director Carli Harrison talks about how to create a home that reflects your own personality.

‘Decorating your home is a very intimate and individual process. Home is the place you go to relax and recharge and it should reflect your personality entirely. Your interests, hobbies and particular tastes should weave their way through your space,’ Carli says.

‘It doesn’t have to be blatantly obvious that you’re crazy about cats or that pink is your favourite colour. Add some subtle touches that are a reflection of you – remember there’s always room for things that make you smile’.

So where do you start? Here are Carli’s top tips on how to infuse your home with personality and individuality when it comes to styling.

Get serious about furniture

Carli recommends having a ‘key piece’ of furniture to work with, ‘this has been fundamental for me when renovating my own homes. If you find one piece that you’re instinctively drawn to then you can build your room around it – it’s surprising how quickly your style can emerge and evolve from that one item’.

‘I also find furniture without a purpose or function is unnecessary and just a waste of space. You should always think about practicality and functionality with your main items. In contrast to this, styling and soft furnishings don’t always have to have a purpose so you can unleash your creativity there’, Carli suggests.

Focus on layouts and architecture

‘One way to make sure key pieces of furniture are more personalised and stylish is to be realistic about the space you’ve got and where they’ll fit in. That means deciding on the best layout so that the room is functional and the space has effortless flow’, Carli says.

‘Make sure you think about how your furniture will match up with your existing space and pieces and how you can beautifully contrast and enhance the best features and architecture of the room – furniture can change the feel and scale of a space quite dramatically’, Carli advises.

Add eye catching art that steals the show

‘You might not know much about art and that’s OK!’, Carli says. ‘From prints, photography or paintings, first and foremost you have to choose a print or piece of artwork that you love. It’s no good just buying a piece for the sake of having something on the walls. Art is such a personal choice and you’ll have to look at it everyday so the only thing that matters is that you like it’.

Carli suggests, ‘once you’re more comfortable with your own style you might consider investing in ‘real’ art. Just remember that this is much more of a long term commitment and investment, and it’s all about the connection you make with a piece – it should make you feel something and have special meaning to you’.

Make small DIY changes

‘It might seem crazy to change or alter new or used items you’ve purchased, but if you’re really looking to add your own personal touch to your home, small DIY projects can truly give a zing of personality. From a stripe of colour to dip-dyed table legs, there are a lot of DIY options to brighten up pieces you have – and this is when Pinterest can really come to the rescue’, Carli says.

Overall, Carli believes there is no right or wrong when it comes to your own personal style, ‘You have to be self-interested – remember it’s YOUR home, trust your instincts. It doesn’t have to be ‘on trend’, if it appeals to you then that’s a good indication that it’s a part of your style’.

‘If you think about it, this is where you are going to spend your time, it’s your personal space, your safe haven where you’ll create life long memories. So do you want it to look fresh out of a glossy magazine with no relation to your own character, or do you want this to be a place that you feel most at home and that is in tune with you and your life?’.

Carli reminds us, ‘a home’s soul comes from the lives lived within it’.