Stuck in a rut? 10 tips to improve your confidence in interior design
How confident are you when it comes to styling your home, your way? Our research shows that 26% of us would like to use more colours in our home; 21% would like to be more creative with lighting; and 40% of us admit we would feel more relaxed if our interiors reflected our personalities. So what’s holding us back? Well - with three quarters of us believing that it takes real confidence to make bold interior choices for our homes, we think it’s fear of making mistakes that is stopping us from creating homes we love.
“Making a decision on your home décor doesn’t need to be make-or-break – styling is a journey of experimenting and discovering your personal preferences,” says our design and confidence expert Tiwalola Ogunlesi. “You’ve got to be unapologetic about your choices. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn about your personal taste through experimentation. One person’s ‘bold and adventurous’ might be another person’s ‘too busy and over-the-top’ - what matters most is that your choices feel true to you and your own personal taste. To stop playing safe and be bolder, there are steps we can take to feel more confident in our decor decisions and curate a space that works well for us.” Ready to start creating a home you love, that showcases your unique taste? Check out Tiwalola’s top tips on improving your interior design confidence below.
1. Let go of fear
Fear of making mistakes in your design choices forcing you to play it safe? You might be surprised to learn that according to our research, two of the top five design choices homeowners regret were actually as simple as selecting cheap furniture that went on to break, and opting for a colour scheme that was too neutral. As with everything in life, mistakes will happen, and styling your home is a learning experience - what doesn’t work today might lead you to something even better tomorrow.
If you’re finding this difficult, try writing down a list of all your fears ahead of a project, and figuring out what the worst outcome would be for each one. In some cases, it might not be as bad as you first think - or there might be an easy way to mitigate or fix the problem; like asking for a second opinion, swapping out a paint colour, or reconfiguring a room’s layout.
And if you do end up making a mistake? Tiwalola has some great advice - “If you do feel like you’ve made a bad move, like overcrowding a room, give yourself permission to go back to the drawing board and try something new or different.”
2. Gain confidence from small steps
Build trust and confidence in yourself by experimenting with small decisions first. Overthinking stalls progress, and clarity comes from baby steps. You can start with low-stakes decisions that are easy or low cost to adjust; like paint colours or accessories - or, you can select the largest piece of furniture in the room first, and build out from there. With each decision, you’ll build a little confidence, and over time these choices will get easier and easier to make.
3. Pause, reflect, decide
If you’re on the fence about a decision, don’t rush the process. Take 24-48 hours to let your ideas or choices settle - looking with fresh eyes can turn hesitation into confident decisions. The old saying ‘sleep on it’ really does ring true, particularly for design choices.
And don’t forget, it doesn’t matter what social media says - you don’t have to makeover a whole room all in one go. It’s perfectly fine to tackle a redecoration project piece by piece, and let yourself live for a while with each decision.
4. Ask for help
There’s no shame in getting a second opinion or speaking to an expert, talking through your ideas can spark even better creative solutions. Perhaps a trusted friend or family member can help? Or, you can get help from our personal shoppers right here at DFS - with years of experience helping customers design their ideal spaces, and a comprehensive knowledge of furniture pieces, they’re the ideal sounding board for your redecorating ideas. You can pop into your local DFS store or speak to an expert online, too.
5. Prioritise what’s most important
Is it the style, quality, availability, or cost? It’s not always possible to have them all, so start with what you value most. Are you making over a space on a deadline? Then top of your list might be quick delivery furniture, or simple redecoration updates, like a new area rug or peel-and-stick wallpaper. Perhaps you have a set budget in mind? Make yours stretch by seeking out special offers, taking on some DIY decorating, upcycling something you already have - or simply spread the cost of your furniture with an interest free credit plan.
6. Work within your budget
A limited budget doesn’t mean you have to play safe! Explore alternative or lookalike products; look out for seasonal deals or clearance bargains; or try your hand at DIY and unleash your inner creativity. Many furniture retailers also offer interest free credit to make your makeover more affordable! DFS customers can spread the total cost of their order over up to 3 years with interest free credit - and the option of no deposit up front.
7. Be unapologetic about your choices
You can’t please everyone, and that’s ok! Not everyone is going to like your design choices… but guess what? It’s YOUR home not theirs! There aren’t many places in life where we can make choices on our own terms that don’t have to please other people - but we think our homes should be one of them. So whether you’re obsessed with orange, can’t get enough of cobalt blue, or think every piece of upholstery should be covered in jewel toned velvet - trust your gut, and go for what YOU want in your space.
8. Know your taste
As with all manifestations and planning, creating a vision board that brings together inspiration can work really well to help you decide on the interiors you love. It’s particularly helpful if you struggle to visualise colours, furniture pieces or accessories together - the simple act of placing them close to each other on a vision board is often enough to make a decision on whether you like them combined.
There’s plenty of ways to create a vision board - from simply saving images on Pinterest or Instagram, to creating a collage on tools like Canva or Photoshop. You can even go old-school and print out images, collaging them on a physical vision board! This has the added benefit of letting you add physical objects like paint and fabric swatches, as well as see your ideas in the real-life lighting of the room you’re redecorating, which can make all the difference.
9. Follow your curiosity
Your intuition is your best friend, so we suggest looking out for common patterns or styles you gravitate towards - e.g. modern, rustic, eclectic, vibrant. Interior design rules are made to be broken, so who says you can’t have a modern, colourful space? Or an eclectic, rustic one? Blending different aesthetics is a great way to find unique combinations that showcase your personal style.
10. Consider your lifestyle
You know yourself best, so try reflecting on how you want to live and feel in your home, then think about what functional elements and design features can help you achieve your lifestyle goals. Want to read more? A cosy armchair and reading lamp makes snuggling up with a book all the more inviting. Phone always running out of battery? A sofa with built-in charging could be super practical. Constantly battling clutter? Plenty of furniture pieces can add hidden storage in otherwise ‘dead space’ - from footstools and sofas to ottoman beds. Our homes are always a balance of practicality and aesthetics, but these things aren’t mutually exclusive - some choices can add both.
More ways to discover your interior style
Our taste in interiors is always growing, changing and evolving - and it never hurts to explore new ideas that might influence future projects! Check out some of our favourite tools below, designed to help you discover and refine your taste in interiors.
