Teach your Old room new tricks
According to interior stylist Tim Rundle, this is a waste of ‘decor gold’, as he believes displaying our collections of clutter and treasures results in spectacular interiors.
“As a general rule, we’ve owned the majority of our possessions for a while so tend to take that ‘stuff’ for granted. After all, familiarity breeds contempt,” he says.
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Hide Ad“We’ve a tendency to think the only solution to a tired interior is to start afresh and buy new, which is often impossible as it’s so costly.
“Actually, it’s also unnecessary,” he adds. “Rearranging objects creatively can make you fall in love with them and your home all over again.”
One of his top tips for creating displays is gathering together pieces that work because of a shared theme - then throwing something you think definitely wouldn’t work with them into the mix.
“Very often, it’s that random object which actually brings the display alive and adds a twist of humour .”
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Hide AdTransform your rooms by following his simple guide to decorative display. Identify key viewpoints in your rooms, such as the view from a doorway, or the space you focus on when you’re seated to eat or to work. Then work out the decorative items you’d like to add. Upscale a conventional object, like a small plant pot, by replacing it with a metal bucket containing not one but four plants. Increase drama by placing four similar vases together and it will super-size the display. Place the largest item next to the smallest and keep an eye out for the unexpected. For instance, a giant image of a diamond, normally a small object, is more surprising than a giant landscape.
Most of us have a mix of antique and contemporary items in our homes, but for success, combine the oldest with the youngest to achieve cross-generational visual drama. Almost anything with age adds character to an arrangement but contemporary pieces can feel brash and aggressive unless used with care. Ideally, select strong geometric shapes, pure colours or bright white, so the modern elements don’t compete with patterned or more ornamental pieces.
Many of us are nervous about using colour but it’s a key tool in successful rooms. Rundle suggests a simple route to success is simply taking the temperature of shades and dividing them into hot or cold, and then playing with contrast.