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Style tips for brightening your spaces

litsajackson1
Nov 21, 2021
4 min read

Updated: Feb 25


Do you have a space in your home that you want to add more style and interest to? I often get asked for tips on how to brighten a space without renovating, and I love showing how soft furnishings and wallpaper can really change the feel of a room. You’d be amazed at the difference small changes can make.


In this blog, I will share with you my top tips for how you can embrace the current style trends and update a space so that it inspires and excites you.

Wallpaper

A gorgeous wallpaper is a fantastic way to liven up a room and make it more interesting, without the need to repaint. You could do the full room, or just one wall to make a statement. People are loving patterned wallpapers in bedrooms, especially those with deep colours like teal and shades of plum and crimson. For a touch of luxe and glamour hang wallpaper behind your bed, add a velvet headboard, complimentary bedding and lots of cushions.

Don’t be afraid to add a subtle pattern behind artwork. People often think that you can only have either artwork or wallpaper but I encourage you to consider both. A subtle texture or patterned wallpaper can really make the artwork pop on the wall.


One of our favourite trends is statement wallpapers in powder rooms. It turns a simple space into something quite special. When complemented with metal tapware such as gold or gunmetal and matching tiles - the effect is stunning.


Bed linen and cushions

There is something quite lovely and restful about a bed with beautiful linen. Anyone who has worked with me on a bedroom design knows that I absolutely love bed linen and cushions. Your bedroom is your sanctuary and should be an inviting space that leaves you feeling relaxed and content.

Updating your bed linen is a great way to add interest to a room if you’re not into bold wallpaper and enables you to embrace the current pattern and colour trends. A statement duvet combined with a textured wallpaper is ideal for a master bedroom, add a beautiful rug, throw and ottoman to finish off the look.


If a bold pattern duvet is not your style, consider gorgeous linen with a textured finish. There are options for every taste, from soft shades of sage, duck egg, rose, greys and neutral colours, to bolder shades of teal, navy, gold and green.


Cushions are another great way to incorporate the current trends but in a more subtle way. Choose two euro pillows for the back, in front of these use two standard pillows in different but complementary colours, then add a square cushion or lumbar cushion in the front to create some dimension. The effect of lots of complimentary bed cushions is luxurious and sophisticated, it’s cosy and calm and you can just melt into them at the end of the day.


Another style trend we are loving at the moment for bedrooms or living spaces is sheepskin! Drape a sheepskin over the end of your bed or chair as a throw, or use it as a rug to instantly soften the room and add a touch of opulence. There is nothing more comforting than sinking into a soft luxurious sheepskin!


Outdoor furniture


Warm summer evenings are almost upon us and that presents the opportunity to refresh your outdoor entertaining area. Everyone loves a beautiful space to enjoy the summer weather, yet decks and outdoor living spaces are often forgotten about when it comes to styling.


The wicker and cane look is very on-trend this summer and gives an organic feel. Furniture in this style is available in everything from sofas, dining tables and chairs, coffee tables and swing chairs. Another popular look for outdoor furniture is sleek timber style sofas, offering a modern look that is effortlessly stylish.

If you already have outdoor furniture that you love, consider adding a rug or cushions to add some splashes of colour and pattern. There are beautiful options for outdoor rugs that are ideal for use on decks or lounging next to pools and they range from bold patterns through to soft textured colours.

Finding beautiful pieces for your home

Let Inside Storey help you find the perfect finishing touches for your home. We have access to an incredible range of stylish furniture, soft furnishings and bedlinen from brands that we adore. This means that once you’ve chosen the design for your space, we can order everything you need to bring the look to life. You’ll love how these changes will make you feel about your space.

Book in a consultation today - call Litsa on 021 610 752 or email litsa@insidestorey.co.nz

Photo credit to:

Bed with blue floral bedspread and panelled wall and Bed with pink velvet head board and gold patterned wallpaper is Bianca Lorenne, Teal bed with flower wallpaper and Grey linen bed with grey patterned wallpaper is MM Linen, Rugs are Malcolm Fabrics and Mulberi, Black chair with sheepskin is BONZ Queenstown, Outdoor Furniture is Artwood Outdoor Collection from JI Home.

 
 
 

Comments

I contacted Litsa to help with refreshing our living room. She had great ideas on furniture placement, pieces to buy and accessories. The living room looks fantastic and we’ve received many compliments. I would have no hesitation in recommending Litsa to anyone looking for a great interior designer. She’s done a fabulous job.​​

Anna

Litsa has a creative eye for detail and can visualize opportunities in a room instantaneously. Having a beautiful new bathroom along with a new open plan dining / living room area, certain creates a new flow and energizing atmosphere in the house. We are so grateful that we have contracted Litsa to this project, as we would not have been able to create the same result had we done it ourselves.​​​​

Paula

Working with Litsa Jackson from Inside Storey was a pleasure. Her knowledge of interior design was of significant help when choosing colours and curtains for our house in Wadestown. Her easy going nature made things stress-free, which was reflected in the choices that we made. We recommend Litsa highly, which is a reflection of her industry knowledge and professionalism.​​​

Gwyn

Litsa listened carefully to what I liked and disliked and came up with good solutions. She offered guidance and suggestions along the way in keeping with what I wanted to achieve. I found her at all times very professional, reliable and knowledgeable about the products she recommended. I am very happy with the end result and feel I have a house that now feels like a home. I would recommend Litsa without hesitation.​

Denise

Inside Storey was just what I needed! Litsa was fantastic to work with, she listened to what I wanted and understood the end result I wanted to achieve. I trusted Litsa from Inside Storey and would highly recommend her.​​​

Sarah

Litsa has a friendly down to earth approach which instantly put us at ease. Whilst decorating and accessorising our formal lounge/dining room, powder room and master bedroom with ensuite, Litsa encouraged and guided us to explore different wallpapers, furniture and curtain/blind fabric and we are delighted with the results.​​

Sandra

We had a really great experience with Litsa. Her design was beautiful, and she really listened and was patient to us when we were deciding what to do. Once it was all set she handled all the communications with the electricians and painters, as well as all the purchases that were required. Overall a great experience!

P Worcel

I hired Litsa to help with the interior design of our master bedroom. I absolutely loved working with Litsa. The process of choosing the wallpaper, curtains and wallpaper colour was fun. Litsa really listened to what we wanted and was very patient through the process. She has excellent contacts so all the work done from the painting to wallpapering and Curtain making was at a high standard. We are delighted with the finished product and would use Litsa again.​​

Sarah Y

An expert Wellington interior designer. Fabulous creativity, class and flair. If you are looking to renovate your home or building a new home Litsa is excellent in giving advice on colour schemes, window treatments, flooring, lighting, furniture and accessories. She is very approachable so I recommend contacting her for a friendly chat.​​​

Anna M

Litsa has opened my eyes to so many possibilities with the result that I have been more adventurous than ever redecorating our home. She has given me the confidence to try new ideas. So very happy with the results so far, more to come. Thanks.​​

Lynette

Litsa Jackson was amazing to work with. She gave me lots of ideas and great advice on the right fabrics to use and great colour options as well. I found her very professional and she has high standards.
She strives to make her clients happy.

Penelope

Litsa was fantastic to work with. She listens and genuinely wants to find the right colours, fabrics etc to suit you, your home and style. I highly recommend her and look forward to work with her again.​​​

N McCarty

Litsa helped me with my soft furnishings in our new build in Blenheim. She provided a personal service in a professional and engaging manner that went over and above the scope of her brief - highly recommended!​​

Kirsty

My husband and I couldn't be more happier with the help and guidance that we have got from Litsa. She listened to what we liked, took our ideas and with her flair made it even better than what we could ever imagine.

A Brown

Litsa from Inside Storey helped us to choose paint colours for our girls rooms and we loved the colour so much we decided to paint the rest of the house in the same colour! She has so much knowledge and expertise in interior design and I would highly recommend her to anyone.​​

T Allen

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