Creating that show home effect is all about maximising your lighting options. Make the best use of any natural light available throughout your home and play around with overhead and lamp lighting to get the mood just right for each space. It can make a huge difference to how you feel walking into your home and how much you enjoy spending time in each room. Hallways, living rooms and above islands in kitchens are great spots for statement pendant lights and make the most of lamps in bedrooms and sitting rooms where you want more subtle lighting options.

Riverside Park - Ashford by GRE Assets

 

Playing with texture, colour and pattern of fabrics can be an easy way to inject style and interest into any home. It’s not just about throws, duvets and cushions – there is so much to choose from in terms of sofa coverings, as well as things like headboards in bedrooms and curtain fabrics. Soft fabrics such as velvet have been on trend recently as well as using lots of natural materials and fabrics throughout the home including wool, linen and silk.

Cable Wharf - Northfleet by Love Living Homes

 

You want to avoid the ‘overdone’ look, which can be more difficult than you think! A good approach is to decide on a neutral tone as your base colour in a room – usually on the walls – such as stone shades or light earthy tones. You can then add in colour and patterns via bedlinen and soft furnishings, cushions, even sofas and curtains.

The Sands, St Mary's Bay by Compass Builders

Again, less may be more, so choose accessories, ornaments and ornamental pieces wisely and ones which perhaps compliment the existent colour scheme or materials used in the room. You could even opt for a theme and choose one or two objects to enhance your living space and add some interest. In this culture of less clutter and surrounding yourself with meaningful objects make your decorative objects dear to you or in some way useful, as well as eye-catching and beautiful in the space.

Cable Wharf - Northfleet by Love Living Homes

 

If you are decorating your home to live in and not preparing to show it on the market, using artwork, photography and wall hangings as decoration is a way to inject your personal taste and personality, making your home unique to you. Family photos are lovely to display and you can create a statement by using a cluster or wall feature in well-chosen frames. Hallways and landings cry out for decoration as well as blank spaces above fireplaces in living rooms and headboards in bedrooms – go as quirky or traditional as you are!