If you’re tired of bland, unimpressive decor, you’ve likely wondered how to incorporate more interesting design into your home. While hanging up photos and store-bought paintings is nice, it lacks the stylish and unique flair you see in many design magazines. Incorporating bolder stylistic choices doesn’t have to be scary. With a few guidelines of our own, you can create conversation points all throughout your home.
Decorating your home in four unique ways
1. Traveling Mementos
One of the best ways to incorporate unique style into your home is by collecting mementos during your vacations and displaying them when you get back home. Snow globes, statues, tickets, and handmade vases are great things to display at the end of the trip.
Not only will this remind you of the trip after it’s over, but it will also make for a great conversation piece when you have visitors. The objects you choose to place as decorations throughout your home are extensions of your personality. In “The Systems of Objects” by Jean Baudrillard, a French sociologist, he mentions that objects that have meaning or sentimental value, like a memento from a great vacation, will continually add warmth and personality to your home.
How to add personality to your home
2. Gemstones
Decoration doesn’t have to just be vases, paintings, and rugs. By incorporating more unique pieces into your home, you get a far more interesting and eye-catching design than with traditional decoration pieces. One example of this is with gemstones and crystals; these natural pieces of art are beautiful, come in many sizes, and can be color-coordinated according to the type of stone you get.
If you have a design scheme that involves reds, blues, and purples, you can get a variety of amethyst stones that will complete your interior. According to FossilEra, you can purchase a large crystal cluster or geode for a relatively low price because they have not been processed as much as a stone for jewelry. These geodes are generally round and can be placed on side tables and counters as you would place a vase or statue.
3. Custom Artwork
Artwork doesn’t have to be mass-produced to be beautiful. There are plenty of ways to get custom artwork into your home: you can commission an artist, visit an art show, or ask a talented family member. The subject of the artwork is most effective when it symbolizes something to you. Whether it’s your grandmother’s favorite animal, a portrait of your pets, or even an artful photograph of your hometown, these pieces should be beautiful in their meaning to you.
Just like a traveling memento, the point of custom artwork is a conversation piece that creates warmth for you and your houseguests. You can find artists offering their services on any major social media platform, just make sure you follow these do’s and don’ts of commissioning artwork. Simply find a person who has a style you enjoy, send them a message asking if they can do your commission, and enjoy your one-of-a-kind decoration.
Commission artwork for your home
4. DIY Projects
In addition to purchasing unique decorations for your home, consider creating your own. With things that you make yourself, you get complete control over the design, color, and size of the piece. It doesn’t have to be art, either. If you have no artistic skill at all, you can still create beautiful DIY projects to complete your decor. A couple of examples for different home styles are:
- Modern homes: for a modern touch, try your hand at concrete molding. With silicone molds and concrete mix, you can create stunning pieces in whatever shape you want. For a modern planter, find a silicone mold in the shape of a 3-D hexagon, mix concrete (with puncture-, tear-, and chemical-resistant nitrile gloves!), and pour the completed mix into the mold. Place a plastic cup the size of your real or fake plant into the middle of the mold for an indention, and let the concrete cure. Sand the planter, paint with solid metallic tones and enjoy your new planter.
- Traditional homes: If you enjoy a more traditional style of home, creating a useful piece out of pallet is the perfect way to add a personal touch to your house. For a coffee mug holder, simply find a clean pallet, sand and stain the wood to your desired tone, and hang it on the wall closest to your coffee or tea station. You can find them for free at home improvement stores, just make sure they are bug-free. Screw cast-iron hooks about 3 inches apart on each slat, then display your prettiest mugs for an easy and practical farmhouse piece.
You don’t have to rely on uninspired paintings and lamps from the store anymore. With these tips, your home will continually impress your family and your guests.
