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04 Jun 2015

Interior Decor: Making a house a home

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Belinda Hall, founder of online craft marketplace Home of Artisans, explains how small focal items have the power to turn a house into a home.

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The word ‘home’ has numerous connotations and, of course, many definitions. However, whether you own a small inner-city apartment, a palatial residence or a country cottage in a remote village, what is it that will make your property feel like your home?

What makes a home?

Filling your space with items that you love will make you feel at home. However, with the influx of homogenous styles and furnishings, it can be time consuming to create a truly unique look that defines your own personal style – the definition of which is the first hurdle. Understanding your style preferences will help you to create aesthetically pleasing surroundings.

Take time to define your personal style. You might find that it has been determined by past experiences – perhaps places you have travelled, family heirlooms, friend’s homes or even interior trends. Look at the clothes you wear – what are the predominate colours in your wardrobe? Use the internet to view variations of interiors or use magazine cutouts to create a scrapbook that will display your own instinctive taste.

Once you know what you love, you will understand why you are drawn to certain objects over others. Whatever the influence, the pieces displayed in your home will communicate with visitors about what home means to you.

It’s from these influences that we gravitate towards the array of decorative objects and pieces we select, buy or acquire inorder to create a sense of home. It is these small details and objects of beauty that add so much to interior spaces.

A personal gallery

Place both small and large focal pieces around your home to create a sense of your own personal gallery that is all about you, your taste and your experiences.

It’s worth recognising that not everything needs to match. Sometimes a mix of styles can work perfectly together, making your home feel personal and individually styled to suit you and your aesthetic needs.

With so many varying interior objects to be had, from small to large, bold to subtle, bright to neutral, take your time to collect objects that really appeal to your definition of home.

Location, location, location

Although not the most obvious decorative opportunity, the floor is a key element of a room that is suitable for stylistic infusion. Beautiful woven carpets and rugs can bring instant impact, warmth and texture to any space. Whether you are looking for aesthetics or a soft feeling beneath your feet, the floor is an important element not to forget.

For many, the only things suitable to hang on a wall sits within a frame, for example artwork or mirrors. Of course, both art and mirrors are perfect decorative opportunities and should be very carefully selected, particularly when considering a piece with a large monetary investment. However, there are other types of objects that can be hung to create a wow factor within a space, often with a nicer price tag than artwork or mirrors.

Have you ever seen an amazing piece of textile, or a quirky object that you bought from a market, but were unsure of how to display it? Perhaps an African ceremonial featured hat or beautiful hand carved plates from Australia? Objects such as these can be framed, hung or simply positioned high to create an instant wall feature that only looks nice, but works as a focal point with the added benefit of a story.

Our homes are full of surfaces that create the perfect opportunity for decoration. Side tables, mantle pieces, book shelves or indeed any available flat surface is often better.

Displaying unique glasswork, woven objects, a set of feature ceramic vases, a sculptured piece in bronze or wooden feature item are all suggestions that will bring personality and variety into your home decor. Some pieces will work together and some won’t, but this doesn’t mean they can't be included within the same interior scheme. Place items where you think they work and move them around until they feel right – following your instinct and aesthetic vision will help when it comes to establishing what works where.

When placed correctly, objects are the perfect opportunity to bring your home to life. They are transportable, can change the feel of a space remarkably quickly and, if you change your mind or style preferences, they are also sellable.

Haven for craft lovers

The inspiration for Home of Artisans came after experiencing how, when abroad, the local talents had such a reliance on passing customers. The company's mission is to bring local talent to the global market through a global, online marketplace.

Items range from competitively priced ceramics to prized sculptures. Various countries are represented through artisans, from India to Italy – not forgetting the UK. Home of Artisans has created a platform which simultaneously gives the discerning, culture loving customer access to beautiful handcrafted homeware, while supporting the ethos and livelihood of talent from some of the world’s most remote and creative communities of craftspeople.

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