The 11 habits of people with stylish homes

Style: some homes seem to ooze with it and you’re never quite sure how they achieve it. Where is that sense of style for sale and how can the rest of us buy a piece of it?

In fact, the experts say that those with stylish homes have a whole series of helpful little habits.

So what do they do differently?

1. Refuse to conform

The first secret is that style isn’t actually about conforming to what’s hot right now. “People with stylish homes know that a stylish home is timeless and not necessarily filled with the latest and newest trends on the market,” says Larissa Davis, interior designer from Lewisham Interiors. Instead, they find their own style.

Quirky accessories don’t conform to trends. Photo: Lewisham Interiors

2. It’s a feeling

You want each room in your home to make you feel a particular way, and those with an eye for style focus on that. “They know how a beautiful home or space can influence a positive daily lifestyle and how it impacts on the way it makes them feel,” Davis says. This then motivates those stylish habit-makers to use their home for rest and guilt-free play.

3. Be an editor

Another habit is to review the rooms of the home regularly. “Stylish homes are cool because the owners regularly edit their home and minimise the clutter,” says Melinda Woodford, interior stylist with online homewares retailer TheHome.com.au.

Edit and minimise regularly. Photo: TheHome.com.au

4. Keep it simple

One of the big differences is in creating a central point within each space, and this should be kept simple. “They keep to one statement piece as a focal point and build around it,” Davis says. “A cluttered look with various striking feature pieces all fighting for attention only shows that the individual is trying to hard.”

Artwork creates a strong focal point. Photo: Lewisham Interiors

5. Play with accessories

If you look carefully, you’ll often notice that stylish homes aren’t necessarily filled with expensive items. Instead, their owners spend where it matters. “They invest in statement items of high quality,” Woodford says, “and change their accessories according to current and upcoming trends.”

Accessories create interest. Photo: Lewisham Interiors

6. Give it some personality

No one wants a sterile home; you want to put yourself into your style. “Stylish homes usually have their own injection of personality, so it doesn’t feel like it’s straight out of a magazine,” Woodford says. This doesn’t happen instantly. “These homes are usually formed over a period of time with treasures that are picked up while travelling or with family heirlooms,” she says.

Inject personality into your home. Photo: TheHome.com.au

7. A bit of effort goes a long way

Although it might look effortless, often those with stylish homes put in a lot of work behind the scenes. “They feel it’s important to devote a certain amount of time to making their home look and feel stylish,” Davis says.

8. Design theories

Stylish homes are created with a little knowledge of design theories. “Encompassing balance and scale, working with the existing proportions in the available space and addressing the element of symmetry achieves an overall harmony,” says Davis.

A sense of balance and symmetry. Photo: Lewisham Interiors

9. Finishing touches

Finishing touches make a stylish home look refined. For example, fresh flowers make the home feel well loved, and hanging a picture in the right position finishes a room off nicely.

10. Have a play

Those with stylish homes aren’t afraid to play around and take a few style risks. For example, “use clashing colours that aren’t meant to go together but do when used the correct way,” Woodford says.

Play with clashing colours. Photo: TheHome.com.au

11. What’s your lifestyle?

Above all, a home should reflect your lifestyle – and doing this in style is a great skill. “The set up and presentation of their home must be attended to in every respect to facilitate a lifestyle,” Davis says of those with enviably stylish homes.

Lifestyle is everything. Photo: Lewisham Interiors