3 ways to style your home like an interior designer

Update your home and give it a designer feel with modern geometric patterns, lush plants and metallic pastel shades.

Follow these styling tips when updating your home for a designer finish without the spend.

Style tip 1 Go with geometric accessories 

Geometric furniture, prints and accessories are big news right now. We’re seeing a move towards sculptural, precious-gem-like sidetables and furniture made from wire, which add interest and depth, giving the illusion of bigger space due to the open frames. If you’re keen to give your home an entire makeover, you can introduce the  geometric trend in small ways. Use diamond-shaped tiles to create an Escher-esque artwork for your kitchen or bathroom backsplash, go minimalist with geometric-print cushions or art prints, or add subtle dimension in the form of a matt black faceted vase or accessory. The trick here is to balance the scale of the design colours – if the pattern is busy, go for subdued colours, and vice versa. Create a sense of luxury without spending a lot of money by introducing gold accents on smalls and accessories.

Style tip 2 Bring in plant life

Indoor plants provide us with a connection to the outdoors that’s especially appealing to inner-city dwellers. The focus is on compact, sturdy succulents that are simultaneously water-wise and easy to maintain. The larger, leafier varieties still reign supreme. ‘Our most popular house plants are Monstera deliciosa and Philodendron selloum. Magnificently lush and leafy, both of these look amazing displayed in handwoven baskets, as kokedamas (moss balls), or in water instead of soil in beautiful vases,’ says Ashleigh Martyn, owner of online nursery Mother City Jungle. It’s also worth considering artificial plants to spruce up your space. Orchids, which are notoriously difficult to care for, can serve the right amount of class without all the hassle, and you get to enjoy the plant’s gorgeous blooms all year around.

Style tip 3 Add candy colours

On the other end of the colour spectrum, we’re seeing a resurgence of candy colours in interiors. ‘Pastel candy shades, which are traditionally quite feminine, have been reintroduced in soft metallic finishes, coloured glass and beautiful blush linens,’ says Melissa Lawrence, owner of Cape Town-based creative consultancy Studio Melissa Louise. ‘These elements are easily paired with a neutral colour palette and, when used in abundance, create visual intrigue.’ Consider bringing in woven textiles such as rattan, cane and wicker to balance out the fun pastels for a look that’s adult appropriate. In terms of paint, Plascon’s Glamour range fits the bill. Mermaid Jewel and Candy Tuft on a feature wall or ceiling will add character to any space, just be sure to use these attention-grabbing hues sparingly – your chosen candy colour should only make up about 30% of the colour in the room.

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