I'm terrible at interior design. How do I style my house nicely??

[losenotloose]

I know what I like and look at magazines etc but don't seem able to replicate it! We bought some quite expensive curtains a year ago and I hate them. Looking at them know I don't know what I was thinking. This is the kind of mistake I make all the time. I have friends whose house's are stylish, modern etc. How do I do it?!

I'm with you op! I'm hopeless

Curtains to illustrate the point.

Try setting up Pinterest boards?

Instagram is your friend. I know there is a lot of rubbish on there, like any social media site, but follow a few people whose style you like and then you'll know what works. Even looking at houses you don't like will give you ideas - ideas of what to avoid.

And if the things they are using are beyond your budget then there is always a more budget imitation somewhere that gives a roughly similar look.

It depends which trends you're trying to follow!
Some require strategic clutter, some absolutely no clutter etc.
Personally I invest in good pieces of storage furniture which double as something else as we're low on space so it helps keep the clutter away and has another function. Neutral coloured walls with pops of colour. Making sure skirting boards are neat and clean. Unless you ever actually close your curtains, just make sure you like them when they're open so prints that work like that etc.

Yeah I'm not a fan of those. Sorry OP!

Not wanting to sound difficult but I don't want to have to get really into it if you know what I mean, I just want to 'know' what goes. Maybe I'm expecting too much. If I could afford it I'd hire an interior designer!

Don't be sorry, @Biancadelrioisback, I hate them! Any suggestions?!

When it comes to your curtains, either cut your losses and get new ones (if budget allows, and you can always sell your old ones for a few pounds to go towards the new ones) or decide to work with what you have. Keep other things plain, as the curtains are quite busy, and have cushions and throws that pick out one or more of the colours in the curtains.

Group things in uneven numbers, because it looks better (I don't know why!), and personally I don't like things to match too much, but that one is personal taste.

Look on Instagram/pinterest to ascertain the style you like. Spend a bit of time doing this so you are pretty sure.

You could look for a local interior designer to give you a consultation.
First give her a general idea of what style you like.
Get an hourly rate, pre agreed, having given her a spec of your house.
She comes to your house and gives you a curated tour of your house with her ideas and suggestions.

Her tips could save you costly mistakes.

I think William Morris patterns can be used really well but it does kind of have to go with a particular aesthetic or maybe be more of a feature of the room. Maybe try searching William Morris curtains on Pinterest to get some ideas. Or sell them and start again.

I think spent some times looking at interior blogs and Pinterest. Then look for simple aesthetics that you like and can replicate easily.

If you don't like the pattern, is keeping the curtains open an option? If you need curtains that pull across, one option would be to pick a plain colour that matches one of the lighter, neutral colours in the curtains and put them up behind the patterned curtains. You can pull those curtains instead and keep the patterned ones for decoration.

I'll have to start looking on Pinterest. Sadly I can't afford to hire someone.

I'm going to get rid of the curtains as soon as possible. Dh is not impressed!

Are they a William Morris print - strawberry thief? I think they are a bold choice and you need to continue that for them to look deliberate and stylish. So the issue is not so much the curtains but the magnolia walls. If you painted the walls and skirting boards the dark red background it would look very striking but is also a suitably classic style for a dining room.

If you can’t recreate your own room in the style you like just copy everything from someone you’ve seen on Pinterest, Instagram or in an interiors mag. I love your William Morris curtains but maybe there not very in style with your idea of modern. Try white curtains or blinds rather than patterned or a white on white pattern.

What kind of house do you have OP? I’d try to find similar ones on Instagram and shamelessly copy!
A good starting point is to try and settle on a theme - ie. it might be odd to have one room with very bright colours and another with pastels / neutrals. And then layer from there.
If you’re really struggling, keep it simple and neutral - lots of white and grey with some coloured accessories. You can’t go wrong out you keep it middle of the road.

If you dont like them stick them on ebay. I just sold a standard pair or dunelm curtains for not much less than I paid 4 years ago!

I think the problem with some of the instagram/pinterest stuff is that is looks amazing in pictures but ott in real life. Have you got any friend's with good taste. Some people just have an inbuilt knack for this sort of thing...I don't unfortunately!

Those william morris curtains need dark walls and art deco/art nouveau /arts and crafts styling IMO. They don't go with magnolia walls and farmhouse golden oak floors/furniture

OP I would set up a houzz account and then just spend a few evenings flicking through pictures and pinning anything you vaguely like. After a few days, go through your saved pictures and you will begin to see themes emerge showing what you like. I personally prefer the US Houzz site to the UK site since I like the New England style and my house is big and suits the more "designed" style.

Then you literally copy it. You'll soon see for example that you've saved loads of stuff with dark wooden floors, or black built in cupboards with gold handles, or nautical colours, or marble or botanical prints. This helps you to refine your style and pinpoint what you like and what you don't like.

At the moment your curtains could easily blend with stuff that's on trend since there is masses of art deco stuff around and art nouveau/arts and crafts can blend with this since it would still have been around when art deco kicked off.

I actually love that fabric!! Really good choice OP, The issue is that the print is heavy, Could you have someone remake them with light coloured plain fabric 3/4 of the way down and this print on the bottom? Then use the leftover fabric to make tie backs and some cushion covers

I often wonder this then realise that I dont have any flair/style. I have been given most of what we do have, Furniture is cheap chipboard. curtains faded hand me downs. None matches. Wall colour? I'll get my coat!

I'm hopefully moving later this year. I hope I can get matching stuff then.

@CountFosco yes they are! The walls are actually white. I feel they are too busy for me and don't go with our low ceiling, ex council house.

@StarShapedWindow white might be a good idea. Or is white walls and curtains too much?

I love them! What about having them made into some cushions? I'd keep everything neutral with a few accents, then they can easily be changed.

I like the curtains but I think they aren't hung to their best and would be better if they seemed thicker and weighty. But anyway I totally understand where you are coming from! No advice really.

Also- go for a feature wall in a rich Edwardian bottle green or almost navy blue, this will ground the fabric and is hella on trend

But they wouldn't go in my house for example.