A beginners guide to styling: 10 steps to accessorising any space

Styling a space can be daunting. If you're faced with a blank space it can often be difficult to know where to start, so I'm back with a new edition of my 'Beginners Guides' series, this time with tips on transforming a room from empty space to a beautifully styled. 

So you've decorated your room, chosen the furniture and had a lovely new floor laid. But what now? If you're struggling with the small stuff, then here's my ten steps to styling your dream room, and finding that all-important balance between accessorising to perfection and cluttering a space up. 

Ten steps to accessorising any space

Step one: Decide on a colour scheme

First things first, decide on a colour scheme for your new room. You’ll probably already have chosen your paint and any furniture shades, but in order to tie everything together you should choose a few complimentary shades to keep in mind when choosing accessories. 

So for example, if you’ve gone for an off-white walls, and a neutral-coloured sofa, choose one or two complimentary ‘accent’ tones such as pink and green, and try to stick to these through your accessories. This will help you to tie everything together when styling. 

I’ve mentioned this many times before, but I tend to stick with neutral colours with the big bits of furniture, meaning I can switch the colours of my accessories according to seasons and as my tastes change.   

When I'm struggling with where to start with a colour scheme, I like to put together a mood board using images from Pinterest, Instagram and in magazines. Choose pictures you’re drawn to and you’ll soon start to see some patterns emerging, which will help you with deciding which direction to go in. 

Step two: Add warmth

Empty, un-styled rooms can often appear cold so add some warmth through a soft rug and cosy throw. Warmth can also be added through colour too - choose warmer tones such as reds and browns. 

Step three: Add texture 

Think about the different types of materials and therefore textures you could add to the room through cushions and throws. This doesn't only apply to fabric though, dried flowers, plants, baskets and even wall hangings.  

Step four: Add personality 

Frame some photos and get them on show. Not only will this work to fill any blank space on your shelves, it'll also add some personality and instantly make a room feel like home. Choose similar coloured frames to tie in with your chosen scheme. 

Step five: Fill the walls with prints to create a gallery wall

Blank un-filled walls can feel uninspiring, so why not add a gallery wall? Stick to your accent colours, and choose varying shapes of print, and add some personality with other accessories such as wall hangings. Alternatively, go for a more uniform look and choose photos of a similar colour, hanging them in identical frames. 

Step six: Small accessories on a shelf 

When styling a shelf with accessories I stick to three rules: Using Odd numbers of items will appear much more pleasing to the eye. I usually stick with groups of three. Try to alternate the height of your items to add some contrast and draw the eye upwards. And finally, make sure to choose colours that compliment each other and the theme of your room.  

Beginners tip: Not sure what accessories to choose? Start with a candle, a couple of hardback coffee table books in your chosen colour scheme, and a pretty vase. 

Step seven: Soft lighting 

Use soft lighting to soften the edges of a room and add an element of coziness. Overhead lighting can often appear harsh, but some strategically-placed table lamps will work to brighten up all corners. 

Step eight: Add greenery through plants

It's always a good idea to add some plants in any room - not only will they add a pop of colour, but add some life to a room too. If you're no good at keeping plants alive (like me!) try some artificial plants instead - I blogged about my favourite places to buy faux plants here. 

Step nine: Add a mirror

Always a great way of making a space feel bigger, as well as filling a gap, pop up a large mirror. I have at least one in most rooms in my house, and actually have two in my tiny living room. Placing one above furniture, like mantlepieces or sofas, is always a great place to start. 

Step ten: Less is more

And finally, one of the best tips I can give is to not let a space get cluttered with 'stuff'. Not only will make the room feel smaller, it will also feel a bit hectic. Finding a balance between too much and too little is hard, but leaving some 'negative space' on a shelf or wall will actually make a room feel larger. You can find my top tips for styling a small space here.  

How do you approach styling a new space? Have I left anything out? 

Thanks for reading, 

Sam Xx