For the past few years it took a while before I felt settled and was able to create the kind of space I wanted. I’ve been in my current location nearly eight months and I really love it. A few simple tips really helped me so I thought I would share them here:

Figure Out Your Personal Style

Before moving I decided to compile a Pinterest board of images I loved. After about ten minutes or so I realised that everything I had chosen looked bright, neutral and free of clutter. At that stage my space was far from that and I realised one of the reasons I never felt my home reflected me was that it was the complete opposite of how I wanted it to be. I would suggest keeping tabs on images you are drawn to and assess why you love them. Is it the bright colours? Is it clear crisp spaces or is it bohemian patterns? You will begin to see a pattern and it helps create a theme. With that in mind I felt much more relaxed letting go of things that, although in good working order, were not my taste.

Only Hold Onto What You Need And Love

With the above tip in mind you may need to let go of some things. I work from home and when it gets too cluttered it's not a nice space to be in. I was scrolling through the archives on my phone and there was a photo of me at my desk from two years ago. There was piles of clutter, newspapers, magazines and products to review all around. Rather than looking bohemian as I might have imagined, it looked overwhelming.

Whilst packing up to move into the home I’m now in I donated so many books, clothes, even crockery and homewares and honestly it felt great. I think it's really important never to allow your home to be a dumping ground and if someone else could be enjoying something you're not using, what's the point in holding on to it?

Think Of Storage Solutions When Buying Furniture

Whenever you look at beautifully styled home shoots in magazines or on TV you will always notice a lot of clear space. One clever addition was two presses that we have on either side of our fireplace. Both house so much stuff I want to hold onto but don't need every day such as the Christmas tree decorations, some really special DVDs I just love to have even though I usually just stream stuff. Look for deep presses, cabinets and basket style storage that hide their contents away. It is a case of out of sight, out of mind here.

Create A Space That Makes You Happy and Prioritise What Matters

There’s a wall on the landing with photos from childhood right up to this Christmas. It's one of my favourite spaces. It also shows off the original beams in the house. The frames are all mismatched, and I keep adding more to it but I think it works well. Also I really wanted a comfy chair in my bedroom that technically doesn't fit but I squeezed it in anyway. In this little space I like to journal, read and just take a little time to myself. It's a quiet corner to escape and reflect. Also I'm really into home fermentation and make my own Kombucha and kefir as well as coconut yogurt -so having a little space for those to brew was important.

Think Of Internal Hygiene

With the arrival of Julie to our now three cat family, ensuring internal hygiene became essential. We have a cat flap and I love them all going outside but we're extremely conscious of what they bring in with them. We started investigating air purifiers and came across the Dyson Hot + Cool Link. This is an incredible device that captures 99.95% of potentially harmful particles as well as eradicating pollution, pollen, mould, bacteria, pet dander and odours from the air.

As well as this, I’m cooking a lot more lately and have noticed that the smells that used to linger, such as garlic and onion, are no longer there when this is in use.
It syncs with an app which you use to activate, schedule and monitor, which is very handy coming home on a freezing day to know the room will be cozy on arrival.

From the app you can see the live air quality and a night mode so it can be quietly on while you sleep.

From a heating perspective it can be used to heat the room you’re in, rather than turning on the central heating all the time, which is more efficient. In the Summer, when it eventually comes, if it gets too hot it can stream cool air.

If In Doubt - Go Neutral

Deciding what colour to paint your walls is actually a very big commitment as you will be looking at them constantly. Whilst in some spaces a strong primary can work so well, personally I always think neutrals create the perfect background. My mum actually helped me choose lots of very pale grey colours. To bring this out, I went for a light blue carpet and pale couch. The cats seem to think this is their scratch post or bed and I invested in some washable throws that thankfully they seem happy to lie on.

Enjoy It

Most importantly a space is to be enjoyed and shared with those you love. It feels so nice to be settled here and I'm looking forward to finally inviting all those people I promised I would have over for dinner!