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8 tips to uncover your own style and avoid decorating cliches

April 8, 2016 8 Comments

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By Bianca Tzatzagos

Donโ€™t let your home succumb to fashion fads or clichรฉ or mediocrity โ€“ make it a space that thrills you to the core. The best part? Itโ€™s sure to cost less than youโ€™d think.

Pic source: Hunting for George
Image source: Hunting for George
  1. Reclaim, reuse, repurpose. Weโ€™re not just talking about building furniture out of shipping pallets (almost a clichรฉ itself nowadays!) or recycling jars as food storage (the hallmark of every current hipster cafรฉ). This is about taking a look around your home and reassessing each object for its worth, its appeal, and its function. Maybe you canโ€™t bear to throw away your ancient library bag from primary school โ€“ why not hang it from a hook in the kitchen and use it to store the shopping bags? Or what about that soup tureen you received as a wedding gift and never used: why not plant it with succulents or herbs and display it outside? Take simple steps to reimagine the things you already have filling your precious storage space. Bring them new life and in turn theyโ€™ll bring new life to your home.
  1. Avoid theme decorating. โ€œFrench Provincialโ€ is fine if you live in a villa in Provence and have access to scores of genuine antiques. Likewise, an all-out mid-century home is great if you are living in a mod bungalow โ€“ in the 1950s! But in any other scenario, itโ€™s definitely best to pick and choose. Life isnโ€™t a theme park, and nor is your home. Most of us have to accept the architectural period of our homes, whether itโ€™s federation style or art deco or contemporary. And while itโ€™s great to embrace those original features, donโ€™t to be too rigid with carrying that theme into your decorating โ€“ or youโ€™ll risk tiring of it quicker than you can say โ€œshabby chicโ€.
  1. Mix it up. See point 2 for why! Donโ€™t just mix decorating eras, but mix vintage and new too. If you only have old things, your place can end up looking like a junk shop (or your grandmotherโ€™s house). All new, and it will look like a furniture catalogue. Crucially though, you should only choose pieces that feel right to you. โ€œEclecticโ€, after all, has become one of the biggest decorating clichรฉs of all. Donโ€™t choose an ultra-modern chair to pair with your antique desk just because you want a dramatic contrast. Mixing can be as simple as pairing a classic bentwood dining chair with a simple flat-pack desk.
KP3_Jan16_JJones_03
Image source: Kitsch Please
  1. Be authentic. Learn to listen to your gut (or your heart โ€“ whateverโ€™s speaking the loudest). Ask yourself: do I love, love, love this wall art, or am I just excited that itโ€™s trendy, that the colours match my dรฉcor, and that I can afford it? Will I love it in 2, 5, 10 yearsโ€™ time? Is it unique? Does it enrich the story of my home? If not, go to point 5.
  1. When in doubt, under-decorate. Unless youโ€™re competing on a TV show, thereโ€™s no need to completely style your home in a single sitting. Take your time to consider purchases, understand the way you live in a space, and recognise those things that really make your spirit sing. Know that thereโ€™s nothing wrong with a blank wall for now. (Tip: an oversized arrangement of foliage from the backyard can make a stunning and free placeholder while you search for that perfect piece.)
  1. Always opt for quality. Hand-in-hand with points 4 & 5 goes this mantra: buy less, buy better. Let yourself fall in love with things, then save up for them and buy them once you can afford them. Youโ€™ll always love them more than those things you compromised on.
  1. Be realistic about your lifestyle. Decorate for the life you lead, not a magazine photoshoot. Are you a secret โ€œmaximalistโ€ trying to live a minimalist lie? If you love your stuff, donโ€™t hide it away, just learn the art of display. Do you dream of owning a chic white suede sofa even though you have four kids and two dogs? (Try slipcovered cotton instead for now.)
6 BeneathTheSun_05
Image source: Leah Bartholomew/Greenhouse Interiors
  1. Never apologise. Tell your story proudly and in your own way. Love your grandmotherโ€™s crochet rug? Give it pride of place on the sofa. Canโ€™t afford to replace the 1960s pink tiles in the bathroom right now? Celebrate their retro charm by adding a jug of pink flowers to the windowsill. If you find yourself worrying what other people will think of your decorating, or if you constantly compare your home to your friendsโ€™ or familyโ€™s places, then youโ€™re doing it wrong. Does your place give you a thrill every time you enter it? Home should make everyone who lives there feel calm, safe, inspired and happy. People who visit should feel welcome. All it takes is a little TLC, and your home will love you right back.

—Bianca Tzatzagos is a freelance copywriter and former magazine journalist who works from her Sydney home (which she is endlessly restyling).

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Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping Before & after: Renovating a kitchen while keeping ALL the character!

What a great example this is by @huntingforgeorge 

See all the details, and the laundry, on the blog now, via link in bio.
The patient has very much bounced back! Letterbox The patient has very much bounced back!

Letterbox kinder egg deliveries from a friend, dressing changes without a flinch and refusing to nap despite all the bribes (check the face on him in pic 3!).

Thanks for all your care and messages/comments for this tired and shaken up mama! Now very relieved and grateful ๐Ÿ™
Before & after It's not just the award winning de Before & after

It's not just the award winning designer houses that get us excited here. It's also the beloved family homes which are renovated and extended to make them fit for purpose so people can continue to live where they love ๐Ÿค—

@inspiredspacesaus helped her clients with teenage kids transform this house in Sydney's Hills District inside and out, making it their forever home. 

Due to the nature of the block they could only extend sideways and then gave it street appeal with render, new windows and doors.

See inside on the blog now, via link in bio. It was completely overhauled!
Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into Charlie doesn't recommend running head first into tiled steps ๐Ÿค•

Oh what a night. Thankfully Hornsby Hospital were as amazing as always and we avoided stitches. All taped and glued  back together and now to keep him calm for the next few days (๐Ÿคช) and watch for signs of concussion. 

Bravest little patient ever. Yes I've had a ๐Ÿท

Funny how we go into super organised mama mode in times like these. Grabbed dinosaurs, textas and scrapbook on the way out in case we had a long wait!

UPDATE: thanks for all the love! Charlie is so well this morning after a big sleep!
Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
#everydaydesign #interiortrends #renovationinspiration
#homedesigninspo #lovemyhome #stylingdetails
#loveinteriors #homeimprovements #interiordesignaustralia
#dreamhomeinspiration #homemakeover #personaldesign
#interiordesignaus #creatingbeautifulspaces
#creativehomes #housestyling #sydneyhomes
#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
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Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

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Comments

  1. Avatarbabs says

    April 10, 2016 at 6:00 am

    Great article

    Reply
  2. AvatarJenni Farr says

    April 10, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    Love this article. Found it very inspiring and useful. Definitely will take a lot of these points on board.

    Reply
  3. AvatarDolly FRASER says

    April 11, 2016 at 9:06 am

    Good honest practical advice.

    Reply
  4. Avataramrath says

    April 27, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    Great Article. Its worth reading, every point is true. thank you for such good article .

    Reply
  5. AvatarIan says

    May 9, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    As an impulse buyer, I have troubles in dealing with number 6. That being said it is still great advise and I completely agree! Thanks for the help!

    Reply
  6. AvatarAsha Butler says

    October 22, 2016 at 8:30 pm

    Love this! Wholeheartedly agree

    Reply
  7. Avatarpooja shirude says

    August 12, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    Very inspiring and useful article. thanks for sharing

    Reply

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  1. 8 tips to uncover your own style and avoid decorating cliches | Rent Blog says:
    May 16, 2016 at 4:17 pm

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