Caxton magazines staffInterior designer Sarah Ord shares five ways you can quickly refresh your home without calling in the builders or picking up a paint brush
Living Room
Scatters are the simplest way to transform your sofa into a high-style statement piece. When it comes to choosing them, Sarah recommends opting for an eclectic combination of different sizes, textures and patterns. “This is the secret to avoiding a predictable ‘one-stop shop’ look,” she explains. “Even if you buy them all at the same time, a mismatched selection will make it look like you’ve lovingly collected and layered them over time.”
Dining Table
Update your existing dinner service by combining it with a few choice pieces of contemporary tableware or treating yourself to some on-trend table linen. While shopping, don’t just look out for items you could use when setting your table for dinner, also consider things that you can use to dress it up even when it’s not in use, like a vase that would be ideal for a mod leaf arrangement or a quirky African bowl.
Create a tablescape
“Remember your home is for you. For a meaningful look, it’s essential to let your personality shine through and creating a tablescape presents the perfect opportunity to do so,” says Sarah. The first step is to choose a colour palette and round up a selection of accessories in those shades. Don’t just stick to ornaments; an artwork, a stack of books or even a sun hat will add a touch of whimsy to the mix. For a dynamic display, Sarah suggests that you vary the heights of the objects you include and layer smaller items in front of larger ones.
Kitchen
Take your kitchen from functional to feel good by injecting a pop of colour; rummage through your cupboards and put bright accessories like enamelled pots, crockery and attractive tea towels out on display. “Take the clinical edge off all those clean lines by adding warmth and texture with woven baskets, wooden chopping boards or even a collection of wooden spoons grouped in a stylish storage container,” says Sarah.
Bedroom
A couple of plump scatters and a vibrant quilt may be all you need to give your bedroom a stylish boost. Follow Sarah’s lead and take the colour inspiration for your new additions from your existing furnishings. In this guest bedroom she subtly picked up on the painted finish of the bedside pedestal in the bedding. By ensuring that a hint of the same hue runs throughout all your fabrics you’ll be able to confidently mix different prints and still end up with a cohesive look.
