Lighting is a vital element in any interior design. Capable of making a space feel larger and brighter or more intimate and atmospheric, lighting can transform a room and enhance its purpose. However, this isn’t the only reason why lighting is a critical principle in every project Shalini Misra undertakes.
The impact of lighting on health and wellbeing has been well-documented, yet many people continue to overlook the effects it can have. By understanding the connection between lighting and wellbeing, you can ensure that your interior design nurtures and uplifts you, as well as elevating the aesthetic and function of your surroundings.
How Does Lighting Affect Wellbeing?
Our bodies are designed to respond to light, with natural processes automatically responding to the lighting stimulus we’re exposed to. The circadian rhythm – or sleep/wake cycle – relies on periods of light and darkness to regulate itself. That’s why getting up early on a bright summer’s day can feel easier than waking up on a dark winter’s morning!
We need exposure to natural light to produce vitamin D, which is essential for optimal health, so it’s not surprising that our bodies are intrinsically linked and highly affected by lighting. Of course, we don’t rely solely on natural lighting now that we have artificial lights at our disposal, but this doesn’t minimise its impact. In fact, it highlights why lighting design is so important to our wellbeing and why we need to use it to maximise our health wherever possible.
Lighting Can Intensify Emotions
When the brightness, hue, or saturation of light is increased, it can amplify the emotions we’re already feeling. Conversely, decreasing brightness, hue, and saturation levels can lessen the intensity of emotions. Similarly, cool lights can increase alertness and make it easier to focus, while warm lighting boosts relaxation.
If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, for example, unwinding in a dimly lit room can be more helpful than trying to relax in a bright space.
The effect of lighting on mood should be a decisive factor when using lighting design to elevate a space. If you’re designing a home office and want to be productive, efficient, and decisive, for example, cool, bright lighting can be advantageous. On the other hand, if you’re creating a relaxing den or soothing living space, muted lighting and soft glow lamps can offer the comforting and restful atmosphere you’re looking for.
Using Human-centric Lighting Design
To ensure your lighting design enhances health and wellbeing, it’s useful to take a human-centric approach. Essentially, this means being aware of the role that lighting has on the body’s natural circadian rhythm and using interior lighting to support this natural sleep-wake cycle.
By assessing how you use your space, you’ll find that it’s easy to take a human-centric approach to lighting design. If you have an open plan living space, for example, you may want to incorporate a variety of different lighting options to ensure that the versatility of the room is reflected. With brighter lights available for more active times, such as playing or working, and warmer, softer lighting on hand for restful evenings and relaxation, you can make sure that lighting is easily adjusted throughout the day to reflect the body’s natural cycles.
Alternatively, if you spend your working hours in a study and evenings in a den, you can incorporate cool, bright lights in your office space and warmer lighting in the den and living room and use the lighting design to reflect the purpose of the space.
Use Technology to Maximise Lighting Design
Technology is a fantastic way to optimise your lighting design, particularly as lighting designers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact light has on health and wellbeing. Now, health-enhancing lights, like SAD lamps for seasonal affective disorder or short-wavelength ‘blue’ lights for increased focus, are aesthetically pleasing, as well as functional.
Furthermore, the style of the lighting you choose can create a magical atmosphere in any space. From striking chandeliers to chic spotlights and slimline floor lamps to chunky table lamps, there are an array of lighting options that can be used in any environment.
How to Layer Lighting
If you want to get the most of your lighting design, both in terms of wellbeing and visual impact, a layered approach is beneficial. This increases the functionality of a room and allows you to modify the lighting based on the time of day, your activities, and your mood.
In its most basic form, layered lighting involves using multiple lighting sources to create a balanced environment. Instead of relying solely on ceiling lights, for example, you may choose to complement ceiling lighting with recessed lighting, wall lights, table lamps, and floor lamps.
By featuring lights at different heights, you can maximise their impact and versatility. Floor lamps and tabletop lighting allow you to modify the atmosphere in a room instantly and are easy to change or update in accordance with your overall interior design.
Showcase Your Interior with Lighting
As well as using lighting as a core element of your interior design, it can also be used to showcase particular aspects of the design or the interior as a whole. If you have statement pieces in a room, for example, be sure to use the right lighting to showcase them for maximum impact. Whether you want to draw attention to a stunning piece of art on the wall or a beloved sculpture in the hallway, discreet yet impactful lighting can be a subtle and effective way to highlight the aspects of your interior design that you enjoy the most.
Create Spaces That Maximise Wellness
Now you have had a glimpse into the integral role that lighting plays in any interior design, you’ll be able to incorporate lighting design into your own interiors more effectively. With a human-centric approach, you can maximise the critical role that lighting has on health and use it to optimise well-being – as well as using it to enhance the visual impact and aesthetic of your interior design.
With Christmas fast approaching, you’ll want to make sure that you’re all set for the holidays. Whether you are wrapping presents, preparing for visitors, or planning to relax and unwind over the festive season, decorating your home can transform your environment and give the space a seasonal feel.
To get a head-start on your festive interior design updates, take a look at these top tips to decorate for the Christmas period:
1. Make Fireplaces a Priority
If there’s one feature that’s perfect for festive decorations, it is a fireplace. Wherever fireplaces are situated in your home, be sure to make the most of them at Christmas. Whether you favour a traditional design or a more contemporary twist on Christmas, fireplaces are one of the easiest features to transform.
Remember – less can be more when you’re dressing a fireplace, particularly if you plan on lighting the fire over Christmastime! Strategically placed stockings, candle holders to add height to the mantlepiece, or discreet twinkling lights can be just as effective as larger decorations.
2. Design Your Centrepieces
For many people, sitting down for Christmas dinner with family and friends is the highlight of the festive period. If you’re hosting a series of events before the big day, it’s even more important to get the centrepieces right. Centrepieces can act as a link between the aesthetic of the interior design and the tablescape, so use them to maximise the overall impact of the space.
A festive garland can be a fantastic centrepiece on a rectangular dining table, particularly if you’re catering for numerous guests, while hanging pendants from a low light will create a stunning centrepiece and maximise table space.
3. Finalise Table Placements
Once your guest list is confirmed, you’ll be able to finalise your seating plans and create spectacular tablescapes. The right placements can be as simple as using chic runners and statement tableware but, at Christmastime, it’s the perfect opportunity to make things a little more special.
Patterned placements can complement your colour scheme and add frivolity to your festive dining table, for example, while coloured glasses and matching napkin rings turn any gathering into a sophisticated soiree.
4. Focus on the Entranceway
When people first arrive at your home, it’s the front door and surrounding area that will have the biggest impact, so don’t make the mistake of letting your festive decorations begin inside your home. Instead, use external décor to enhance your property and set the tone for your interior design. Hang a Christmas wreath on the door and add subtle lighting to illuminate your exterior design.
As guests step over the threshold, make sure there is a festive feel to greet them. Hallways can have a spectacular impact at any time, which makes them superb for special occasions. You may want to position a Nordic Fir dressed in baubles and lights in a large entranceway, for example, or run a lighted garland down the handrail of a statement staircase.
5. Embrace Nature at Christmastime
Incorporating nature into your interior design is an effective way to maximise wellbeing and give any space a lighter feel. When you embrace nature during the festive season, you’ll have the opportunity to incorporate a wide range of decorations and additions into your interior design. From pinecones and holly to magnolias and white roses, these natural elements can take pride of place in table centrepieces or be used to enhance the appearance of Christmas wreathes.
If you’re planning to have a natural tree this Christmas, keep an eye out for sparse or asymmetrical trees. These are on-trend this season and are an excellent way to maximise space and give your interior design a contemporary feel while reflecting the irregular shapes that are found in nature.
6. Combine Dark Hues with Metallic Shades
Metallics are always popular during the festive season and this year will be no different. From classic reds and golds to modern silver and cool chrome, you can add brightness when you incorporate metallic elements into your Christmas décor. In 2021, however, pairing darker hues with metallics is the way to go.
A deep French Rose pink combined with silver accessories can give your Christmas a vibrant feel, for example, while inky blues and gold add warmth and elegance. Combining darker shades with metallics makes it easy to incorporate your regular colour palette into your festive décor, so don’t be afraid to stray from the traditional and use new colour pairings this season.
7. Update Seating to Maximise Comfort
When you’re planning your Christmas events, don’t forget to increase the amount of seating available! If you’re hosting a large number of guests, you’ll want to ensure that you have sufficient space for everyone to relax comfortably. As well as adding extra chairs to your dining table, you may want to re-assess your living room or entertainment area and incorporate modular seating or stools to cater for your visitors.
8. Choose a Focal Point in Each Room
When you’re decorating your home for Christmas, select a particular feature or element as the focal point for each room. This will prevent you from cramming too much into a single space, but it will also encourage you to highlight the best features in each area. With more subtle décor throughout the rest of the room, you can be sure that a single focal point will capture everyone’s attention and showcase your design at its best.
Furthermore, selecting a focal point in each room will enable you to maximise space and avoid rooms from becoming overcrowded, which is especially important during the festive season, when you’re likely to have more guests in your home.
Preparing for the Festive Season
No matter how you plan to spend your time over the festive season, decorating for Christmas can always take longer than you expect! By beginning your preparations now, you can ensure your home is ready for everything the season brings. What’s more – you’ll give yourself a little extra time to relax, unwind and enjoy the festivities.
Throughout autumn and winter, you’ll want your living room to be a place of refuge from the cold temperatures and dark nights. Whether a cosy living room idea means curling up with a book, watching a movie with family, or entertaining friends, your living space should provide you with the comforting and relaxing environment you crave.
By updating your interior design in line with the seasons, you can ensure that your home is always on-trend. More importantly, keeping your interior design up-to-date means that your home is effortlessly functional at any time of year.
With this in mind, take a look at these seven ways to make your living room warm and cosy this season:
1. Use Rich, Deep Colours
A rich colour palette signifies warmth, which is why it’s perfect for autumn and winter. Teal, turquoise, burgundy, terracotta, camel, coffee, mustard, olive, and sage are all ideal hues for adding warmth. However, don’t be afraid to embrace more vibrant shades if you want to add a pop of colour to your living room. Salmon, blush, lilac, plum, burnt orange, navy, denim, aqua, and chartreuse can all work well when you want to add richness to your living space. Choose shades that have a warm undertone and you’ll be relaxing in a cosy, embracing living environment before you know it.
2. Use Metals to Add Shine
As the season gets colder and wetter, it’s not uncommon for things to feel a little dull. Fortunately, you don’t have to let this affect your surroundings when you use metals to add shine to the space. Copper, bronze, chrome, and stainless steel will all reflect the light well and add a sense of brightness to your living room.
From statement sculptures to metal light fixtures and furniture with metallic elements, there are plenty of ways to incorporate these materials into your living room design and add new depths to the space.
3. Add Rugs to Flooring
An area rug can be a fabulous (and easy!) way to transform any room and they work particularly well in larger spaces, such as living rooms. From a practical point of view, a rug will feel warm underfoot and keep you extra cosy when the colder temperatures set in, but that isn’t their only benefit.
Adding a rug to your living room is a great way to incorporate rich colours into the space without undertaking a full redecoration project. Similarly, you can use rugs to add new textures to your living room, which will instantly make it feel warmer and cosier.
If you’re going to use rugs to transform your living space, be sure to style them appropriately. Extending rugs under the furniture can make the space feel larger, for example, while layering area rugs can be an excellent way to make open plan spaces feel more intimate.
4. Update the Lighting
Lighting is a core element in any room and it’s particularly important at this time of year. In spring and summer, you might be able to rely on natural light to illuminate each room and make the space feel brighter. In autumn and winter, however, you’re going to need some reinforcements.
Layered lighting gives you the opportunity to increase the functionality of your living space, but it also means that you can use an array of fixtures and styles to achieve the desired design. A chic floor standing lamp in brushed bronze combines rich, earthy tones with metallic elements, for example. Alternatively, a dazzling chandelier will cast a soft illumination and add warmth to the room.
Aim to position lighting fixtures at different heights, so that you can create different lighting effects throughout the season. Combine ceiling lights with wall lights, standing lamps, and table lamps to maximise the effect and choose warm LED bulbs to create the right atmosphere.
5. Embrace Smooth, Soft Shapes
Rigid lines can feel a little formal, so steer clear of these if you want your living room to feel cosier. Instead, opt for soft, smooth shapes that invite you to sit down and relax. Comfortable seating is a must-have but look for armchairs, sofas and stools that feature curved backs or soft lines.
Similarly, use furniture that’s circular, oblong, or octagonal if you want to cast a softer feel in your living space. Alternatively, choose pieces that feature rounded edges to enjoy a more informal design this season.
6. Layer Textures Throughout the Room
The textures you use in any room have a big impact on how it looks and feels, so don’t hesitate to add more texture to your living room if you want to up the ante. From super-soft cashmere throws to natural wool blankets, silk cushions, or a velvet footstool, there are endless ways to incorporate more textures into your living space.
Not only will these soft fabrics ensure you avoid the chill throughout winter, but they’ll also create an aesthetic warmth and make the entire room feel cosier. With a combination of cushions, throw pillows, wraps, blankets and even wall hangings, you can add a range of warm textures to your living room quickly and easily.
7. Leave Room for Seasonal Décor
If you celebrate the holidays, make sure you factor this into your interior design plans! Whatever seasonal decorations you choose to adorn your home with, they need to complement your interior. Overlooking seasonal additions now will mean that the room feels overcrowded in weeks to come. By factoring in any extra accessories that you want to showcase later in the season, you can ensure that your living room is perfectly primed for the pinnacle of the holidays.
Transform Your Living Room with the Right Styling
You don’t always need to make major changes to totally transform how a space looks and feels. Re-styling the room and making a few small updates can have a bigger impact than you might think. With some strategic additions and some subtle changes, you can embrace autumn and winter and feel warmer and cosier than ever in your luxurious living room.
Interior design can enhance any space. From your kitchen or living room to an office or restaurant, interior design enables you to make the most of the environment and create an ambience and atmosphere that elevates the space.
Despite the benefits on offer, many people assume that using interior design is complicated or time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be! By understanding the basic principles that underpin interior design and identifying simple interior design styles, you can unleash your creativity and add your own unique aesthetic to any space.
Understanding Interior Design
There are seven core elements of every interior design style: form, space, line, colour, texture, light and pattern. When you’re designing a room, try to ensure that these elements are balanced.
You can use ‘positive space’ to position the furniture in a room, for example, and leave empty ‘negative space’ to avoid overcrowding. Similarly, horizontal lines, such as those created by a coffee table or area rug, can make a room feel wider, while vertical lines, like windows and doors, make the room feel taller.
As you can see, each element - and the elements as a whole - should be balanced, so that one does not overpower another. By keeping these core elements in mind when designing your own space, you can emulate virtually any interior design style.
Simple Styles for Your Home
To find an interior style design that complements your property, your lifestyle, and personality, take a look at the following easy-to-integrate styles:
Modern
A modern interior style is clean and crisp and evokes a sense of simplicity. Not only can a simple interior design style be used anywhere, but it’s also super adaptable and lends itself to any lifestyle.
People sometimes confuse modernity with minimalism, but you needn’t live in bare rooms when you embrace modern interior design. While modern interior design does favour clean lines and an absence of colour, there are plenty of opportunities to inject character into the space.
If you want to use modern interior design in your own home, choose a simple colour palette. Using just two colours with varying tones and shades adds depth to the design while remaining effortlessly on-trend.
When it comes to furniture and decorative accessories, balance softer textures and with metals and glass. These can feature as prominently as you choose but even subtle additions, such as a chrome tap, brushed steel door handle, or glass chandelier, can have a big impact on the space.
Industrial
Inspired by commercial spaces, industrial interior design incorporates raw elements and visible functionality. Perfect in living environments that have been converted from offices, warehouses, or lofts, an industrial interior design can be as cosy as you like with the right styling.
Exposed brickwork and wood are a great basis for an industrial interior but be careful of how much of the space is dominated by this. Choosing exposed brick for just one feature wall can be an effective way to use this feature without overpowering the room or knocking it off balance.
Reclaimed timber is another excellent material to use when you want to create an industrial interior, while slate flooring or tiles can work well too. When you use wood and metal in an industrial design, it’s important to balance these materials and colours, so look for ways to add lightness too. Displaying artwork, choosing vibrant accent colours, and incorporating soft textures can add a homely feel to your industrial interior design.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian design reflects the simplicity of life that’s celebrated in Nordic countries. With an understated feel, this style of interior design is perfect for capturing the concept of ‘hygge’. Also known as ‘cosy contentment’, you can use Scandinavian interior design when you favour natural materials, like form-pressed wood or wool, and use neutral colour palettes.
White, off-white, taupe, and tan are ideal base colours in a room inspired by Scandinavian design, but you can add pops of colour via accessories and textures. This interior design style favours functionality, so choose furniture that’s compact with clean lines, rather than overly ornate. Similarly, value the space that’s available and avoid cluttering the room. If possible, maximise the amount of natural light that flows into the space with trifold doors or voile blinds.
Traditional
If you prefer a classic interior design, then traditional styling might be just what you’re looking for. Here, you can surround yourself with decadent furniture, sumptuous fabrics, and decorative pieces that catch the eye.
A traditional interior design style often features wood flooring and/or furniture. You’ll notice intricate detailing on some pieces, so look out for furniture that’s hand-crafted or bespoke if you want to create your own traditional idyll.
When it comes to fabric, you can be as opulent as you like. Soft fabrics, like velvet, cashmere, and silk, will add balance to the heaviness of the wood and enhance any living space or bedroom. For colours, opt for rich palettes that add depth and warmth to the space, such as deep reds, navy blues, or forest greens.
Designing Your Own Space
Now you’ve got a glimpse of how simple interior design styles can be applied to any space, you should feel more confident incorporating them into your home. Whether you’re planning a total redesign or a straightforward redecoration, embracing a new interior design style can give your property a whole new feel.
When choosing an interior design style for your home, remember to complement the character of the property while selecting a design that you love. Unless you’re going to make significant changes to the architecture, it’s best to work with the features of your home, rather than against them. By doing so, you can ensure that the interior design style you choose is perfectly suited to the proportions and features of your home, which makes it infinitely easier to style.
At the same time, be sure to use an interior design style that reflects your personality and incorporates colours, patterns, and craftsmanship that you enjoy. When you do, you’ll find that your surroundings become a source of comfort, joy, and inspiration.
In any interior, the colour palette you choose has a significant impact on how the space feels and functions. From uplifting and motivating to relaxing and grounding, colours can have a transformative effect on people, as well as spaces.
Due to this, it’s essential to use colour to elevate your home and achieve an exquisite interior design. When you use external factors, such as the changing seasons, to influence your colour palette, it only serves to enhance the overall design and maximises the visual impact of the space. With this in mind, take a look at these fabulous autumn colours and discover four top tips that will enable you to transform your home:
Terracotta
Rich and versatile, this earthy tone can add warmth to the coldest of spaces. From soft furnishings and lighting to tiles and flooring, you’ll find a wide variety of options if you want to enrich your home with terracotta this season.
While terracotta ceramics offer a rustic feel, you can incorporate the colour into modern and contemporary styles too. Asymmetric pendant terracotta ceiling lights and bold, geometric terracotta prints are just two ways to put a modern spin on this classic colour.
Cerulean Blue
A soothing, calming colour with an ethereal feel, cerulean blue is the perfect choice for autumn. You’ll find cerulean shades ranging from azure and dark sky, so it’s easy to find the ideal hue for any space. With complementing bold shades, such as red, white, or yellow, you can create a vibrant and inviting space. Alternatively, if you want to achieve a minimalist feel, pair cerulean blue with other subtle pastel shades and enjoy an effortlessly elegant space.
Forest Green
There’s no doubt the forest green makes an impact, which is why it’s an excellent choice if you want to create a dramatic yet down to earth interior. At the time of year when trees are shedding their leaves, you can immerse yourself in natural, earthy shades when you use forest green to enrich and elevate your home.
Forest green works exceedingly well with metallic accents, such as copper, bronze, and gold. In addition to this, you can pair forest green with matt or gloss black to create a stunning autumn impact.
Slaked Lime
A neutral shade that offers warmth and depth, slaked lime looks fabulous when paired with even warmer hues. When used on walls or soft furnishings, you can combine cool sophistication with a seasonal atmosphere. Paired with mid-greys, midnight blues, or moss greens, slaked lime is an excellent addition to your autumn colour palette.
Top Interior Design Colour Tips
Now you’ve got some ideas to inspire you, you’ll want to know exactly how to get the most out of your interior design with the colour scheme you choose. Fortunately, these four top tips will ensure your autumn colour palette always delivers:
1. Create Flow Throughout the Property
While every room in your home might have a distinct character and interior design, you’ll want to ensure that there is a sense of ‘flow’ throughout the property. This ties the interior design together and creates a holistic and immersive feel.
A unifying colour base, along with consistent styling, is a sure-fire way to ensure that your interior design flows throughout the property. To achieve this look, consider your redesign as a whole, rather than focusing on one space at a time.
2. Ensure Rooms Work with One Another
When rooms work well with one another, it’s easy to ensure that your interior design flows throughout your home. However, making sure that rooms work as a set can also make your home feel larger and more spacious.
When you use drastically different designs from room to room, it creates division and distinction. Essentially, each room will feel very separate from one another. By choosing a cohesive colour palette and ensuring that rooms work well together, however, you can enjoy different yet complementary styling that unifies the home.
3. Don’t Shy Away from Dark Colours
Many people are wary of using dark colours in interior design because they assume that it will make the space feel smaller. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. With the right shade and styling, dark hues can look spectacular in rooms of any size, particularly at this time of year.
Furthermore, the accents you choose to pair with darker shades can bring them to life and give the room a lighter feel. Metallic accents or neutral shades can ‘lift’ darker colours and ensure that rooms feel as vibrant and welcoming.
4. Find Colours That Resonate with You
When you’re deciding which colours to use around your home, don’t rely solely on the latest trends or fashions. While emerging interior design trends can certainly be a fun way to keep your environment feeling fresh and up to date, your interior design should always meet your needs and match your preferred style.
Before you make a firm decision about which colours to use, use colour charts or tester paints to get a real feel of how the shade will affect you. As well as selecting hues that look spectacular in your home, it’s important to find colours that inspire, motivate, nurture, and relax you.
Immerse Yourself in Colour this Autumn
As a new season arrives, it’s always a good idea to take stock of your life and your home. By updating your interior design, you can welcome the new season and make subtle or drastic changes that will alter the atmosphere and ambience. Of course, savvy interior design updates can also increase the functionality of your home, particularly if you focus on hallways and entranceways as we get ready for colder, wetter weather!
From full-scale renovations and redecoration to accent updates and new textiles, there are endless ways to update your interior design. No matter how subtle or extensive the changes are, it’s the colours you use that will have the biggest impact. By using these four top tips, you’ll find it easy to select your ultimate autumn colour scheme.
Interior design can transform a property and turn a house into a home, but how can you use it to enhance your own environment? Whether you crave a radical change or you simply want to freshen up its style, there are savvy ways to elevate your interior design and create the home you’ve always dreamed of.
To get started, take a look at these home décor tips and ideas:
1. Make the Most of Entrances and Entryways
The entrance to your home is the first area that guests will experience and it’s somewhere you’ll pass through multiple times a day. Due to this, it should feature prominently in your interior design plans. After all, you only get one chance to make a first impression and the entryway of your home sets the tone for the entire interior.
Upon stepping over the threshold, you’ll want to feel welcomed and nurtured, so choose a colour palette that reflects this. Additionally, consider the functional aspect of the space and incorporate it into your interior design. With a stylish bench, for example, you can add seating and storage space to your hallway, while elevating its interior design too.
2. Ensure Windows are Well-Dressed
Windows are a focal point in any room, which means they should be styled appropriately at all times. In many spaces, large windows provide a spectacular view and allow natural sunlight to pour in, which is why they’re such a coveted feature. If you’re thinking about making changes to your property, replacing small windows with expansive or panoramic glass can be an excellent choice.
To maximise the flow of light, select window dressings which don’t detract from the view. Sheer, voile drapes can be a stylish way to ensure privacy while still retaining the functional and aesthetic benefits of large windows, for example.
3. Create a Sense of Separation in Open Plan Spaces
Open plan living can maximise the square footage of your home and increase versatility, which allows you to create a space that’s uniquely suited to your needs. However, large open plan spaces can lack character or atmosphere if they aren’t styled appropriately. By using designer tips for home decorating, you can add a sense of separation to open plan spaces.
Using different colours on the walls can segment spaces and identify the different functionalities of the space, for example. Similarly, using area rugs to compartmentalise different spaces will separate and distinguish them, without cutting them off from the rest of the environment.
4. Avoid Overcrowding Rooms
When you see must-have pieces or you fall in love with a decorative accessory, it can be hard to resist an impulse purchase. While regularly switching artwork or decorative pieces throughout your home can be a great way to keep the interior design feeling fresh, be wary of overcrowding rooms.
Cramming too much furniture into a space can make it feel smaller than it really is and may minimise the impact of statement pieces. In addition to this, not leaving enough space for people to walk around furniture or relax comfortably can affect the functionality of your home.
When you leave at least 45cm of space between each piece of furniture, you can ensure that rooms aren’t overcrowded and that every piece can be fully enjoyed.
5. Use Lighting Strategically
Lighting is an important element of interior design, both in terms of the fixtures you choose and the shade of light that illuminates the room. Cool light is best suited to functional areas, such as offices or kitchens, while soft, warm lighting works well in more relaxed spaces, like living areas and bedrooms.
When you use lighting strategically, you can increase the versatility of each space and modify the environment to create a suitable atmosphere at any time of the day or night. A mixture of ceiling lights, wall lights, and floor lamps allow you to layer the lighting for a variety of different effects, for example. Similarly, remote dimmer switches or app-controlled fixtures make it easy to change the ambience in a room in seconds.
6. Focus on Hallways, Corridors and Stairs
As people don’t tend to spend much time in hallways or corridors or on staircases, they’re often overlooked when it comes to décor. However, there are a variety of home décor tips and ideas that can help you to make the most of these essential spaces.
Using artwork and statement lighting, such as chandeliers or drop ceiling lights, adds a focal point in hallways and corridors, for example, and draws the eye upwards when placed alongside staircases. By incorporating these transitional spaces into your interior design, you can achieve flow and balance throughout the property. From cottage-core to contemporary elevator interior design, there are endless styles that can be adapted to suit any property.
7. Use the Rule of Three
When you’re styling a space, the ‘rule of three’ can be an effortless way to achieve a striking visual impact. Generally, grouping pieces in odd numbers makes them more appealing and interesting to the eye and three is the ideal number of cushions, vases, candles, and decorative accessories.
Whether you’re styling a sofa in your living room, creating a tablescape ahead of a dinner party, or dressing a bedside table in your bedroom, use the rule of three to display pieces to maximum effect. By eschewing symmetry, you can ensure that your styling is exciting and intriguing, no matter what part of your home you’re in.
Finding Your Interior Design Style
Working with the features and characteristics of your property, rather than against them, can help you to achieve the best results. However, designer tips for home decorating help you to identify the themes and styles that resonate most with you. This ensures that the end result will be pleasing to the eye but also uplifting, relaxing and functional. By using home décor tips and tricks as inspiration, you’ll find easy yet effective ways to elevate your interior design and enhance your home.
Modernist architecture evolved in the early 20th century but came to prominence in the UK between the 1930s and 1970s. Pioneered by Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, modernist houses emphasised functional design, with form taking a backseat in terms of design priorities. As such, asymmetrical compositions and linear elements are common features of modernist architecture and are routinely seen on homes built in this era.
Another important feature of modernist homes is the lack of decoration injected into the architecture itself. This architectural era favoured minimalism and functionality, rather than ornamental features, and this is reflected in both residential and commercial buildings.
If you live in a home built between 1930 and 1970, there’s a good chance that you’re residing in a ‘modern house’. By understanding the ethos behind the modernist architecture that shapes your living space, you can enhance the interior and showcase your property’s best features. With this in mind, take a look at these top tips on decorating modern houses:
1. Make the Most of Natural Light
Allowing natural light to flow into a building instantly illuminates the area and can add a feeling of warmth to a space. While many homeowners dream of having larger windows and more natural light, modernist homes are well-equipped to maximise the flow of light. In fact, designers often prioritised natural light during this era, which means you’re likely to have well-positioned windows that allow you to illuminate rooms with natural sunlight.
Of course, you’ll want to make the most of this aspect of the design. While the design elements used throughout the modernist period could lead to some interiors feeling cold or stark, the addition of natural light can make a home feel more welcoming and inviting.
When choosing window treatments, be sure to select options that won’t block or limit the amount of light that can flow into a room. Instead, opt for sheer blinds, voile curtains, or shutters that can be easily adjusted to make the most of this stunning natural feature.
2. Adjust the Layout
Given that architects were primarily focused on function when designing modernist homes, they aren’t always the biggest spaces. In fact, many properties built in this period are relatively compact. However, the modernist movement did favour open-plan spaces, which means there are typically plenty of opportunities to modify the layout to suit your needs.
If the property has since been updated, it should be relatively easy to remove non-supporting walls and return it to an open-plan layout. By doing so, you can maximise the space and find innovative ways to make your home feel larger than it really is.
Using decorative screens, like the Kam Ce Kam Divaar Timber and Cane Room Divider, to segment the space can be a fantastic way to create a multi-functional open-plan living space that suits your needs, for example.
When you embrace open plan living, you don’t just make the best use of the space that’s available; you also optimise flow throughout the property. This ensures your interior design carries through the property and connects each aspect of your home. By increasing connectivity and ensuring that each part of your home is well-integrated, you can transform how the space feels as a whole.
Credit: Kam Ce Kam Divaar Timber and Cane Room Divider
3. Reflect the Exterior with Interior Style
Choosing an interior style that complements the building’s architecture is always the most effective way to showcase a property at its best. When it comes to modernist homes, minimalist interiors are the ideal way to reflect the property’s functional aesthetic.
Architects routinely used modern materials to create buildings during this time period, so you may find that your home is endowed with reinforced concrete, steel frames, or ribbon windows. If you want to continue this theme, look for décor and styles that allow you to incorporate additional modern materials, such as metals, wood, and glass.
Inside modern homes, you’re likely to find clean lines and seemingly simple dimensions. Rooms are more likely to be uniform in shape and there will be a notable absence of decorative features, such as alcoves. To decorate modern homes in keeping with their original design, opt for minimalist styles and avoid unnecessary clutter.
The Lisola Sofa by Hommes Studio or the Kelly Dining Table by Laskasas are spectacular examples of minimalist-inspired pieces that can adorn a property and add home comforts without saturating a space.
Credit : Lisola Sofa by Hommes Studio
4. Add Character to the Space
Due to the emphasis of function over form in modernist architecture, many people find that modern homes seem to lack character. In reality, however, they’re a blank canvas that can be developed, decorated, and enhanced in any way you choose. By taking the opportunity to inject character into a modernist building, you can create a home that truly reflects your personality and lifestyle.
While minimalist styling and modernist architecture may not lend themselves to intricate décor or overly ornamental additions, there are ways to decorate your home, add character, and retain the property’s original design features.
Wall décor can inject warmth and character without adding clutter to your home, for example. The Forest Leaves Wall Décor by Studio Peascod is an excellent example of unobtrusive art that makes a big impact. What’s more – the use of Japanese washi papers, high carat gold leaf, glass, polychromes, and brass ensures that the materials featured are perfectly suited to a modern home.
In addition to this, incorporating a range of textures into your décor can add character to your home. From high-quality wool and silk rugs, like the Galena Hand Knotted Rug by Hands Carpets, to soft yarn in the Ambar Braided Throw by Ambar Living and the velvet, faux leather, and metal detailing of the Gaga II Cushion from the ACH Collection, there are endless ways to incorporate a multitude of textures into your décor.
Credit : Ambar Braided Throw by Ambar Living
Restyling a Modern Home
At first glance, modern homes can seem hard to decorate, particularly if you’re unsure how to make the most of the space. However, the principles that dominated modernist architecture provide you with a useful guideline to follow. By echoing the design of the building itself, you can showcase its best features and transform the interior into a home that reflects its origins, your personality, and your lifestyle.
If you’re working from home, running a business, or simply advancing your career, a home office is essential. However, incorporating a workspace into your living environment needn’t have a negative impact on your interior design. With the right pieces and styling, an office can be an integral element of your home and one that enhances the space.
To ensure you have a productive and luxurious space to work from, take a look at these top tips and get all the home office inspiration you need to update your work space and transform your professional life:
1. Choose Minimalist Furniture to Maximise Space
If you want to create a home office while making a particular room or space, feel larger, select minimalist furniture. This will provide the functionality you need and complement any style of room, without overpowering the space. You don’t have to use standard office furniture when you’re designing a personalised workspace at home. By thinking outside the box and using alternative seating, for example, you can move away from traditional office styling and establish a home office that’s more akin to the interior design you’ve chosen for your home.
The Bijou Seat by Scarlet Splendour is a perfect example of minimalist seating that can be used to enhance a home office environment. When paired with the Woman in Paris dressing table, you can even create a multi-purpose workspace that’s compact and chic. Ideal as a statement piece in a home office or as a workspace in a shared living space, you can ensure you have the resources you need without compromising on style.
Bijou Seat – Delightful and minimalist in every French style home office concept.
2. Spend Time Finding the Right Desk
Your desk is the powerhouse of your home office, so it’s worth taking the time to find the right piece. The nature of your work will determine the functionality you need and, therefore, the appropriate size. If you regularly use multiple screens, for example, you may require a larger desk that provides you with extra space for hardware. Alternatively, if you can work using just a laptop or tablet, a more compact desk might be suitable.
If you need a relatively large desk to make working from home easier, don’t assume that your office furniture needs to be aesthetically overpowering. On the contrary, a minimalist-inspired desk can provide you with the functionality and the visual impact you crave.
The Dara Desk by Laskasas is a stunning example of what you can achieve when you combine chic styling with luxury home office furniture. With a matte smoked old oak finish copper polished stainless-steel finish and sleek lines, the Dara Desk can enhance any home office environment without overcrowding the space. What’s more – its generous specifications ensure it maximises functionality and provides all the space you need to climb the career ladder while working from home.
Dara Desk offers a minimalist touch with the use of noble materials.
3. Make a Statement with Shelving
Incorporating a statement feature can bring any room to life and this is true for luxury home offices too. When you identify the space or area that you want to emphasise, you can determine how best to bring it to life and showcase its benefits. Of course, the purpose of a room or designated space must always be at the forefront of your mind when you’re designing an interior. In a home office, the need for storage space, resources, and inspiration should be a critical factor in determining how to use statement furniture.
Fortunately, shelving is the ideal solution for homeowners who want to integrate a professional office environment into their living space. With the potential to increase the functionality of the space and provide you with additional storage space, incorporating shelving into a home office can streamline your workflows and maximise productivity.
However, the benefits don’t stop there. When you add shelving to your home office, you can elevate the design of the space and unify the aesthetic. Whether you’re planning a contemporary home office, an industrial workstation, or a traditional workspace, the right shelving can bring the design together in an instant.
Praga bookshelf is a statement mid-century bookshelf for glamour lovers
4. Prioritise Office Lighting
Lighting has a significant impact on any space, so be sure to consider how to use fixtures and fittings in your home office to complement the interior design. Many people make the mistake of choosing lighting after a room has been designed or even decorated but this means you miss out on the opportunity to integrate lighting into your design. From bright and bold illumination to a warm glow, prioritising lighting at every stage of your interior design ensures it contributes to the room’s style, rather than detracting from it.
A statement ceiling light hanging atop your desk instantly elevates the space and transforms it into a hub of professional activity, for example. By choosing lighting that combines presence with softness, however, you can ensure that it strikes the right balance between work and home life. The custom-made Arcturus Pendant Light by Graypants highlights this perfectly and shows how easy it is to create a multi-purpose space at home that is well-suited to both professional and family life.
Arcturus Pendant White provides warm, intimate, and functional lighting for any occasion or space.
Designing a Luxury Home Office
With this range of home office inspiration, you’ve got a glimpse of how to design a stunning workspace that meets your needs while enhancing your living environment. While it can be tricky to combine home and work life, adding a new dimension to your home and updating its design to reflect the changes in your lifestyle will ensure it becomes a space that inspires and motivates you.
The transition towards more flexible working means that an increasing number of people want to create permanent workspaces in their homes, and with the right inspiration, you too can design a luxury home office that maximises space, elevates your interior, and optimises functionality.
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