What is the personalised interior trend?
There’s a phrase I keep hearing in trend forecasts, and that is the “personalised interior”. I know right, what are they on about?! What this actually means is a move away from a home that looks like a John Lewis room set, where items of furniture match and the same fabric is repeated on curtains and cushions. It eschews the cookie cutter ‘tasteful’ home for something that speaks of the occupants.
This is what my approach is all about, so I was a bit surprised to find out that people haven’t always aimed at this. It only took a moment to think about the matching leather sofas and Oak Furniture Land sets in relative’s houses to realise that not everyone knows how to personalise their interior. If that’s you, hopefully I can give you some ideas today.
Why does it matter?
So what’s wrong with my Laura Ashely room set, it’s very tasteful and everything goes together, I hear you cry! Well, does it spark joy, as Mari Kwando would say? If your heart doesn’t lift when you walk in the room, you haven’t got it right yet. Your surroundings can make you feel like this, and it’s not just for interior obsessives, everyone has the potential to be uplifted by their home.
There are two parts to this, the scientific and the nostalgic. Science tells us that everyone has a physiological and emotional response to colour, which means we can all alter our wellbeing by discovering those colours that impact us positively. Secondly, remember that feeling as a child on a Christmas morning when you discovered your most coveted desire under the tree? That’s the feeling you get when you surround yourself with things you love, even if it’s just candles or pot plants!
So the Laura Ashley room set, whilst potentially tasteful, isn’t a reflection of you on either a scientific or nostalgic level. It might represent one element of your taste, but you are multi-faceted and more than one aspect of you can be represented in your room. People who aren’t very interested in design are actually so good at this! They buy stuff they love with little thought to whether it goes with their décor. The room-set home is actually a design crime of the aspirational – those who want to spend some money on a tasteful home and trust in The Shop (or the ‘Gram) to tell them how to do it. I’m here to show you how to find your own path.
Tell your story
When you walk into a home, it should tell the story of the people who live there. It should have a personality and character that you can’t recreate in a shop window. Whilst a lovely idea, achieving this can feel quite daunting when you don’t know where to begin.
There’s a school of thought that if you just buy anything you love, it will always go together because the link will be your taste. I’m afraid I don’t subscribe to that school of thought. Some people have really broad taste and not everything is going to sit well – they key is editing. One way to do this is take photos of your existing pieces, put them together in a mood board (Canva or Pinterest are great for this) and add in images of all the extra items you like. This visual collection will help you decide which things go and which things don’t before splashing your cash.
How to edit
Using a moodboard to help pick a lampshade
Here’s a mood board I did to help choose the best lampshade for a lamp in this bedroom. Although I like them all, I chose the ikat one because the bottom two have a very different theme to the existing décor, and the rust one created a better contrast than the blue one, whilst still picking up on the detail in the leaf fabric. The scale of the pattern also works well with the other fabrics in the room. By seeing all my décor together in a mood board, it make it easier to edit my selection and choose the best lampshade for the room.
Where to look for inspiration
Look to yourself and your family. What places have you been happiest? Is there something from a childhood home you can recreate? We had a lot of wood in our home as my father is a craftsman, so I am always on the lookout for bobbin-turned furniture for my living room.
Is there somewhere you’ve been on holiday that made your heart sing? You could draw on the décor, or even find something that reminds you of the happy memories. My grandfather was poet in residence at Wordsworth’s home in Grasmere, where he wrote a book called In Wordsworth’s Chair. I’d like an antique corner chair because it reminds me of my Granddad and joyful holidays in the Lake District.
What are your interests?
My previous two homes had a mid-century look because I loved the music, clothing and architecture of the era. Vintage clothing and swing dancing was a big part of my life. Here’s my old dressing table with a Ben Chair (part of a set of 6) and an Anglepoise lamp. Whist I still own mid-century pieces such as my G-Plan sideboard, this has become one chapter in my story rather than the whole book, as it were.
I learnt a lesson here too – I used to decorate with bright colours on a neutral background to create that typical mid-century look. It took some thoughtful exploration of my personal relationship with colour to realise these weren’t ‘my’ colours. I looked to my wardrobe and had a big epiphany about a cut-out doll I had as a child – you can read all about it and begin your own colour journey in my previous blog here.
A note on taking inspiration from your hobbies – don’t be literal. Otherwise you’ll end up with a themed nightmare of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ proportion! Draw on the atmosphere and the environments which relate to your hobbies, such as a dark cosy living room with luxurious carpets and atmospheric lighting for a film buff.
You can also look for inspiration in other interiors you love. Instead of picking out pieces of furniture or décor to copy, it’s likely that you are drawn to the way it’s been styled and the atmosphere created. Look at what colours, patterns and materials are put together – you can recreate that without copying the exact pieces to avoid that ‘room set’ look?
Mixing colours
If you’re ready to personalise your interior, it can be daunting to know how to mix colour and pattern if you’re bringing things from different shops, maybe vintage or antique pieces, or things you’ve been gifted. One thing I’ve learnt is that it’s putting colours together that make them look their best. That’s why designer paint charts are so yummy to look at! Shops make the most of this fact in their displays to make their products look good, and you can do that in your home too.
Be bold, don’t choose the safe monotone option! You can develop an eye for mixing colour and pattern by following interior designers you like, and for more help to uncover your joyful home why not treat yourself to my Colour & Style service?
Biggest ‘personalised interior’ design crimes
A 3 piece suite (bonus crime if the cushions match the curtains!)
Matching furniture sets
Colour schemes based on a neutral background with one accent colour
‘Instant’ art – where you can’t identify the artist or origin
Anything that isn’t useful and you don’t love
Top Tips for creating a personalised interior
Tell your story
Edit using moodboards before you buy
Take inspiration from your favourite places, childhood, holidays, and your wardrobe
Take inspiration from the atmosphere of a room, rather than copying the specifics
Mix colours and patterns