Welcome back to Interior Talk! A monthly series where we chat about all things home decor and interiors. All these questions were submitted through the question box over on Instagram earlier in the week and I’m excited to chat through each of them!
You can check out the last Interior Talk post here if you want to keep reading.
Accent wall – yes or no?
As with all decor, you have to determine what feels good to you! But from a strictly “trend” perspective, I would say that accent walls are generally not as “in” as they used to be (says the girl who’s still considering a wallpaper accent wall in her office). Wall treatments or colour on all four walls is more of the trend now.
Trying to find art for a vertical wall in the kitchen (~8’ x3’), not a fan of gallery walls. Ideas?
I would do two framed pieces of art stacked on top of each other for a spot like this. Something that is fairly coordinated is what comes to mind. I think this print and this print stacked would look perfect in a kitchen.
Just bought a home and not sure where to start!
Start dreaming! Create a Pinterest board for each room (you can see all of mine here) and start to figure out the style you want. Then make a list of the rooms you want to focus on starting from most important to least important and build out one space at a time. Don’t be afraid to wait and save for pieces you truly love and will want to keep for a long time rather than rushing and getting items just to fill the space up. Empty space with potential is better than a filled space you’re dissatisfied with.
How to decide on a vibe for a room and how to tie things together?
I always start with a Pinterest binge to figure out a direction for a room. I search for spaces that are similarly sized and similarly shaped and start pinning images that stand out. From there, I will comb back through my saves and see if there are any notable themes/styles coming out. That helps me figure out the direction for the space.
I always have things in mind for my house decor but can’t seem to execute it, where should I start?
Whenever I’m feeling this way about a space in our home, it’s usually because I’m trying not to spend much money and I keep purchasing small items that aren’t exactly what I want because they cost less. But then the room is filled with knick knacks and the space doesn’t come together in the way I envision. Also, a bit controversial but don’t go to Homesense for “inspiration”. That’s like walking into the grocery store when you’re hungry. You end up making bad choices.
I always say that less is more when you’re starting out with a space. Strip it all back and start building one piece at a time. The fundamentals you need to nail down for most rooms is wall colour, a great rug, the big ticket furniture pieces (couch, bed, table, etc) so start with those. I typically begin with the wall colour or the rug because my furniture taste tends to be quite neutral and easy to match – but if you like more colour in your furniture, you might want to start there. I would say choose one thing (wall colour, rug OR big piece of furniture) that you absolutely love and then build out from there. After that, start adding in accents to fill it out once you’ve figured out more of the style of the room.
And learn to love the process! Rooms and decor are ever-evolving and the process takes time! View it as a hunt to collect pieces you love and you’ll enjoy it more rather than feeling dissatisfied that it’s never finished.
Any sources for area rugs that go well with neutral decor (and rug sizing)? I’m lost!
All of the rugs in our home are from Loloi – I have a bit of an obsession. They’re all linked on the “shop my home” page here. You can’t buy Loloi rugs directly from them, you have to go through a supplier. They’re carried on Amazon, Rugs Direct (if you’re in the US), and Wayfair.
Another source that I’ve used and been happy with in the past is Rugs USA. I would say the quality is a bit lower than Loloi but they still make great rugs and at a lower price point which is nice on the wallet.
Are gallery walls still in?
Gallery walls are still in if they’re done right. I would say there are two general approaches to take for a great gallery wall.
1. Make it big. If you’re putting together a gallery wall using modern art or family photos with modern frames, you should not be using small frames for that. It instantly makes it look outdated. A few examples of great modern gallery walls are here and here.
2. The exception to the small frame rule is if you’re going the vintage route, then you can get away with a mix of small frames and large frames (but there should ALWAYS be large frames in the mix). This is a great example of a gallery wall using vintage art and this is another one that caught my eye.
What do you do to keep your huge plants alive?
Water at least once a week, fertilize with Plant Vitamins ‘Thrive’ (use code: Debbie10 for 10% off!), keep them in a sunny spot and whisper sweet nothings to them. Check out this post for a whole bunch of winter-specific tips for taking care of plants!
What are your best tips for ensuring quality while shopping online? Online shopping is scary.
I’m obsessive about reviews and I also will sometimes search the brands tagged photos on Instagram and reach out to actual people who have the piece I’m eyeing (if it’s big ticket item). I also don’t ever order something if they have a horrible return policy because I’m too nervous to risk it.
Best white paint colour for the walls?
We have Benjamin Moore’s White Dove in our house and I love it. It’s the perfect creamy white with warm undertones. We used a cool white in our last house and I didn’t love the feel of that so knew I wanted to go with a warmer white in this house. A good rule of thumb is if you get a lot of a natural light, a warmer white usually works better. If it’s fairly dark in your space, a cooler white will brighten up the space.
Any upcoming projects for your house?
A few! The big one on my mind is our backyard. We’re planning to do that in the spring so I’ll be researching backyard layouts, plants, flowers, etc. We have a tiny backyard area but we’re hoping to really maximize the space!
Besides that, I have a little powder room refresh in mind and then a small project in my office. Nothing major on the horizon though! Just continuing to pick away at finishing the spaces in our home. Down the road, we’ll need to do something with our guest room (it’s currently just a mattress on the floor cause it’s not much of a priority when no one is travelling) and also a little laundry room project.
Thanks for all your thoughtful questions!
Xx
