How To Add Personality To Your Interiors

Whether you’ve just moved into a new build, an established home that’s not to your taste, or you’ve been looking at the same décor for years, chances are you could do with adding a bit of personality to your interiors. Any interior, luxury or otherwise, should express the character of its occupants. Without that individuality, you run the risk of it feeling like a show home. We all know that show homes are beautifully styled, but they are still not you. We should say at this point that there is a subtle difference between adding character and adding personality. We will touch on character here but what we really want to talk about is how to add personality. How to take your blank canvas and add that extra layer of distinctiveness – the essence of you.

Add personality to your interiors, Provence villa, loveseat with lamps and sculptures — *Colours, artworks and individual pieces display your own unique personality*

Add Character to your Interiors

Character is what takes your interiors from bland to beautiful. Think of it as adding layers of interest. This could be textures of fabrics and soft furnishings or adding depths of colour to alleviate an overall neutral base. The warmth of wooden floors or the glamour of metallic finishes can lift an interior. Throws, cushions, rugs and lighting all combine to take your décor to that next level. This is what show home stylists excel at – adding layer upon layer of warmth, texture and interest. If you are doing up rental properties or refurbishing simply to sell, this is where you would stop. Prospective renters or buyers need to see that there is potential to make this home their own. However, if this is your home, only you can take it that step further by adding your own personality. Of course, if you are using an interior designer, you need to communicate that personality and let them do the leg work. Or you may prefer them to leave spaces for items you intend to search for yourself.

Add personality to your interiors, Onslow Gardens apartment, bedroom — *Use layers of texture to add warmth and character before adding those personal touches*

Enjoy Adding Personality

For many of us, adding personality is the most fun part of the interior design process. It’s where we get to let our hair down and be ourselves. We don’t have to follow the rules – although too many additions could end up looking cluttered. Your personality may be quirky, colourful and surrounded by a plethora of pieces with stories to tell. It may be minimalist and unobstructed, with one or two statement pieces. Most of us fall somewhere between the two and only you know what makes you happy.

Add personality to your interiors, Windsor Town House, living room — *Cool abstract artwork, quirky lighting, bold geometrics and touches of gold for a young, professional couple*

Add Personality with Accessories

The easiest way to add personality is with accessories. Granted, you may choose to have a flamboyant, statement sofa, a grand antique door or a reclaimed stained glass window. However, smaller accessories are a simple way to incorporate things you love, things that speak to you. And they can be changed around to suit your mood or the seasons. They can be brand, spanking new, vintage or antique. Things you’ve owned for a while but have never known where to put. Gifts or items you have collected over the years. Pieces such as lanterns or candle holders can add height and drama during the day and a magical glow as darkness falls. Jewellery and trinket boxes look beautiful whilst keeping clutter at bay. Ornaments and objets d’art are purely decorative and are there because you find them intriguing.

*Vintage-style maps, textured bowls and lush foliage add personality to a calm, contemporary interior*

Add Personality with Vintage Finds

Now, some of you may wish to skip past this paragraph. Juliette herself loves contemporary glamour. Vintage is not her cup of tea at all. We know, however, that many of you love to seek out that unique je ne sais quoi that cannot be found off the peg. Old cameras or a typewriter for a study or man cave. A vintage clock for your mantelpiece. An antique chandelier for your dining room or stairwell. A stack of beautiful old books for your bookshelves or coffee table. Yes, even high end homeowners frequent flea markets. Let’s face it, some of the most fabulous and fashionable items are to be found at any one of the hundreds of French brocantes – always our favourite vintage find destination. If you have a real passion for interiors, antiques and finding exclusive, individual pieces, flea markets are your friend. You don’t have to go to France either (although it’s always a good excuse). Just look out for antiques fairs and markets in your local area. Go with an idea of what you are looking for (and make sure you take a tape measure) but be prepared to come away with something completely different on the day.

Add personality to your interiors, vintage typewriter, French flea market — *Vintage typewriter at a brocante in Nice. Image courtesy of Offbeat France*

Add Contemporary Personality

If, like Juliette, you prefer a touch of contemporary style, the world is your oyster. Accessories come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny ornaments and trinket boxes to plinths, pedestals, busts and baubles. Start by doing a Pinterest search to find the look you like. Make your own pin board – or several. Then start searching for similar pieces. If you love browsing, start with local shops or make a trip to any specialist outlets or galleries. The beauty of new accessories is that the majority can be bought online. For something truly individual, consider commissioning a piece – a painting, textiles, glass or a striking sculpture. Search for local artists whose work you admire and go along for a chat. You will end up with something absolutely up to date but that no one else has. A commissioned artwork surely has to be the ultimate piece of personality.