5 Interior Design Styling Tips for 2018 with Barbara Town
Written by Barbara Town of Town Lifestyle + Design
Hi Everyone! Happy New Year! My name is Barbara Town and I am an interior designer based out of San Antonio, TX. I've been running my own design firm, Town Lifestyle + Design for a little over two years and have been in the design industry for almost 6 years. I was thrilled when Amanda asked me if I would come talk to y’all about 2018 design and styling tips for your own home, so here are 5 easy styling tips to elevate your space.
1. MIXING SENTIMENTAL WITH NEW
One of the biggest things I know my clients struggle with in their own home is accessorizing. With the new year, these are the easiest pieces to switch out, update and rotate between rooms. Almost everyone has a bookcase or two in their home and while you want it to be functional and store things, you also want it to look good in the process. The best tip I can give you when it comes to styling a bookcase is to mix in old and new. Take store bought pieces and add them to a grouping with a family heirloom piece or that special vase you brought home from your summer trip abroad. Having this personal touch, not only allows you to display some of your favorite pieces, but are typically the most unique and unlike anything you would find at a store.
2. THE PERFECT PILLOW FORMULA
Photo by Laura Dominguez
My second styling tip is another easy change out with the new year, season or whenever you are looking to just freshen anything up - Decorative Pillows. It's always a love hate relationship. Honestly, the easiest way to mix pattern and color is to take 1 large print, 2 of a small print (think pin stripe or small geometric) and 2 or 3 of a solid, depending on the area and how many pillows you can really live with. I love to randomly pick up pillows and work them into existing color-ways to bring new life to a space.
3. A SIMPLE READING NOOK
When I sit down to design an empty room, I always start with a layout. Not everyone has access to creating floor plans like us designers do, but the one thing we are looking for in a room, is balance and flow. We want to make sure the furniture pieces are functional but that they also look good visually from all angles of a room. In a lot of cases you end up with that random corner in a living room near the patio doors or the far corner of the bedroom near a window where the wall space is non-existent and piece of furniture would make the room feel too cluttered and heavy. An easy fix to this is to make a simple reading nook. Add a smaller scale chair with an accent table or garden stool and not only does this make the room feel complete but you have an extra seat for guests in the space.
4. FRAMES FRAMES FRAMES
Photo By Brooke Taelor
One thing you may have noticed strolling through Pinterest or any Interior Design Blog is that there isn’t an overload of personal photos. Frames are an easy space filler when accessorizing any piece of furniture, but you don’t always have to fill it with a photo. You can add a print, your favorite piece of fabric or even leave it empty and layer it with another piece of artwork. I suggest keeping the more personal photos in the bedrooms or hallways of the sleeping areas.
5. ADDING ARTWORK
Photo by Laura Dominguez
Adding artwork to spaces is another great way to bring new life to a room. This is also a great way to add color and style. To me, artwork acts like jewelry to clothing. It is the extra bonus that really pulls it all together. You don’t need much of it, but with the right piece you can make quite the statement.
I hope you found these tips useful and are able to easily implement them into your own home. For more interior design inspiration and styling tips, follow me on Instagram.
Thanks for reading!
Barbara