Ten key starter pieces for the home
Ten minute read
Image styled by myself for Dulux UK
So if you are at the beginning of your ‘own home’ journey after leaving your parents, moving out of a flat share or simply setting up all afresh for whatever reason, what are the key pieces that will ultimately travel with you from home to home for a long time and that, once unpacked, can reinforce the feeling that this is your home and no-one else’s?
The type of things that will not only always be useful, but will bring a sense of identity to your home that reflects your style and character.
I believe there are ten key items that everyone will find useful to have in their homeware ‘arsenal’ and that, if chosen carefully, will stand the test of time and fit into all of the homes that you live in throughout your life.
So here they are:
I love these type of tub chairs that can sit quietly in a corner. And with a shape and colour like this one, it won’t ever date and will pretty much go with anything.
And the beauty of them is that they can be easily moved around a room - so if you have extra visitors they can be pulled to wherever you need them.
Not just great for bedrooms, but also useful for hallways where you need to bounce a bit of extra light around.
And not forgetting that key feature of any good floor length mirror - to check how you’re looking before you head out the door!
Having a large rug that will pretty much work with any coloured sofa, or cover huge amounts of dodgy flooring, is kind of invaluable in my opinion.
It’s an instant way to make a place feel more homely as soon as you move in - plus bring a bit of your style to your new home straight away.
This may seem like a bit of a flippant thing to include but I don’t mean a little plant pot.
More the type of one that has a bit of substance to it, and will take up space in a corner and transform that area. A statement pot if you will.
A largeish table lamp in a beautiful statement design is an easy way to add a sense of drama to a room.
Try to pick something that although impactful in it’s look, also feels classical too - and will withstand the test of ‘design time’.
This type of dual purpose piece can be such a master of disguise - being moved to the table and sat upon when extra guests appear for lunch, and the rest of the time sitting quietly next to an armchair to pop your cup of tea on.
Just make sure the style and material it’s made from resonates with you, so that it becomes a piece you have with you forever.
For me woven pieces have always played a part in any space I’ve lived in, as I find there’s something about their handmade nature that always brings a sense of comfort and relaxation to an interior.
And the great thing about baskets is that as well as being super practical, they more often than not look wonderful too.
So when I say statement vase, I’m not talking about something overwhelmingly zany that will soon feel dated, nor something supersized that practically needs it’s own room.
More a vase that has a strong shape, colour or style that sets it apart from the more standard type you might put everyday flowers in.
Something that will look just as great with nothing in it, or just a couple of stemmed seed heads.
When I say ‘a great piece of art’, I’m not talking about an old masters-style piece of gentle rolling hills painted in oils.
A great piece is anything you love - whether that’s a picture your nan used to have up in her room that reminds you of her, an original you bought off an artist when you had some spare cash or even an old poster you’ve had since your teens.
Whatever it is, it should travel with you from home to home for the rest of your life, and make you feel like you’re home once you put it up.
A set of a few cushions in a beautifully cosy fabric will always make a place feel like home once you’ve popped them on your sofa.
Try to co-ordinate them loosely so that they’re not too ‘matchey-matchey’, with a few colours in them so that they can fit in with a variety of colour schemes.
For links to all of the above pieces, just click on the underlined text.