5 ways to add personality to your home

In July 2020, I moved into a new home and after the stress of moving and unpacking was over I took a look around at my blank canvas and started to consider how I could make it feel more like home. Although I do love a minimal Scandinavian style I realised that it wouldn’t ever really feel like home until I had added a bit of my own personality around the place.

Adding some flare and style to a house doesn’t have to be difficult, you can start off with some small basic things like displaying photos of friends and family, adding some colourful cushions to the sofa or jazzing up your space with some new lighting. Here are my 5 top tips for making a blank space feel more like a forever home.

Colour

When people sell a house they usually make sure it is very neutral so the potential buyers can picture where their furniture will be doing and not be distracted by the personality of the current owners. This means that any new house will probably be pretty boring when it comes to colour!

The colour of your walls can really represent your personality, and in this case, your colour options are endless! The easiest way to choose the best interior paint colours is to start with the colours you love, then you are not bound by the traditional colour schemes for a particular decorating style. Using your favourite colour as your base you can use it to create a scheme around it.

2020 has had some really great trends when it comes to interior colours. As I mentioned before I love Scandi style and have found myself drawn towards the combination of warm creams, dusty teals and grey-blues which have been popular this year. Good news for my sister who is decorating her new home right now, shades of chocolate brown, wine, olive green, and ocher are all taking over in homes which is the scheme she is going for!

Furniture

It’s not only the colours on the walls which can really bring some flare to a bland interior, furniture can bring so much personality and history into a home. Choosing furniture that is comfortable, practical and in line with your needs and image preferences can totally change the appearance of a space. If you love bright colours, look for shades that pop! You can choose to invest in designer furniture or try something a little more retro.

Incorporating vintage or family pieces is an easy way to add personality and meaning to your home. Pre-owned furnishings come with their own stories and patina, so they help ground even a brand-new home with history. Mix old pieces with new pieces, formal items with informal items, and antiques with vintage items to make your room special.

You don’t have to stick with one particular decor style – decorate your home with the decor in your own special blended style of things you love. Something as simple as adding in throw pillows, blankets and other items will enhance one’s home experience and make you feel cosy.

Wall Art

Something that really made my new house feel like home was getting my favourite pieces of art back on the walls. Artistic features are highly personal and can conjure up happy memories and emotional experiences turning any new space into an old friend.

Consider viewing your walls as a blank canvas. As an opportunity to showcase your personality in a fun way—through colour, subject, and composition. Because it’s often what we choose to hang on our walls that makes a space feel uniquely our own. When it comes to choosing art I have a simple mantra ‘I buy what I like’ – I am not swayed by popular opinion, if I see something that I love I put it on my wall from cool posters and framed prints to eye catching tapestries. Remember, it’s your house so put things on your walls that make you happy. I love to craft my own decor for some added personality; I love browsing online for fun files for papercutting with my Cricut like these shark svg files or perhaps a tree svg to make a nature-inspired scene.

If you’re a musician, go ahead and store your instrument(s) up on the wall. In my old house, my ex-husband and I displayed a large range of our guitars on the walls and he even mounted his saxophone on the wall! The same goes for art supplies or a camera collection—surround yourself with what you love.

Vignettes

Have you ever wondered what to call those little arrangements of items around your home that tell a story about who you are and what happens in your home? Turns out they are called vignettes!

Made up of personal details and mementoes, with details like a souvenir from your latest trip or a doily crocheted by your grandmother, these arrangements, or vignettes, tell a visual narrative about your life.

I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to bits and pieces that I don’t like to throw away like old movie tickets, greetings cards and such so this sort of style works well for me as I can display some of these items around my home in a little collection to show visitors who I am and what I love.

If your decor style is eclectic collector this type of display probably comes together naturally without you even trying but if not simply start with a few beloved items and build around this. You can find some great tips on this website.

Lighting

One element of interior design that seems to go a bit on the back burner is lighting. Never underestimate the power of good lighting! A single, dim, overhead bulb will dull down even the most beautiful living room. Opt for soft lighting from different sources around the room and avoid too many harsh spotlights (unless they’re on a dimmer switch).

Add some personality by picking out light sources which really say something about your home. Why not dot some table lamps with different bases and shades around and add an eye-catching floor lamp near your favourite armchair or sofa? Illuminating the dark corners of your room will make the space appear bigger.

Now that you’ve spent some time choosing your favourite pieces of art to decorate your walls why not use picture lights? They are a great way of adding warmth to a room while highlighting your favourite artworks.

I am a big fan of soft or dimming lighting which I feel makes a cosy atmosphere. In my bedroom, I have some beautiful white LED lights wound around my headboard which gives me a soft light for when I am reading before bed and in my lounge I have a fabulous floor lamp with a huge Edison bulb which is both practical and pretty!