Embellishment in the home
6 minute read
Image courtesy of Dulux, www.dulux.co.uk, styling by myself.
The way you embellish and personalise your decor, is super important when it comes to creating an authentic home…a space that isn’t just somewhere to eat, sleep and relax but something more than that. A place where you can play with your creative side, and in the process build a home that is unique to you.
So the question is, how do you make those four walls feel like your home, and no-one else’s? How do you avoid it looking like a carbon copy of hundreds of other homes when design is so mass produced, and that lamp you’ve just bought from a high street store is also likely to hang in thousands of other homes?
Ornamentation is how.
Human beings have long been embellishing their surroundings. From cave paintings to symbolic Egyptian adornment, we have always wanted to personalise the places we live in. And one way to embellish our twenty first century homes is with pattern.
A lot of people baulk at the idea of decorating with pattern. They find the idea of even thinking about it overwhelming, worry they may become bored with it or, quite simply, have no idea where to start. But be it wallpaper, fabric or even a beautiful parquet floor, there are many ways to incorporate pattern into your home, and once you’ve taken that first step you probably won’t regret it.
Savuti wallpaper designed by Lee Jofa, www.anthropologie.com
Let’s start with the most impactful way to bring embellishment into your home: wallpaper. I love wallpaper, always have, always will. It’s not just the amazing designs that you can miraculously transform your walls with, but it’s the feeling of it on the walls as well. The textural feel of paper instead of smooth, cool plaster really can enhance the sensual pleasure you’ll get from your home. And one of the main benefits to incorporating a design like the playful one above, is that you instantly get a ready made colour palette to work with. The shades and tones of a wallpaper can kick start a room design, or simply enliven a room that needs a bit of something extra. Wallpaper is a perfect opportunity to stamp your personality onto your home, to make it feel more you. Whether that means quirky or classical, subtle or bold, this is an age old method of adding ornamentation and individuality to your home. Just think about what type of pattern you might prefer here. A more subtle repetitive pattern might suit you if you’re still not feeling that confident about decorating with wallpaper. Whereas a more pictorial led design like the jungle style one above, is definitely for the more courageous decorators out there. Either will bring a sense of individuality to your home however, and there’s a lot of fun to be had figuring out your style. And it’s this point that’s important. Don’t be swayed by fleeting trends, really think about what type of patterns and colours you are drawn to, and then you can’t go wrong.
Block print Marwari Horse wallpaper by www.mollymahon.com
Whilst a bold, repetitive motif design like the one above may be overwhelming on all four walls, it is perfect for highlighting a particular area in a room. Whether that’s the wall behind your bed, a dark corner, or even an alcove with built-in shelving…adding playful interest like this will always bring a smile to your face. And by choosing a wallpaper with just one colour to it, this will have minimal impact on the overall scheme in your room. Which can then lead the way for a more mix and match style, where you can add various colourful accessories as and when you fancy. Or, if that’s not your bag, simply stick to a more neutral white interior with this as your pop of colour. Either way, you won’t regret it.
And now on to my other favourite form of embellishment, the textile. From the humble cushion to the padded headboard, there are many ways to go beyond the standard looking accessory, and find something that feels unique and individual to you. And this is where you can really dig deep into which colours and styles appeal to you. Yes, there are occasions when a plain curtain or cushion suits best, but there are also so many beautifully designed fabrics, that it seems a shame not to experiment with them. Creative expression is what makes us human after all. And the more textiles we have in our homes, the more hard lines we blur. And so this type of ornamentation is key if we want to create a layered home that satisfies our need for comfort and softness in our surroundings.
Stunning use of colour and pattern at www.kipandco.com.au
Although the colour palette above is restricted to just three colours, the use of the bold, striped throw adds a super amount of personality to it. The throw is the adornment that takes this space to the next level, and screams character. I’ll admit it’s most definitely a statement piece, and not for the minimalist lover. But it is also glorious, unadulterated colour and pattern. And it doesn’t just appeal to our visual sense, but our tactile senses too. I for one would be more than happy to spend a few hours there.
Woven pendant lamp from the PI Project, www.pi-project.com
Embellishment and pattern can be found almost anywhere when it comes to accessories for the home. And the above lamp is a fabulous example of how pattern can also be brought into the home in a softer, more subtle way.
Handcrafted by the women of San Luis in Mexico, this beautiful palm light is based on centuries old designs, and how wonderful to own something like this. As well as being beautiful to look at, and casting a warm, soft light, it has the added benefit of supporting artisans and ensuring that such ancient crafts continue to exist. So think outside the high street box when it comes to the finishing touches for your home. You won’t regret it, and it’s a surefire way to add a bit of soul to your home.
Decorative fabric headboard in an interior designed by Amber Interiors, www.amberinteriordesign.com
Printed fabric can also be used in a multitude of ways throughout your home. But working it into a headboard for your bed is a beautiful way to bring a touch of pattern to your bedroom. And if you make it yourself from a fabric that you love, then every time you lie back in bed you will feel a sense of creative satisfaction…much more so than leaning back against a hard wooden headboard that looks the same as thousands of others. The pattern you choose can also lend itself to being mixed with other motif style designs. In fact, combining this headboard with plain white bedding would be a mistake in my view. It is exactly the mixture of different colours and designs within the bedding and cushions, that really make this room feel full of character. The key to the addition of the other patterns and colour is to keep it all within the same style family as-it-were. The designer here has stuck to the type of muted colours and simple stripes that would have naturally been produced alongside the fabric on the headboard. To me it feels like all of the fabric has a West African influence, and so this grouping of quite different accessories works because they all feel like they come from the same design family. And that’s another important consideration when adding embellishment to your home…think about your style, what colours and patterns you’re naturally drawn to. Then always have this in the back of your mind when adding to your home. That way you’ll create a home that looks naturally cohesive and calm, without looking over styled or over designed.
This wonderful Sisal and wool plaid flooring will instantly transform your floor, and is is not just great to look at, but super hard wearing and practical as well, www.crucial-trading.com
Of course not all embellishment needs to be bold and attention seeking. It can also be quiet and subtle, delicately sitting in the background. Floor treatments are the case in point here. Whether it’s a beautifully patterned parquet floor, or a woven carpet like the one above, your floors play a key role when it comes to adding character to a space. They can, in fact, make or break a room. Why stick to a plain grey carpet, when there is a real opportunity here to add something special to the base layer of your home. Jute, sisal, coir and seagrass for example are all incredibly hard wearing, and a great alternative to a more traditional, plain carpet. Not only do they already have a built-in pattern due to their natural weave, but they are also a great choice for family homes. They prove that practical doesn’t have to equate boring.
Bear in mind too that a soft pattern underfoot can really open up a space, giving the illusion of a larger, more open area. You can see how this works in the image below. The zig zag design of the parquet floor works to draw the eye outwards to either side of the room, thus creating the illusion of width…much more so than a plain flooring would. So don’t forget your floors when it comes to embellishing your home, as they have an important role to play when it comes to the type of feeling you’ll end up creating in your home.
Vinyl flooring such as the parquet design above will add a beautiful soft pattern to any room.
Karndean Luxury Vinyl flooring available from John Lewis, www.johnlewis.com
Reed jute rug from Dunelm. www.dunelm.com
If however you can’t change your flooring, a patterned rug can really add something special. This rug is a great example of how particular patterns needn’t overwhelm a room. Sat on a wooden floor, a natural coloured jute rug will tie in with most room decors, and will look particularly great in a room with more neutral coloured walls. And it’s design shows how pattern needn’t be complicated to be effective. This simple linear repeat works beautifully, and the strong black lines within the design also reflect the other black elements within the room…the picture frames, shelving and floor lamp, thus tying the room’s elements together. The room would look quite characterless without this rug, And that’s what you want to achieve with any embellishment you bring into your home, a sense of a home with interest, a home that you find both stimulating and relaxing at the same time.
The beautiful, vintage style tapestry below adds wonderful muted tones to an otherwise neutral wall colour. The shades within this wall hanging are a ready-made colour palette, leading the way for the hues and tones of the accessories in the rest of the room. And due to it simply being hung on the wall, is a worthwhile investment piece that can be moved around your home over the years. Something that will give you pleasure for years to come.
Vases of Wonder tapestry from www.anthropologie.com
And the best tip for adding embellishment to your home is simply this, don’t rush decisions and take your time to think about what you love, and which colours and designs resonate with you.
When it comes to decorating your home it’s not just your money that you’re spending, it’s emotional energy as well…and it’s even more important not to waste that.
So if you find something that you love, full of beautiful colour and design, then put it where you can see, and enjoy it every day.