Home Decor – Expert Advice For A Beautiful Home

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Struggling With Home Decor Ideas For Your Home?

Are you free right now? Come and visit this Show House with me, where I will be sharing home decor tips and ideas.

Today I will be sharing with you –

• Home decor advice and suggestions to help you style your home
• Show House knowledge you may not have discovered before
• Interior Inspiration Tips – Watch out for these throughout the post as an extra bonus
• Ideas on how to add your personality to bedrooms
• My photos from the visit to inspire you
• Links to my Pinterest boards for further home decor inspiration on particular furnishings

(if you are familiar with my Show House posts you can skip down to the start of the visit) 

How will visiting a Show House help with your home decor?

Show Homes only have one purpose – to look so utterly amazing that you want to buy it now! Therefore, it is logical to believe that the house-builders will put a fair bit of effort into all their Show House’s. Most will create each one with hot new interior trends and styling techniques which will make them attractive to buyers (= sales).

And that is the part where you can gain insight into the latest Interior trends. The colours, finishes, and fabrics that the Interior Designer has chosen, as well as how they have used them, can give you brilliant ideas for your home.

The interior styling also has to withstand the test of time. For instance, it may be a large development and they may be building (and selling) on-site for many years to come. It can be time-consuming and not always geographically logical to visit a Show House. So, why not let me do the hard part and I will share with you fresh home decor ideas that I have found.

INTERIOR TIP: Love an item or piece of furniture? The Sales Advisor should be able to provide the Designer’s details for further information.

Before we get started with our Show House visit today…

There is one thing though to bear in mind with any Show House. The price bracket of the properties being sold will determine the budget that is spent. In other words, the pricier the property the more exclusive the finishes are.

There are so many great styling tips and home decor ideas that can be taken and recreated. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what the Show House budget was or what your budget is.

Secret Home Designer can help you with your home decor

This is what I love about the advice I share on Secret Home Designer. You may have a studio apartment or a six-bedroom mansion but every space has the potential to look amazing. There is a ton of interior ideas here in Secret Home Designer. Find the ones that appeal most and work them into your home decor.

INTERIOR TIP: Use a Show House as a point of interior inspiration. If you see an item that you love, but it’s £££ (or you just know that it’s expensive) try and find something similar on the high street or online. However, you may have to compromise on some details but you may like that piece even better!

Time to come and join me on my tour around this Show House. I hope you go away with some great home decor Inspiration.

Today, I am excited to show you this lovely Show House by Cala Homes. It is furnished beautifully and has some great homely and welcoming features that I will share with you below.

As we go through this Show House today, notice that the styling has a mix of modern and industrial design details. These elements can create a masculine feel to an interior. This style focus’s on strong materials, rich colours along with the need for comfort and practicality.

  The outcome is a beautiful blend of styles that you can take inspiration for your home decor if this look appeals to you. Below, I will be sharing with you interior design inspiration and top tips so let’s get started.

Oh and I really apologise for the quality of these photos. I have tried to edit as much as my skills allow me to but my phone camera wasn’t liking me this day.

ENTRANCE

The Show House has frosted glass panels either side of the front door, helping light flow into the large entrance area. It is a lovely space and shows off the scale of the property we are entering.

INTERIOR TIP – If you are renewing the front door of your home at any point, consider glass panels. This will allow light to flow into your hallway if there is restricted natural light. It is also a lovely detail to brighten up the space and create a welcoming area.

With a large hallway, there is space to add furniture pieces that would normally be restricted in smaller hallways. At the foot of the stairs, a chair has been added to the ‘nook’ area. This is an attractive feature to add as it can be functional as well as decorative. Also, if it is near the cloakroom then it would be perfect for using whilst putting on shoes etc. 

For more inspiration on how to use ‘nook’ spaces, pop over to my Pinterest board that I have created especially for this post. It’s a great way to see how others have used these empty spaces.

Lighting

Raw materials, such as wood and metal, are used throughout this Show House giving a nod to the industrial era. In the above photo, you can see mixed tones of metal finishes have been used in both the ceiling and wall light.

The ceiling light is an industrial style, with its black finish and an exposed light bulb that works beautifully to compliment the wood on the doors and banister handrails. Combining mixed design styles can be challenging but take your time. The most important focus is finding the right pieces that will work well in your home.

Artwork – Add personality to your home decor

If you want to add personality to your entrance area one of the best ways is to add artwork that you love. You could make the most of a large wall area by placing a large art piece as a feature or if your space is limited, try placing multiple frames of a smaller size. 

INTERIOR TIP – If you want to keep your frame styling modern, try placing the frames neatly beside or below each other with small gaps between them. Or, do you want to inject some fun personally into your colour scheme? You could use coloured frames or different styles and sizes that will create a focal point in your hallway.

Above, you can see this antler wall piece used to display a hat collection which continues the natural/raw style with the deer detail and metal tones. You will notice there are hints of mixed metals tones carried throughout the whole Show House.

Clever design details allow items to be functional but also adds personality,  it is your home after all!

LIVING ROOM

This living room is very welcoming and cosy looking. The colour palette is neutral with earthy accent tones to add interest.

I really like the burnt orange colour that has been used in this room. It compliments the neutral colours whilst warming up the space. Black accents have been brought into the room which helps to bring darker tones into the finishes, giving a harmonious balance between the light and dark colours.

This colour scheme helps to soften and balance the raw materials of metal and wood. It allows each element to compliment the next without being too harsh for the room.

Curtains

The curtains look very grand due to the height and fullness of the fabric. This look really frames the windows and instantly draws your attention. If you like this design detail, bear in mind, where there is a lot of fabric there will be a lot of cost.

You have to think of it as an investment. Feature curtains can really make your home decor have that extra wow you may be looking for.

And, if you decide this style is for you, then I would advise picking a fabric that will last the test of time. For instance, other elements of the room can be changed as your taste changes but ensure your curtains will still be usable for many years to come.

One of my favourite design details is taking curtains outward over the unused wall. It frames your window better and fills up empty wall space that is unusable. Also, the height of your curtain pole is a personal preference and based on many factors. There are ‘rules’ based on proportions etc but as interior design is always changing, styles and preferences are also changing.

Blinds

There are so many styles when it comes to curtains and blinds. I will be discussing more in another post very soon so keep an eye out for that.

These roman blinds have mini pelmets at the top which provides a perfect detail for finishing the look of the blind. This is where an experienced curtain/blind maker can really add attention to detail that you will not get on the high street.

INTERIOR TIP – If you have other windows in your room you could use the same material on all your windows or you could mix it up. To achieve this you could use different fabrics and tie your room together by using the combination of the fabrics in your cushions.

Curtain Tiebacks

There are so many curtain tie back ideas to suit any taste or style. So, it really is worth spending some time to find the best match for your curtains. In the photo above, the curtain holdbacks are simple and unobtrusive. This style is great if you have a lot of fabric and are looking for a modern solution.

Furniture

The furniture in this room is scaled perfectly. The matching side lamps match well with the sofa fabric, tying together the neutral colour scheme. The height of the side lamps also helps to draw your attention upward to the curtains. This lets you appreciate the full scale of the room.

You may also notice in many interiors that symmetry is used to balance a room and keep it pleasing to the eye. This room has it built-in with symmetrical side windows!

INTERIOR TIP – You could have bespoke lampshades made for you in a fabric that matches your home decor. Ideal if you find the perfect base but the shade doesn’t suit.

This large wooden chest fits perfectly into this room. It works well by pulling out the darker tones that have been used sparingly throughout the room. I love how it has been used as a coffee table but it also has a casualness to use it as a footstool without getting told to get your feet off the table.

This room has a lovely rustic, raw feel that helps to make a room much more comfortable and liveable. Not all Show House’s are decorated with high gloss and glass. So, it is great that I get to show you this one in particular which has successfully mixed styles together. 

Do you like the natural and earthy style? I would love to know in the comments below.

Fireplace

The fireplace and mirror are a great focal point for this room. The scale and finishes work really well at pulling the darker tones together in the room whilst keeping the style simple and unfussy. This looks very much like a room you can be immediately comfortable in unlike some living rooms that are kept for more formal occasions.

INTERIOR TIP – Lying a mirror on top of your fireplace is another way to keep your space less formal if you are trying to create a relaxed space. 

Can you see how the fireplace pulls out the dark tones from the sideboard? There is also the black picture frames. All these details help to break a room scheme up so you don’t get one colour overbearing a room. The occasion chair fits perfectly into this room and by using lighter fabric it brightens up this corner nicely. 

Lighting

Always try and use different lighting throughout your room. If you have a reading corner similar to the photo above, make sure the lamp you buy gives off the correct amount of light you need and it is at the correct height for doing so.

Placing table and floor lamps help to eliminate dark spots in your room. This keeps the lighting balanced and the room usable for many different tasks. 

Wallpaper

A very subtle metallic wallpaper has been used throughout this room and it really works. Only when light is directly on the wallpaper do you see the fine detail of the shimmer.

This could be a good choice for your home decor if you aren’t a fan of shiny finishes but would like subtle detail in your wall coverings.

Only small accents of metallic finishes in the accessories can be seen in this room which is the perfect amount as they help to pull together the metal finishes of the hall ceiling lights as well as complimenting the fabric choices.

Doors

Now, is anyone else loving the double doors?

Having a large doorway into a room really opens up the spaces and blends them seamlessly together. Especially if the flooring continues between the spaces also. Having glass panels within your doors is a great way to open up rooms even when the doors are closed. The only drawback of double doors is you will lose wall space but if your room is already large enough then…..why not. 

Double doors on my wishlist….tick.

KITCHEN

Living Area

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We enter this room in the living space. The natural-style finishes have been carried throughout the full room. The flooring has a mix of marble-effect tiles with wood inserts to create a bold flooring finish. This works well to link all the separate zones together and create a nice visual flow.

Has anyone been adventurous with their flooring? I would love to know in the comments below.

Kitchen Area

The large scale of the room makes this kitchen, dining and living space the hub of the home. Similar to the living room, it is warm and inviting and has carried all the colours and natural finishes throughout the space perfectly. Everything is visually balanced.

There are more dark finishes in this space but that works well to make the large space feel inviting. By using lighter colours, it helps to avoid the space getting too dark. The kitchen lower units, blinds, curtains, sofas as well as the flooring detail, all work really well in keeping a good balance.

INTERIOR TIP – If you like darker tones but you feel too scared to use, try searching on Pinterest to get a feel for all the different ways darker interiors can look. You may be surprised by how little of a dark colour you need to add to completely transform your home decor vibe.

A small amount of metallic finishes have been placed around the space, complementing the reflective surfaces of the kitchen units and worktops. The ceiling light over the living space is the perfect colour and industrial style for this room.

Also, notice how the lighting’s long narrow shapes are echoed into the floor standing accessories, a coincidence? Never….not in the world of interior design.

If you look closely, you can see similar shapes have been used throughout the full space within the vases and kitchenware ceramics.

Wallpaper

Now, I absolutely love a wallpaper and fabric shot. And with the main wallpaper in this space being quite dark its hard to see the detail….so here’s a close-up!

The brushed tones are perfect to compliment the industrial elements of this Show House. But also notice, the warm brown tones mixed with grey helps to soften the overall effect of the wallpaper. This is a great colour combination if you want to tie together metals and wood.

Textured wallpapers are one of my most favourite features in any home (I have a lot of favourite features but this is my most favourite-favourite 😉

A surprise for me – Has my home decor taste just changed?

I have to admit, this interior styling choice surprised me at how much I liked it. Natural materials would not normally be on my list of personal Home Decor tastes, but I was definitely loving how relaxed and casual some of the details felt. 

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For instance, the living space within the kitchen has some beautiful copper effect side tables. And along with the sofa, the orange coloured chair is simple and perfect for the space. 

Is it bad that I can imagine myself sitting drinking wine and moving the tables around to get my crisps closer? I guess the designer really did get me visualising living there, well done!

Anyway…back to giving you inspiration and not me getting carried away. 

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Kitchen trends are changing all the time, so it is nice to see kitchen units in a lovely wood finish. The full Show House interior has made use of natural style finishes and I hope it has inspired you on how to mix wood, metals and different finishes together.

Also, notice how a mixture of white and wood unit facings have been used. Is this something you would consider for your home? Let me know in the comments as I love to hear back from you.

The industrial style of the bar stools with the metal finishes and dark colour allows a good contrast against the warm wood details of the kitchen.

Intimate dining space

Well, this lovely Show House has two dining spaces!

There is a large separate dining room past the living space which I will come to in a moment, but this more intimate space is located behind the kitchen.

In an unusual twist for Scotland, it was super sunny when I was visiting this Show House and sadly many of my photos were unusable. But from what you can see in this photo, this small dining space definitely has an industrial vibe going on, even down to the gold-toned cutlery. 

I really love this mirror. This simple design can be used in many different room settings but works perfectly here to stop this corner looking cold and cramped.

The hanging light oozes industrial design, with its rope-style cord, glass dome shape and bare exposed bulb. 

Dining Room

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At the opposite end of the room, behind the living space, there is a large dining room. This room really blew me away. Again, my style differs so much from wood and earthy colour tones (think vibrant peacock colours and velvets) but I love this sophisticated and timeless home decor style. I will definitely be reassessing my choices for my next property once I finally find one.

Although I am not sure I can bring myself to include brown curtains, I would need to go brighter and use the orange fabric, but the brown very much suits this room. It is all about individual taste.

Wallpaper

Also, the wallpaper is perfectly suited to this room, there is very much a pinstripe look to it, which flows well with the masculine vibe of the interior choices. The striped wallpaper goes really well with the studded chairs.

If you have read any of my other Show Home visits, you will have seen this style of chair used in many different interiors showing just how versatile studded chairs can be.

Mixing up the colours of the chairs brings together all the colour tones used throughout the rest of the space. This adds a vibrant and interesting vibe to the room. A dining room is all about being sociable with an energetic vibe so the colours suit this room perfectly.

Do these hanging lights look familiar? They are very similar to the ones in the other dining space, another great way to tie your rooms and spaces together. If you need light inspiration for your home head over to this Pinterest board for inspiration.

INTERIOR TIP – Looking for a timeless design? Here are some suggestions –

• Comfortable furniture
• Mixed fabrics of plain and pattern
• Accents of a bold colour
• Subtle metallic finishes used sparingly
• Bold or abstract artwork

STAIRCASE

I have always dreamed of owning a home that has a sweeping staircase. What an amazing feature it would be when entering through your front door. But considering my last home was a flat, I still have some manifesting work to do on that dream 😉

I have a friend that has a very similar layout in their home. And there have been many times I’ve rhymed off all the ways they could create the most amazing staircase….if they would only let me at it (if I ever manage to talk them into it you’ll be the first to know).

Feature wallpaper is a must for this space, along with a large mirror or artwork piece. There is space and light so create something that will make your heart smile every time you see it.

BEDROOM – Home decor with Personality

This bedroom is decorated with soft grey and orange tones. The orange has been carried upstairs from the other rooms we’ve seen but instead of it being used as a bold and vibrant colour choice, it has been used in soft tones in the wallpaper, almost in the style of a mixed metal. 

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This is a nicely designed room. The side lamp show some personality in the space along with the chosen accessories. The grey colour is also broken up by the use of mixed fabrics in various patterns and shades of grey. The wool fabric used in the throw and cushions really soften the room and helps to create a cosiness to the overall design.

Also note, how full and luxurious the curtains are with having plenty of fabric fullness and being taking up to the ceiling almost. I personally feel that bedrooms should be a sanctuary from the daily grind and having your curtains full gives a feeling of comfort and cosiness….it may also be due to the fact my Scottish weather outside is not the most appealing.

INTERIOR TIP – Adding simple, white bedding is always a winner for creating a fresh and comfortable looking bedroom. It can always be layered up with throws and cushions, even multi-throws (like the photo below). If you want to create a super-luxurious feel and create interest with layering colours together then this tip may help to achieve the Home Decor style you’ve been looking for.

BEDROOM

The style of this room is softer with more feminine features than previous rooms. The tones are muted compared to the rest of this Show House’s colour palette and it a great example of how a single colour palette can be carried throughout a full house by adjusting the shades from vibrant to muted.

When deciding on headboards for your rooms, always consider the scale of your room and ceiling heights. I love the height of this headboard and how my eyes are drawn from the bedding to the lampshades and then up to the headboard. Adding different heights to a design creates visual interest for the eyes. And, the easiest way to do this is by adding mixed sizes of cushions, now who doesn’t love cushions?

The styling of this room is much softer, with the floral wallpaper, elegant chandelier, and mirrored furniture. With this in mind, note how it still works well in this home as the key colours are still used.

This mirrored dressing table fits snuggly under the window sill. Sometimes this space is often overlooked but it can be a great place to put a bench-style seat or a small chaise longue. Check out my Pinterest board for stools to see some inspiration for this space.

Simple lines help to keep this room elegant and sophisticated. Combining luxurious and reflective finishes with scrumptious fabric is the perfect combination. If you want to add a touch of glamour to a bedroom without going out with your comfort zone, then try these ideas.

MASTER BEDROOM

A mixture of orange, cream, and black colours have been brought into this room also. But used in a stronger way than the other rooms. Metals can also be seen in the lamp bases and chaise stud detail. 

Scale

Scale is a focal point in this room. The large bed, a grand headboard and oversized matching table lamps all show off the scale of this master bedroom and how you could do the same if you have any large rooms in your home.

The curves of the headboard design bring a softness to the space. Along with the velvet fabric on the chaise seating at the bottom of the bed. The crystal in the ceiling light brings a different feel that we haven’t seen in other parts of the Show House.

INTERIOR TIP – When designing your bedroom, think of the atmosphere you want to create in your bedroom. Dark lampshades will distribute the light differently than lighter fabrics. Normally, light will be pushed upward and downwards with darker material. So, consider how much light you require from your bedside lamps before making your final choice. What is a priority for you i.e. reading/light, may not be for someone else.

Wallpaper

Textured wallpaper has been a continued theme throughout this Show House. It has been used in many colour-ways and it has shown us how versatile it can be. In my opinion, textured wallpaper can be used by anyone for any space, whilst keeping your walls from ‘dating’. It is more likely that your furniture and other tastes will change before you need to change your wallpaper.

Experiment

A burnt orange textured wallpaper has been used in this bedroom and continues the colour theme of this Show House. The size of the room can take it easily without darkening or overpowering the space. Bedrooms are a place where you can be a bit more daring in your colour and design choices. It is your private space so experiment with colour combinations that you may feel uncomfortable using in your public rooms.

But don’t get me wrong, I do love a patterned wallpaper. There are many places it can be used, but be prepared to change it more regularly than I believe you would change a textured one.

Finishing Touches

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As mentioned before, cushions are another way to pull colour schemes together. Here, we can see how the wallpaper, curtain fabric, and cushion pattern all work great together, oh and can you see a little hint of metallic on the window ledge?

That’s our Show House visit done for today. Did you pick up any Home Decor Inspiration for your home?

I really hope you got some good inspiration on how you can use similar choices of colour, add your own personality to your home interiors and that you picked up some helpful tips and ideas.

Would you want to take your decor darker and moodier? If so, I’m sharing 11 ideas on how to achieve a cosy and dark bedroom here.

I will be sharing my Show House visits with you regularly. Therefore, please remember and pop back as you never know, the next visit could be exactly what you are looking for.

If you found this post helpful or you want to share any home decor Inspiration tips with me and other readers, please let me know in the comments. If there’s something you would like me to write about please let me know here.

Need more inspiration? Visit another Show Home here.

Take Care

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