Your home is a reflection of you. It is your place to rest, recharge, and be your most authentic self. For a lot of us, this means creating a space that is filled to the brim with art, furniture, decor and knick-knacks that express something about ourselves, remind us of fond memories, or simply bing us joy by being aesthetically pleasing.
It can be a little daunting when deciding where to begin, or how to refine what you’ve already curated. In the list below, I’ve tried to collect some helpful tips and pointers to aid you in creating the eccentric, whimsical, maximalist home of your dreams <3
1. Deciding on Your Base
If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll have the option to decide on how to cover your walls – which can be impossible when you’re not even sure on the finished product yet!
There are more and more gorgeous wallpapers being printed every day, however, if you prefer to keep your options open, a simple antique cream, powder blue, pale sage, or dusty pink painted wall can be the perfect starting point. This not only allows you a little more ease in creating a cohesive colour scheme (if that’s your goal), but it also gives you a huge blank canvas for my absolute favourite way to decorate the walls – painting directly onto them!
There’s nothing more unique or expressive than decorating your walls by your own hand, as the images above show.
2. Lighting
I am a classic big-light-hater, and will always opt for lamps or candles wherever possible. That being said, I know other people who are completely different! They need clear light at all times to see what they’re doing, and the flickers of candles can prove to be a distraction. Whichever way you lean, to achieve the look we’re aiming for, layering your lighting is a must!
One singular light source in a room can create a space that feels one-dimensional, clinical, and cold. If you want to create a cosier atmosphere, opt for a combination of the following:
– Table lamps (especially ones with beautiful or fringed lampshades)
– Small, battery powered lamps that can be tucked into bookshelves
– Fairy lights – especially cute when woven around garlands
– Clusters of candles (battery powered ones are great if you’re worried about fire hazards)
– Wall sconces
– Decorative night lights
3. Flowers Everywhere
This one isn’t essential, as some people don’t like flowers I guess… which I’ll never understand, but, each to their own. Real flowers are fab, of course, but expensive and have a tendency to die. If you’re after something a little more permanent, you could try:
– Dried flowers
– Botanical Prints
– Faux flowers (especially garlands or trailing flowers)
– Flower-shaped lamps (or any flower-shaped furniture)
– Floral crockery
– Floral cushions
– Small vases scattered around
4. Gallery Walls
Wall art is a huge part of maximalist interior design, and creating a patchwork display of pieces that bring you joy is a staple of eclectic design.
You don’t need to stick to pictures or paintings either – mirrors, tapestries, small shelves to hold trinkets, anything that can decorate the walls are good to be part of a good gallery wall.
There isn’t much more to say with this one, it’s all about gathering inspiration – Pinterest is a great place for this!
5. Trinket Displays and Shelves
These are popping up a lot more, so if you’re lucky enough to find a display second hand, that’s great, but you can buy them new from some places now too!
I find its best to let the items you house in these naturally, but if you’re stuck on what to keep an eye out for, I’d suggest starting with the following:
– Crystals and precious stones
– Small ceramic or porcelain models
– Shells
– Miniature paintings on easels
– Decorative bottles
6. Motifs
I love having each room as its own theme, but certain motifs that follow through in each of them. Some beautiful ones I’ve seen include:
– Celestial imagery (suns, stars, moons, planets)
– Florals
– Butterflies (or any insects, bees are very popular too)
– Birds (or any small animals, like rabbits or fawns)
– Produce (strawberries are super popular, lemons too, and around Halloween you’ll find pumpkins everywhere)
7. Fabrics
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about fabrics is rugs, but there’s a lot more to think about – tapestries, throws and blankets, drapes, curtained doorways, the list in endless!
In Conclusion
Your home is whatever you want it to be. Not every room has to be filled to the brim for your space to express who you are – a clear space allows us room to think, allows a sensory break, and that’s necessary sometimes! This list is just a starting off point, and you get to customise it as much or as little as you want from here <3