And ignoring the kitchen, everything else has been on a budget, not pushing the bank balance at all. I'm not a fan of labels and big interior brands - there are a few brands I use simply because I prefer them to their alternatives, such as Annie Sloane chalk paint, but for the most part, I have a preference for high street, affordable decor. After all, I believe a beautiful home is down to good styling, whatever the items you're using!
So to celebrate 3 years in this beautiful little home, I'm sharing some of the great tips, advice and ideas I've been given or have come to realise along the way!
1. Plan each room - try and stick to one theme to prevent an overload of styles in one space. Then stick to the theme! This will also stop you buying accessories just because you like them, if they don't fit the style. Mood boards are great for matching wallpaper, paint colours, lighting and accessories.
2. Throw away anything you don't or won't use - I was a hoarder, anything home decor related I couldn't throw because it was of value, or so I thought. Until I realised that entire wardrobe of random home pieces I would never use again was actually just a waste of storage. Bit by bit, the items because charity shop bargains, gifts to friends, and eBay junk. Decluttered house, decluttered mind :)
3. Get ideas and advice from people who have tried your ideas - Pinterest is your home decor Bible! Browse for ideas, keep a board for each room to keep track of your ideas, and then follow the links. I saw a great article about a woman who wallpapered her floor and decided then and there I would try it the next day - but I spent a good 2 hours googling techniques, as there were many different ones. Read people's experiences, to help decide which method will work for you.
4. Give each room a point - this is a tip I learned from a mortgage advisor. Whether or not you're going to sell your house one day, each room should be seen to have it's own use.
If you have a spare room, even if you never have people over to stay, set it up as a guest room. Dress the bed, theme the room neutral, and add little extras that add character to the room, such as this adorable wifi password frame.
5. Be brave with textures and patterns - if there's a floral, chevron, or patterned wallpaper you love, do it! We always hear that neutral is best, but that's mainly to sell a house, so if you're planning to stay a while, decorate for you. Be gentle with patterns; instead of papering every wall, have a feature wall, and then add pops of the same colours or patterns from the print around the room, such as framed prints, cushions, throws, curtains or drawer handles!
6. Don't test paint on the wall! - I learned this the hard way! Three beige stripes on the wall, which needed immense sanding, and still you can see their outline through the chosen top coat. Instead, a great idea from Charlotte at The Home That Made Me is to paint a large piece of cardboard or wood and take it around the room.
7. Add colour through accessories - if you're anything like me you'll want to change decor frequently as you see new items and styles in the magazines! One minute its all about pineapples, then pastels, then deer and lumberjack, then minimalist white. I can never keep up! But if you have a neutral basis, so walls and floor, you can change up the soft furnishings as often as you like, which leads us to...
8. Be seasonal! My favourite idea of all. In my spare bedroom, I have four boxes. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. In each, they have my key items for bringing the season to the home. My spring box is unsurprisingly very yellow, with daffodils, yellow chevron cushion covers, and a grey and yellow throw. Winter, on the other hand, is very much red checkered, with throws, cushion covers, burlap bunting, and glittery stags. I buy one new decoration each year to add to the box, but try to reuse all the existing pieces each year for nostalgia and saving money!
