Many people contact me wondering how to add the finishing touches to a particular room. They have bought the curtains, the chairs, the bed, the wardrobes, the central pendant, the sofa but somehow the room doesn't seem finished or seem homely. So here's some tips for creating a home of your dreams by adding some finishing touches.
Lighting
Single Sofa Bed Chair
Lighting has many purposes - to give you enough light to see by, to give you light to work by in the kitchen, to read books by but also to create a cosy or more intimate atmosphere. Lampshades and chandeliers are also capable of creating a statement in a room too so don't just think of lights as simply providing light - think colour and drama too.
Cushions
Scatter cushions, box cushions, bolster cushions, floor cushions, floral cushions, cut velvet cushions, buttoned cushions.... The choice is endless. Cushions add comfort and cosiness to any design scheme. My advice would be to opt for a plain sofa and then you can add as much colour and texture as you like with your cushions.Choose a colour to compliment your room to add a touch of comfort, or an opposite from the colour palette to really give the room some energy.
Rugs
Rugs don't have to be plain colours. Flowing forms of garden flowers can look striking on rugs as well as fabric and wallpaper. They're best used on furnishings with a neutral background to make the most of an elegant design.
Geometric designs on rugs are bold, dramatic and masculine and definitely create a statement in the room.
Think carefully about the size of the rug you need. If it is a large sitting room with sofas and armchairs situated quite a distance from each other, then a rug in the middle of the floor between the seating will serve to link the chairs and thereby help the conversation to flow and the people connect. It may sound far-fetched but rooms need 'zones' in order to be comfortable.
Table Settings
It doesn't take that much extra to make a dining table look more attractive or a meal seem extra special. Simple touches such as a single bloom or a few flowers from the garden along with candles, pretty napkins and napkin rings and you are almost here. Tablecloths or table runners add interest as well as protecting the table. A nicely set table is evidence that someone took the time and trouble to do something well, to create something special for that particular day.
Kitchen Accessories
Photograph of impressive kitchens in magazines or showcases with huge floral arrangements on the central island are just that - designed to impress us. But a kitchen is for working and living in, hence it needs to be functional, attractive and homely. Space is often at a premium in kitchens hence it helps if items can be both decorative and practical. Products such as Joseph Joseph's many kitchenware items are brightly coloured, useful, space-saving and striking. Pretty jugs on the windowsill can be used as decorative items, as vases for flowers from the garden or as additional water or juice jugs.
Bathroom Storage and Accessories
Storage is key in a bathroom and vanity units are once again becoming very popular as they can fit neatly under the sink, hence not taking up much space. It is important to have storage for the not-so-pretty items yet it is nice to have attractive items on display, be it pretty storage bottles for shampoo, candlesticks or lanterns for those candle-lit nighttime baths or flowering plants (and it is easy to find realistic artificial flowers such as colourful orchids).
Useful Accessories for adding a Homely Touch
Whether you're a reader or not, books are a great way to add warmth to a room. If you do read books, then you will most likely have a plethora of books to choose from but if not, you can simply pick books with jacket colours that will match your scheme. Antique books can be picked up at antique shops, charity shops or auctions.
Flowers add so much to any room, be it a bunch of flowers from the garden in guest bedrooms to add a homely touch, an elaborate arrangement on a hall console table or tall single blooms on the dining table.