“Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.” – Vivienne Westwood.
This is our new favourite motto here at inCollective. Quality over quantity. Sustainability over disposability. Meaningfulness over trends. But the idea of ‘less is more’ only works if the things you choose to include in your home add value. How do you do this?
Picture an empty room. This might be your bedroom, lounge room, or outdoor area. White walls. Blank. Ready to be turned into the perfect space.
It is tempting to rush in and fill every visible space with something. Furniture. Paintings. Plants. All this does is clutter the space, making it feel busy and chaotic.
It is easy to flip open any design magazine and simply copy piece for piece an entire styled room. All this does is devoid your room of the most important design element: you.
We are here to tell you there is an easier way to create the perfect room. Simply follow these two pieces of advice:
1. Consider white space.
What is white space? White space is a graphic design term used to describe the space left around elements on the page. Look at this article you are reading now. The white space is quite literally every piece of 'white' you see. This is not an accident. The white space allows the rest of the elements to shine. It allows you to read these words legibly. Focus on the imagery. Navigate your way around the page.
Take this into your home. Leave space for your chosen pieces to pop. Don’t crowd your walls with lackluster art for the sake of filling the gaps. Allow the white space to compliment the key pieces of art that you do love. The same applies for the entire room. Use white space in your home to highlight that amazing armchair, or that gorgeous monsteria plant.
2. Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.
To bring this into your home, you need to put yourself in the designer’s seat. Who are you? What do you love? At the end of the day, you are the one who has to live in your space. Do you love to read? Invest in a beautiful armchair to curl up on on Sunday afternoons. Do you love to entertain? Design your outdoor area with this in mind. Do you have a favourite artist? Buy their art work. And if you don’t love it, don’t buy it. If it is poorly made, seek out better quality. If it doesn’t feel like home when you walk in the door, change it.
Home looks different to each and every one of us. Some of us like minimalist design. Some of us like colour. Some like books from floor to ceiling. Some like indoor jungles. The important thing is not whether your home looks like it has been professionally styled even after the kids have torn through after school. The important thing is that it reflects who you are.
Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. And don’t ignore that white space.
Need help designing your perfect space, or finding that ideal once off piece of furniture? Talk to our talented designers today.