Sometimes it doesn't matter how you do, the space you live in just doesn't quite fit your needs, it feels flat, cumbersome and instead of making you feel good, it just adds to your stress levels and wears you out.
Your home shouldn’t make you feel like this, and if it does, it's not always about what you buy, but how you're using what you have.
If this feels close to home, or you just need to think outside of the box to make your home feel good and just “work”, read on.
How Do You Use The Space?
Your first stop before you buy anything else should be to assess how you actually use the space. Its not about showhome living, it's about comfort, practicality, and a space that delivers what you need. If you're not aiming for this, this is why things ought to feel right, no matter what you do.
Where do you go when you arrive home? Where do your coats and shoes go? Where does light flood through windows, if at all? How do you get from room to room? What do you come across as you move around?
Work with your home and your lifestyle to make changes that make sense. It's about more than investing in new pieces; it's about making changes to make your home accommodate your life, not just to look good.
Let One Thing Lead
The last thing you want is to have multiple items fighting for attention, this won't work for anyone. Instead, you need to pick one thing per room or space that screams “hey look at me” and let the other things complement it.
It could be your windows, a fireplace, or even your flooring. A bespoke sofa—made to your exact measurements to fit the room better and styled to meet your taste—works well for this concept as not only will it be comfortable to use, but it will also hold attention by simply existing within the room. Custom pieces and original features work too because they fit the room, not the other way around.
Mix and Match
The perfect setup might look good on the pages of a magazine, but in real life, it can feel somewhat flat. You want a more lived-in feel, you want to mix and match textures, contrast the hard with the soft, different eras with each other, modern with vintage. There's perfection in friction that just brings things together, pairing things that on paper shouldn't work, but in real life, they remove the boring from your room and allow you to cultivate a style that breathes so you can fully relax and enjoy it, not be afraid to use it for fear of ruining the look.
Update Existing Items
You don't need to buy brand new - simply updating what you already own can work wonders. Add new paint to the walls, reupholster that armchair, and stain your wooden features in a new shade. All viable upgrades that deliver precisely what you want without throwing everything out and starting all over again