How To Decorate Your Home Like A Pro

In this design series, A Space For Being, interiors expert Leanne Moore explores what it takes to transform a house into a home. Follow along for more tips and tricks for creating your dream space at home, including savvy storage solutions, cleaning hacks, and the best plants for indoors. Previously, Leanne shared advice on how to turn a house into a home and how to select the perfect paint colour.

We all know when a room has the right chemistry. It just feels right, right?

Exactly what gives a space that polished and pulled-together style can be hard to pin down. It’s a feeling, an atmosphere. Professional stylists have a knack for it — they were born with a talent for grouping things together artfully.

The good news is that it is possible to create a home that looks like it’s ready for an interiors magazine shoot if you follow this insider’s guide to styling like a pro.

Go your own way

Before you can add your personal style, you need to drill down on your sense of self — your taste, personality and identity. Are you a visual thrill seeker or do you prefer subdued surroundings? Do you like neutral colours, bold and vibrant tones, or a dark and moody palette? Study yourself and what you like. Closely examine the things that you are drawn to time and time again.

Think of furniture as the foundation, then carefully consider add-ons such as art, cushions, curtains, bedlinen, throws, trays, candles, lamps, rugs, vases, books, flowers, greenery, family heirlooms and flea market finds. Seek out unusual furniture from op shops and antique stores. Collect found pieces when you are out in nature, such as driftwood and sea shells. Always be open to discovering new and unexpected treasures and opportunities that may come your way.

Art doesn’t have to be massively expensive. Support student art shows and local art fairs to find undiscovered and up-and-coming talent, then be tuned into the pieces that strike a chord with you. If in doubt, go away, then go back and purchase the piece if you can’t get it out of your head. If you buy art because it has a strong emotional connection to you, it will always feel right in your interior space. Over time, you’ll develop an art collection that’s unique and authentic.

The alchemy of a well-styled room

Once you know what you like, stick with it. This is how collections develop. The simplest thing can become a collection when paired with others. Stylists love a good collection as repetition brings visual harmony to a space.

Open shelving is another stylist favourite for creating aesthetically pleasing displays. If you have space on your kitchen counter, add a cluster of bowls full of fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs for character and colour.

Invest in a rug to pull your living room together.

Foliage is your friend — add houseplants or a branch of autumn leaves from your local park.

Opposites attract — team expensive things with thrift-shop bargains. Mix beautiful old worn pieces with new, dark with light, bold colour with pattern, stripes with florals and cool colours with warm tones.

Stylist’s tip: Patina is exactly the right balance between decay and polish. Too much and it can look decrepit, but just right adds wonderful character.

Want to have a go at styling your bookshelf? Read this expert guide.

How to style the perfect vignette

Think of it as creating a beautiful still life from a cluster of objects. You can use the top of any flat surface: a sideboard, hall table, bookshelf, countertop or windowsill.

Stylist’s tip: Have a base, such as a tray, to give your vignette a parameter. It will also make your grouping of objects look more intentional.

Select a theme to give your vignette direction. It could be colour, a season, holiday mementos, anything you like.

Stylist’s tip: Flowers, vases and books with colourful spines are a great way to introduce the same tonal theme into a grouping of items.

It’s best to use an odd number. Groups of three or five work particularly well and are stronger visually than a group of two or four. And make sure your pieces are different heights.

Stylist’s tip: A stack of books is a great way to elevate an object that’s too low.

Edit and refine. Stand back and ask yourself: Does it looks polished and put-together? Should the items be closer or further apart? Is anything jarring or unbalanced?

Stylist’s tip: Take a photo of the vignette with your phone. This will give you a different perspective. If there is an issue, it will help you spot the problem.

That’s a wrap, or is it?

The reality is that honing your personal style is a continual WIP. If you genuinely want to create a home that looks like something from a magazine, then you need to put in the effort.

Your first attempt at bringing a collection of objects together may not be perfect. Don’t give up. You won’t always get it right straight away. Try again. And again. You’ll know when it feels right.

Sometimes you’ll have a piece of furniture or an artwork that you love, but for some reason you can’t find the right spot for it in your home. Persevere. The place for it will eventually be revealed. Just keep moving it around and eventually you’ll find its sweet spot.

The secret to developing truly great style is always asking yourself how a vista or vignette can be improved. Then enjoying the creative process of trying to find the solution to that question.

As you go through life gathering your “stuff”, and taking it with you from house to house, you’ll discover that when you’re surrounded by the things you love, it will always feel like home.

More expert interiors advice

Transform any room in your house.

How to make a statement entrance with minimum cost and maximum style. You can keep an entranceway practical while imbuing it with personality.

How to create a stylish home office that works for you. The key is great storage, good light and a thoughtful tech set-up.

How to create the bedroom of your dreams. Transforming a room into a restful haven all comes down to the details.

Give your living room a low-cost makeover with loads of style. Make the most of the hardest-working room in the house.

How one couple turned a coastal home into a lush sanctuary for their family of five. A simple interior and some practical design magic have transformed this Auckland abode.