Interior Styling Tips - Part 1. Props
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A few months ago I made the decision to launch my own styling business. After years of doing styling work for brands on this blog and for my
, it made sense that I begin to offer my skills officially. Keep a look out for my brand new website launching in May!
Although I’ll miss some aspects of my textile and homeware brand I knew it was time for a change, so many signs pointed towards me becoming a stylist and I’m so happy I took the plunge. This business change has been a bit nerve-wracking and obviously a lot of work, that’s why my blog has taken a bit of a hit recently. I’ve been focussed on my business plan and my first few clients, sadly this meant that my blog ended up being a bit neglected.
To get me back into to swing of writing I decided to begin a new series. After the success of my styling lessons over on my Instagram stories I thought it would be a great idea to share my styling knowledge on my blog too. This first post is all about gathering and using props. I wrote
a post a little bit like this in 2016
which might also be useful, have a read of that too if you'd like.
Whether you want to style your home, a wedding or magazine photoshoots I believe that good props are just about the most important part of any styling project.
What’s My Style?
The first thing to do is think about the style of the project you’re styling. Is it a Mid-Century home, wedding stationery, a laid back dinner party, a traditional living room? Think about the client or space and what their style is. Most of my clients are quiet varied, one day I’m styling a minimal map company the next I’m styling a press dinner for a homeware brand. Each photoshoot, event, home or space will have it’s own style and requirements. Think about what you’re styling and also what vibe you want to create.
Your Home
If you’re styling your home think about what you absolutely love. No matter what your style is there’s always room for a bit of considered styling! If you live in a traditional cottage look for items that reflect the history of your home. If you live in a modernist flat maybe you’d prefer a few mid-century pieces. If you like unfussy interiors minimal styling would be best for you. If you’re unsure what your style is take a look at Pinterest or
to help you figure it out.
Simon and I live in a brand new flat, not something we wouldn't have chosen if we weren’t renters but we’ve made the most out of it by choosing items that we love. Our two favorite styles are natural boho and Mid Century so we’ve blended the two together to create our calm apartment.
Styling a Room
Every room in your home should reflect your style, some are easier than others though. A bathroom is possibly one of the easiest as they tend to be clean and calm spaces with minimal “stuff”. A few plants, candles, beautiful towels and pretty bath products are all you’ll need. Living spaces and bedrooms take a little more effort but follow the rules above and choose props you love for a cohesive looks. If in doubt choose vintage pieces. I’ll explain how to style room by room in another post btw!
What are The Best Props?
I love vintage or retro props, they tend to be timeless and not tacky (unless you choose the tacky props!) Stay away from obvious branding and stick to classic items. Also avoid IKEA as everyone else around the world will have exactly the same items, it's much better to shop local and buy more interesting items. As an example, Simon and I collect a certain cookery set that was incredibly popular in the 70’s, people always ask us where we got them from as they’re obviously not from the high-street.
The basic items you should own are, a collection of vases in different sizes, classic crockery and cutlery, a good collection of different mugs, a selection of cushions and throws, vintage and neural books, nice magazines, stationery, a collection of good quality pens and pencils, twine and ribbon, framed prints in different sizes and a few candles. I always try to have something living in my home and styled photos so potted plants and flowers are a must. Take a
for more ideas.
I hope you found this first post in my styling series useful and please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below. Keep a look out for the next post where I'll go into more detail and explain how to style a bedroom.
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