living
Q How do I carve out my own signature
style without being too swayed by
current trends, so that my home will be
neither too safe and boring, nor will
feel out of date in five years’ time?A There’s nothing wrong with being
swayed by a trend if it’s something you
genuinely like and it reflects your style.
We do it with clothes, after all. But
somehow, while we instinctively know
which fashions we will follow when it
comes to our wardrobes, reason seems
to desert us when it comes to décor.
That’s partly to do with the expense.
You might wear a £20 pair of sandals just
for one season, but you don’t want to go off
a £2,000 sofa after six months. So the key
is to work out which trends you think you
will still love when the fashion wagon has
moved on. That is your signature style.
If you see a trend coming at you and
immediately feel a sense of recognition
and familiarity, it’s probably a sign that
this particular one is right for you. But
that’s not to say you can’t have a bit of
fun with passing fads. And, let’s be honest,
when the shops are full of them, it’s hard
not to be influenced.
Dressing your house is actually like
dressing yourself – only without the
fat days, the hungover days and thelet’s-wear-tracky-bottoms-and-eat-
biscuits-on-the-sofa days. If you tend to
wear a classic co-ord but like to add a pair
of outrageous earrings or shoes, then do
the same for your house. It’s much easier
to change the earrings (cushions) and shoes
(vases) than replace larger furniture.
Dive into your wardrobe and pull out the
clothes you’ve had for years and still love;
the things that you have bought again
when the originals wore out. Can you find
a link in colour and style? For example,
if you like Cos, with its structured clothes
in plain or colour-blocked fabrics, it’s a fair
bet you will like the clean, minimal lines
of mid-century modern furniture. If
Anthropologie is more your style, then you
probably like a pompom on a cushion and
no fleeting fashion will sway you from that.
Keep the trend pieces for accessories
rather than the actual furniture. So, instead
of investing in a pricey green velvet sofa
if you’re not sure that’s really your colour,
why not paint the walls green? It’s an easier
thing to change and won’t cost as much.
By thinking before you invest (the same
way you do with clothes), you can create
a home that perfectly reflects your style
with the odd trendy piece thrown in, just to
show you’re aware of what’s going on. And
if your home succeeds in telling your story,
then it will never be out of date or boring.GOT A DECORATING DILEMMA?
KATE WATSON-SMYTH, RED’S
COLUMNIST AND INTERIORS
EXPERT, SHARES HER WISDOMDESIGN TIP
Choosing a colour is not
just about how it looks, but
how it makes you feel.
If cobalt blue leaves you
energised and excited, use
it in the office rather than
the bedroom; there you
need the particular shade
that makes you feel calm
and relaxed. Remember,
there is no such thing as
the wrong colour, only the
wrong shade. When
choosing a colour scheme,
analyse how colours make
you feel, and ask yourself
which of your choices will
match the mood you want
to create in a particular
room. Take your time.5 OF THE BEST... OUTDOOR SERVEWARE
MAD
ABOUT THE
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