MY TOP TEN STYLE TIPS

Today I want to share top ten style tips with you. No matter what your personal taste is, you can apply these to any decor. You probably know by now that I love mixing – pattern, style, period, you name it. I like a layered look in our home, as it creates a personal and curated feel. I love vintage and I love modern, but I would definitely say my style leans toward classic and traditional, with some twists thrown in. I love to create moments throughout our home and I always find that when you take something simple and add your personal touch to it, all of a sudden it tells a story. Details are everything and when you find ways to fine tune them, you create something truly special. Read below and see my top ten style tricks (although in no particular order!) that will help you add that personal touch to your home.

We’ve had black doors in two houses now and I think I’ll have them in every house! Mine are painted the same color as our dining room, Cracked Pepper by Behr Paint. One day, when I have the time and after everything on our list is checked off, I’ll repaint them a high gloss black for a little more sophistication and glam. They not only make a statement, they add character and depth to any space. Dark grey, or even navy blue would be just as stunning and if you want to add elegance to your home, this is a quick and easy way to achieve it.
We painted all of our doors, including bedrooms and closet doors as well. I personally like to have a consistent look throughout our home. Or, at least on each level.

I’ve said it in so many posts and I wrote about it HERE, last summer. I cannot have enough of them! They are fabulous little works of art, that tuck into any space. They function as side tables as well as extra seating. We use them in every room, and outside in the summer. Hands down, my go-to essential each and every time. I have a roudnup post from a few months ago here, with some great options to shop.

We have an open concept home, where wall space is very limited. There really are so few walls for hanging art or creating a gallery wall. I have a few spots that I have utilized and using bold art that makes a statement – whether through the use of color or size, it makes a big impact in any space.The artwork on the gallery wall below in our daughter’s room are all done by yours truly ;)I have a few small updates coming to this space which you can read about here. 

Mixing pattern is one of my favorite things to do – I always love to experiment and try to use prints you wouldn’t necessarily think of using together. There’s an interesting element in the tension that’s created yet somehow there’s harmony in it as well.Notice all of the many patterns that are working together here. I like to tie them together with a single element somehow, and here in our living room, I’ve used the color blue to ground it all.

I use books as risers for objects all over the house. When items are placed on top of something, they suddenly have more importance and your eye is drawn to it. Beautiful books are functional for display purposes and they create a gorgeous vignette. I’m always reading and looking for new ideas, and I love to invest in them often. I will admit our bunny, Oscar has gotten to many of their corners and has chewed on quite a few…but if yours won’t get chewed on, use the anywhere!
Books are perfect for grounding objects on a table or shelf as well as elevating your treasures both literally and figuratively. I love to collect books on music, fashion, art and design. You can use any kind, really. Even stack some old ones you have and remove the jackets, or recover them with pretty paper that you love. They work great just about anywhere.

 GET SOME OF MY FAVORITE DECORATING BOOKS : 

If you want to make a statement in your home, do it with some bold lighting. I have an obsessions with changing light fixtures, and yes, I have a ton in storage that I’ve replaced over the years. I never spend too much on my lighting for that reason. I can assure you, if you’re lights are right, it completes your room.I love to use large scale fixtures – always go bigger than you think you need to. Nothing is worse in a room that has a light that is too small. If you’re looking to change your lighting, I say go big or go home…

SHOP MY LIGHTING HERE :

I’m all about warm metals and mixing them with cool metals as well. I love to infuse it into my decor to add contrast and one example is how I painted my entryway pendant light myself to reinforce that element in here. I love to sprinkle gold and brass accessories throughout – they elevate the look of any shelf or corner, in my opinion. Notice how it’s incorporated in most of my photos in this post.

FIND SOME BRASS HERE :

This is something I think many people overlook in their homes as a way to bring in style in an unexpected way. You can use simple modern ones, or more intricate, detailed ones like I have. It’s a small investment that’s huge on style. The difference is always in the details, and once you do change them, you’ll wonder why you never did before!

 This should come as no surprise to you – I love blue and white, I use it all over and it is a tried and true style workhorse. You can never go wrong with adding this classic element into your decor. It goes everywhere and with everything. It suits any style and always adds a touch of elegance and timelessness anywhere. You can read more about my love for this classic palette here, and read about my collection here.
If you’re not into it as much as I am, you can keep it minimal – like this little dish like this in my bathroom. You can pick these up at yard sales and vintage shops for one of a kind pieces, and also find all sorts if collectibles anywhere these days – it’s a classic that’s also a big trend and readily available all over.

SHOP BLUE AND WHITE HERE :

 This is a big one, but it is one of the best ways to add interest to your home. As I mentioned above, details make all the difference and you can add this element easily to your home. There are so many different styles that you can use – ours is a more traditional wainscotting on the walls and a classic crown at the ceiling – which, I’d love to add more detail to everywhere, like we did in our living room, to give them more substance. We added an extra piece of decorative molding below the crown and painted the whole thing, giving it a chunkier appearance. You can keep it simple with board and batten or shiplap on the walls for a more casual feel as well. If you’re handy you can bang it out in no time. We did our walls ourselves as well – it’s simple a chair rail molding, a base board molding and the square panels are cut from 1″ pine decorative molding and applied to the wall, then entire portion is painted form the chair rail down to the floor.
We built these shelves above, ourselves. I am one lucky girl, my hubby is handy, so we can do this kind of thing quite inexpensively. Read all about this post here to see them in more detail.Transoms are a really beautiful element for any opening, window or doorway. They add architectural interest to any home and for a small investment, they add a lot of value.We added our kitchen shelving as well, which helped bring this corner up to another level. See this post here.The most important thing I want you to take away from this post, is that you can easily create a feel in your home that speaks volumes by paying attention to details. You may not like layers of pattern the way I do, but you can layer textures to create interest instead. These tips are a guide to nudge you toward stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something different, like black doors and brass light fixtures. If that’s too bold for your taste, something as simple as adding a beautiful blue and white ginger jar somewhere can make a world of difference. So tell me, would you use any of these style tips? Maybe you already do! I’d love to hear from you!

GET THE LOOK OF MY FURNITURE HERE :

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