Interior A-Z

It’s no secret that I’m just a teeny tiny bit obsessed with all things interior. I live & breathe houses which also means it’s incorporated into my everyday life which also includes teaching my two little’s things like…oh, I don’t know…the alphabet!

I was recently doing letters with Elsa & trying to get her to write her name (which wasn’t massively successful may I add..) when the interior nut that I am started thinking about writing this fun little blog post.

My last slightly similar blog post ’15 Signs You’re Obsessed With Interiors’ is probably my favourite post I’ve written so far.

So without further ado are my 26 tips running through the alphabet (& yes I totally had to sing ABCDEFG…in order to write this & know which letter I was on…).

A is for ACCESSORIES
Obviously an absolutely huge part in designing a home is the accessories you chose to encorporate into a design. Whether it’s candles, art work, clocks, picture frames & so on.

B is for BODGEJOB
Something that is obviously the easy option but will always come back to bite you on the arse. Sure it may be easier to paint AROUND furniture to save time, effort & money but what if you want to ever have a move around? With bigger jobs it usually ends up costing more to put right than it would to do it properly in the first place.

C is for CHARACTER
I absolutely adore houses with character but believe even new builds can retain that charm. Every house has it’s own ‘feel’! 

D is for DIY
The beauty of ‘doing it yourself’. Not only does it save money but it also gives that amazing sense of achievement when you’ve done something yourself. From putting up a shelf to painting a room or piece of furniture or even learning to sew a cushion. Not always the best of ideas though if you are a serial ‘all the gear, no idea’ so check out my blog post on ‘When Not To DIY’.

E is for ECLECTIC
If you are buying an older house, it’s SO important to be sympathetic to it’s era & retain that character. It sends shivers down my spine hearing about beautiful Victorian fireplaces being ripped out. Go with colours & patterns from the same generation.

F is for FLOWERS
I’m a huge lover of flowers, either fresh or artificial & believe they bring so much to a house & the general feeling. Treat yourself to beautiful blooms.

G is for GREYS
One of my favourite colours for interiors but oh so difficult to get right when it comes to paint colours so prepare to go through tens of tester pots before you find one that doesn’t look too pink/purple or blue in different lighting.

H is for HOME
Home is where the heart is & I couldn’t express enough how important it is to make a house feel like home for yourself, but also those sharing with you. It should be the one place in the world you can feel completely relaxed & safe.

I is for INSPIRE
Inspire others or get inspiration from sources such as magazines, brochures, Pinterest & even good old Instagram. It’s amazing what you can find but be aware, it doesn’t help the bank balance when you fall in love.

J is for JUNK
Something you should NOT have much of in your home! I am obviously a huge advocator of decluttering & talk about it a lot on this blog ‘The Art Of Decluttering’. If you don’t need it, then it’s junk so GET RID.

K is for KEEPSAKES
Sentimental items are so special & will definitely help to make a house feel like home. Keeping things that mean a lot to you & hold a special place in your heart is so important, from a family heirloom to a photograph to something that takes you back/reminds you/makes you smile. Dot them everywhere!

L is for LOCATION
Location is a huge factor when you purchase a house & as the saying (& TV program…) go ‘Location, location, location’. Obviously what you get for your money is greatly decreased depending on this but it’s always worth going for a nicer area which in turn leads to better schools & so on than a bigger house in an area riddled with crime & impossible to sell on.

M is for MIRRORS
Mirrors are a brilliant interior tool, not only for the obvious being able to look at yourself to check you don’t have baby poo on your forehead after changing an horrific leaky nappy, but they also add style as well as bounce light around a room which in turn makes it look bigger.

N is for NEUTRAL
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of neutral decor & my entire house is very ‘plain’. Personally I prefer it being a bit more bland as this is a place I want to unwind in & not get a headache from obnoxious in your face wallpaper or illuminous green paint. It also makes it really easy to change things around & add colour through accessories.

O is for ORGANISE
Again, similar to decluttering it’s going through your drawers & cupboards & getting rid of anything that you don’t need/want. Keeping things organised will make your life (& home) so much nicer.

P is for PAINT
I always say ‘it’s amazing what a lick of paint can do’ & the transformation it can make to the overall look & feeling of a room. Always test colours by using sample/tester pots beforehand as you’ll be surprised how paint can alter depending on the room/lighting involved.

Q is for QUILTS
Quilts & bedding is something that shouldn’t be scrimped on & is an investment. The better you sleep, the better you’ll feel & the more stuff you can get done during the day. Remember to swap your quilt from a winter to a lightweight summer once the weather changes soon.

R is for RUSTIC
I love this look & how well it compliments neutral decor. It’s definitely coming back into fashion with the increase in copper trends i’ve seen around but will always be timeless rather than a fad.

S is for STATEMENT
Make a statement in a room with a key peice. It may be something you’ve fallen in love with & want as a central item or so eye catching that you can’t help but be drawn to it. Every room should make some sort of statement whether it be wild & fun or calm & soothing.

T is for TEXTILES
I spoke about this in a previous blog post. Textiles add so much to a room & is so easily changed that it makes for a perfect investment. Adding cushions, throws & even table runners can add colour without being too invasive.

U is for UNUSUAL
We all love unusual items that attract questions & envoke stories. Instead of the usual commercial items that grace thousands of others living rooms, it’s lovely to have that seemingly ‘one-off’ piece.  

V is for VINTAGE
Linking with the above ‘Unusual’ in terms of finding something that’s slightly quirky & you wish could talk so it could tell you all the things it’s seen in it’s lifetime. Try antique markets or Ebay for beautiful collections.

W is for WHITE
You can’t go wrong with white, although I wouldn’t necessarily use it on my walls as I prefer a slightly warmer look but it’s timeless & always in fashion. It also opens up a room & makes everything look so much bigger, why don’t you try painting dark wood furniture for a new look?

X is for xylophone? Xray?

Y is for YOU
The number 1 most important part in anything is…YOU! Your home should be a true reflection on your style, personality & what you like. Let it speak for you.

Z is for….Zoo? Zebra?

So maybe I actually only managed 24 out of 26 of the alphabet. Can you think of any Interior metephors for X & Z?

Love, Charlotte x