Have you just moved into a new home or rental? Or finally decided to redecorate your home? This first part can be the hardest and most intimidating when you want to make sure you add personality to your home.
Some homes can feel cold, sterile or boring. Especially new build homes and rental homes with their usually white, plain walls. Often, people avoid purchasing newly built homes out of fear of it not having enough character to work with and their newness too daunting.
Otherthers might follow trends in home design but this can make your home feel very impersonal. Plus, having to change parts of your home to stay in trend can be exhausting and expensive!
However, at The Treasuri, we believe that you don’t need to follow trends but set them. You don’t need to be afraid of white or decorating a rental because you can still bring your personality and character to your home. We’ve got 10 tips to help you do just that.
10 top tips to add personality to your home
1. Embrace colour
According to a study by the Science Museum Group Collection, objects from the past century in over 21 categories were analysed. The study compared shape, colour, material and many other features of everyday objects. Their conclusion? Everything has been getting gradually greyer and squarer, including what is in our home!
You’re allowed to banish the beige and get rid of the greys. Choose how you want your home to feel and what colours brighten your day. Paint can be easily changed so I want you to get over the fear of colour and just go for it.
Add colour on your walls, on your floors with a rug, on your sofa with throws and pillows, and even in your kitchen with functional accessories or flowers. Pops of colours of can be easily integrated into your everyday life and help brighten it too.
2. Use patterns
Patterns are another great way to add colour to your home. Although, not all patterns need to be colourful and in your face. Even monochrome patterns add detail, texture, and level to your home decor.
Patterns are also an excellent tool to use to add personality to your home. Each pattern and design can reflect who you are and possibly where you’ve been. A traveller may be drawn to mandala patterns whereas a minimalist might choose subtle geometric patterns.
Expressing yourself and your style can be fun as patterns are available on so many surfaces in your home. Including wallpapers, soft furnishings, and tile. Choosing the one you love most might be the hard part.
3. Using your wardrobe as inspiration
Often, tapping into your true style and personality can feel difficult and strange. However, you make it easier by simply taking a look at your wardrobe. Naturally, you’re already choosing the coloured, patterns, and shapes that you are drawn to with your clothes.
Looking at your wardrobe now, what stands out the most to you? What are you drawn to and why? Consider how you can integrate your favourite pieces into your home.
This idea isn’t just about the physical attributes of your clothing. You can also reflect on the mood and emotions that it triggers. How can you bring these aspects to your home too? Shopping for all things home decor will be much easier when you’re armed with these details.
4. Add accessories
Home decor accessories play a huge part in making your house feel like a home and feel like you. Agents wouldn’t go to so much effort staging a home and carefully placing homewares if they didn’t know how important and effective it can be at selling a house.
Home accessories help you layer and add detail to your design. They’re also the easiest part of redecorating that will help add personality to your home. From small trinkets to oversized vases, this is the part where you hone in on your aesthetic.
Getting to be creative and expressive is the best part of redecorating, right? Overwhelming yourself with lots of choices or buying too many things might not be a good idea. Being selective and choosing items that really speak to you and your aesthetic is important.
This is also a chance for you to go crazy, quirky, and innovate. Not everything on the shelves of stores is going to be for you, they’re often following the trends and that might not be your style at all. Instead, you can make your own home accessories or commission custom home decor that is made specifically for you.
5. Get your lighting right
Lighting plays a big part in creating mood and atmosphere in a space. The colour of the light itself and the placement of the lighting is key for functionality. For example, downlights are well placed in kitchens directly above work tops and bathroom mirrors to see what you are doing. Whereas, statement pendant lights above a kitchen island and in the living room create a focal point in the room.
Thankfully, (or maybe not) there are lots of options when it comes to picking lighting. Choosing from a combination of lamps, pendant lighting, downlights, sconces, and picture lights, you can create lighting that suits your style.
This is also another home accessory to help you add personality to your home. Lamp bases come in a variety of materials and shapes and when paired with the right lampshade, this could be the finishing touch to your home.
Quick tip! Don’t forget to also be selective with the colour of the light bulbs you’re putting in your lighting. Downlights will often be bright white LEDs which is perfect when it’s dark. Whereas, warm white lamps create a cosy mood in the evenings.
6. Play with textures
Texture adds depth and contrast to any space and can easily be incorporated with cushions, throws, and rugs in different materials and patterns. Redecorating is a time when you can play around and be experimental with your style.
Adding texture is important in interior design as it contributes to the atmosphere and feel of the room. Without texture, your room can feel lifeless and fall flat. Textured fabrics and surfaces help to keep the space visually interesting, adding some flair and personality to your home.
Your larger furnishings can also play with texture. For example, you have a glass solid coffee table and the hard material can be contrasted by a soft, squidgy-looking sofa which is contrasted by a cane armchair with an upholstered seat.
7. Be attentive to function
You don’t want to stuff the room with loads of things that you love and then struggle to put your morning coffee down anywhere. Maintaining functionality, flow, and space withing your home is an important consideration whilst enhancing its personality.
Perhaps you’re worried about people seeing messy coats by the front door. If you have a cupboard to hide them away, great! But what if you don’t? Instead, you can,make them a feature, injecting your personality into your entryway with fun hooks, a bench, and a wall mural.
The function of your home will be determined by what you use it for most. Hosting family and friends often may mean you need a large dining table to seat everyone. Whereas, a family home will need lots of storage for toys.
Therefore, you want to choose home items that maintain or add to the functionality of your home whilst also expressing your personality.
8. Create spaces specifically for you
Not only do you want your home to be functional, you also want to be comfortable in it. Making your space personal and tailored for you is essential.
If you love reading, consider creating a reading nook. If you love cooking, create a kitchen that makes you happy. Maybe a coffee looking out your window in the morning is your joy, then make that perfect space for you.
Often, redecorating can becomes focused on the appearance of your home. That’s why I’m encouraging you to add your personality to your home too. But, don’t forget the function and what works for you.
9. Work with your home’s existing character or add some
Moving into a new build home can be daunting because a blank white space is intimidating. On the flip side, older homes with already existing character and period features can feel like you’re not allowed to make the space your own.
There is a way to add character to blank homes and to enhance and make period features your own. For example, a fire place, typical of older homes, can seem clunky or feel as though it eats into the room. However, you can make into a modern and stunning feature with a lick of paint and a change of the tile.
Character can also be added to your home with feature reminiscent of period homes. Try adding faux panelling, cornice and ceiling roses, and use vintage or antique furniture. Colour choice is also another consideration if you want to invoke the mood of particular periods and you can research vintage paint colours to add to your decor.
10. Take advantage of used items
Redecorating a home or decorating a new home can incur high costs. To save on these costs, you can take advantage of items you already own or purchase second hand items. Used items do not mean cheap, hand me downs but can be adding vintage and antique pieces to your home that also help create character.
You may be an avid DIYer or crafter yourself and have some upcycling ideas for furniture you already have. You can even gold leaf a lampshade yourself for something super special. Making things yourself will definitely help add personality to your home.
Final thoughts on adding personality to your home
At first, it may seem simple adding personality to your home. However, after some shopping around you might find yourself completely overwhelmed and confused about what really speaks to you and expresses you.
These tips can help you identify ways to make yourself shine through in your home using colour, pattern, texture, lighting, and used items. Although, don’t forget about function and creating a space for yourself and doing things that you love. Your home is a place where you get to be your true self and feel comfortable in your home.