How to make your home unique to you

It can sometimes feel a little difficult to create a home that is unique, in a market where we’re encouraged to buy with the masses.

When you visit a space, whether it’s a home, a hotel or a restaurant, and you have a wow moment, it feels magic.

An interior which makes you feel good, feel instantly comfortable, and lifts up your mood is something quite special.

We’re quick to notice a ‘bad’ interior, and this is often one which doesn’t function well, one where you find it tight to move around, where it’s not easy to find what you’re looking for, which could be bad signage or poor lighting, where there’s no table to rest a cup, or where it makes it hard to have a conversation; in simpler terms, that the area does not suit the need of the people using it.

Is a bland space void of personality as bad? Think of a holiday rental, generally fit for use but lacking any sort of visual memory, experience or things to look at. How can we ensure out home doesn’t fall into the same category?

Consider firstly that you’ve got the space working for you as best as possible – not everyone is in a position to start from scratch with furniture, or to adjust walls and door locations as much as we may want to, but assess what can be done within your capabilities. Take it room by room, or even corner by corner; are there are any issues?

Would shelving on the wall be helpful in freeing up counter space, would removing all of the photos squashed together on the top of the unit in the corner and creating something a little more intentional bring some calm?

What if an ottoman or coffee table was brought in and another neat chair, so that it became an area to encourage conversation or games, rather that focusing all the furniture at a TV? Could that shelving unit I bring in be an opportunity to show my own style?

Are there any passions within the house that can be facilitated – an area to play music, a comfortable chair with book shelves and a decent lamp to create a reading nook, a Lego making, or drawing haven?

First and foremost, the space has to function – there’s no point even considering the aesthetics or visuals if it doesn’t work well. After contemplating this, think what it is that can make your home unique!? What makes you unique is your tastes, your preferences, your experiences and history – nobody can replicate you and what you’ve been through, so how can we make our home showcase our wonderful diversity?

We’re lucky we have so many options on how to acquire things to update our home, between local makers, online sellers, many shops, second hand sites, markets, DIY tutorials, paint samples and rehoming items from our relatives’ houses!

Simply stick with what you like, what you’re drawn to, and what makes your little heart sing – trust yourself, don’t try to replicate someone else. By all means be inspired and research – but there’s nothing more boring than the same, is there?

Do you like to wear bright colours or lean to neutrals? Do you like contemporary art, vintage pieces or love a mix of both? If you wish you were a little braver with your design choices, then start with one thing – it’s much easier to keep going once you start and the first decision is always the hardest.

Begin with a cushion, a blanket with a quirky pattern, a print which you can frame up properly, and build from there. Start with a corner or a wall and create a space you’re proud of that reflects you and the people you live with.

Constraints can work here to help focus – paint a large block – if it’s a single wall, paint 20cm in from each area and use this to showcase a selection of photos, prints and artwork. A mix of all creates a much more interesting and dynamic look, rather than all photos which can be very flat. This paint move is very intentional rather than a ‘feature wall’ of old.

How about a vintage travel poster from your favourite holiday? There’s some wonderful Irish ones available too. Or a poster from a concert you went to, a portrait of the family drawn by a child when framed up can be so beautiful, then a painting or artwork with some texture – perhaps a piece of lace from your granny, or an embroidered bit of fabric which you loved the colour in, or from the local charity shop you found a frame which had some orange bits in it that you were drawn to.

Go back in time, get some history on the walls – photos of your grandparents when they were children, a card your mum sent you, a piece of music you used to practice over and over, a record or album cover of your first dance – all these things that are a reflection of you, and your history are things you should proudly showcase and which you won’t see in someone else’s home.

Photos can be more dynamic when they’re close up, when they’re showing personality and capturing a moment – those posed school photos don’t bring any joy to a room and I have yet to see one showing a child’s big personality.

This can be offset with a bold stripe background, a bright yellow ceiling, panelling or a soft biscuit neutral; it’s all so personal and what you like. I’ll always encourage you to be brave with your paint choice, and to paint the whole room rather than a single wall, to go for the darker shade if you want a rich room, and to not forget the ceiling.

Low level lighting, whether it’s a table lamp, floor lamp or wall light (lots of plug-in options are available now) will always be a good idea, this can be a second hand base and a new stripey shade. There’s always small ways to make something a little different, but lighting is always a good addition to a room.

There’s no hard and fast rules for a successful interior – yes there’s definitely minimum space needed to move through, and as mentioned at the beginning, there’s no point putting a chair somewhere if it’s going to cause more hassle than joy - but what makes a unique home is one that you can see yourself in, filled with areas which make you smile.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cork-based Interior architect and designer Rachel Hobbs loves to talk good design whenever possible. She knows that people require a flexible approach to design and loves to understand her clients’ needs and create a design which will elevate the experience within the spaces for each user. She enjoys seeing people have fun while building a design, and understands that no project can be replicated because no clients are exactly the same.