Jean Graham's Blog: HOME | 5 tips to style your home

According to the Urban Dictionary, ’home-styling’ means doing something on your own, in your own way without depending on the society and the rules it imposes. You know what that also means? That styling up your home is something you don’t have to be afraid of, something that anyone can do - without any particular interior design knowledge, piles of books on home decor or regular trips to IKEA. Home styling starts in your home, with you, and with all the things you already own. Don’t believe me? Here are 5 tips that prove this theory.

THE GREEN & THE GROWING
Most people spend majority of their time either at work or at home with their doors and windows shut tight. Apart from the fact that it makes us sound like right saddos, it also means that we are constantly breathing in the same air. A research has proved that indoor environments are actually 5 to 10 times more polluted than the outdoors, whuuut! Just imagine - all the household cleaning products you use, the burning candles, the airfresheners, the cat farts.. And you’re happily sitting in it and breathing it in every - single - day. An easy way to improve this appalling situation - and to make your home look a notch lovelier - is to bring some of the green outdoors in. You don’t even have to buy a new plant, just bring one in from the outside! Or cut off a twig from your friends fig tree and propagate it like I did (read how here).

BOOKS YOU HAVEN’T READ (YET)
Thinking about decluttering your bookcase and giving all the unread book to the charity? Hold your horses there - maybe you could find a use for them! Books are ever so easy to style into plant pot stands, lamp stands, or just propping them casually on your coffee table to show all your guests how interesting & intellectual you are! Apparently an average household only has about 11 books, so if that is your case (and you fancy a bit of a splurge!) - have a look on Anthropologie (click here), they have the most beautiful coffee table books.

FOUND AT THE FLEA MARKET
Sometimes flea markets and curio shops hidden away in a side streets of tiny towns (like the Curio Shop in Walsall - see a haul from there here) have the loveliest (and cheapest) of things to add something special to your home. Plus they tend to be a one of a kind too! The other day I found the most precious Linguaphone vinyl set for about £10! It’s basically a vintage suitcase box filled with 16 vinyls which contain more than 50 lessons of French language. How cool is that? And the box looks extra pretty propping some of my favourite books.

FROM A PLANK TO A HANGING SHELF
Don’t be afraid of DIYs and all things ‘homemade’. That old plan you have in your shed could very easily be turned into a rope shelf (find how to do this here) showcasing all your favourite things. Or your old cabinet which you’ve owned since university and which you’re dead bored of can be revived with just a lick of paint - or maybe even with just a set of new drawer pulls! There are no limits to your imagination and DIYs.

SMELL THE ROSES
Of course you must not forget to bring in some scent. Be it in a form of a candle, an oil burner or just a bowl full of potpourri. You can even make one yourself, it’s that easy. Have you been gifted a bunch of roses recently? Just before they start wilting collect all the petals onto a piece of old newspaper and let them dry. Place them into a pretty bowl, add a drop or two of your favourite essential oil and tadaaah! It’s also super easy to pick up a few lavender or rosemary twigs and hand them on a piece of string - these herbs are known to have a calming effect on us so they are great when hung in your bedroom.

Looking for more tips? Housenetwork are running the #HNhomestyling project so search for the hashtag to find more inspiration on how to style your home in a few easy steps!

How do you style your home?

Leave your tips in the comments to inspire others!