1. Today I want to be.. Decide on the look and feel for your event

Pictured: (Top to bottom) Designs to Inspire Coastal Styling and Oz Design Furniture as seen in Home Beautiful, https://www.instagram.com/homebeautiful.

The look of your table should complement the style of your home. Think about the mood you want to create for your fabulous get together-

– Coastal and laid back: Think pale colours, linens, rattan and washed timber for a coastal look

– Lux and classy: A touch of shimmer and shine like gold cutlery

– Monochrome and hip: Go for modern black candelabras for some drama!

2. Add layers to your table settings- Place mats, napkins, boards, dinner plates, side plates and more

Pictured: Designs to Inspire Rustic Styling

The more layers, the merrier!

For a different take on your traditional placemat, check out Provincial Home Living Kriss Paper Placemat. Set with colouring pencils for some fun at the table, http://www.provincialhomeliving.com.au/christmas/set-the-christmas-table/paper-placemat-4011.

If you’re unsure of how to set out the cutlery and piles of plates, see how with this video from https://www.brosa.com.au/blog/how-to-set-a-table-guide.

3. Create your centerpiece

Pictured: Designs to Inspire Styling

This can be as simple as using:

– 1 board or tray with a stack of crockery for a casual get-together

– 2 candelabras create symmetry for a formal dinner

– 3 vases with flowers or ornaments for a more eclectic look

Check out these 7 Tips from Ash Bailey from The Byrd Collective for Creating Beautiful Flower Arrangements at Home, http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/entertaining/7-tips-for-creating-beautiful-flower-arrangements-at-home-pictures

4. Add personality

Get creative with finishing touches to add more character to your table

– Greenery from your garden or fruit is a great way to add interest and colour to your table!

– Personalise your table setting with chalkboard signs or wine markers to write guests names on glasses, https://www.house.com.au/cellar-glass-marker-pens-2-pack

Pictured: Designs to Inspire Styling

5. Repeat

Pictured: Designs to Inspire Styling

Repeat the pattern – everything in rows looks pretty and plentiful!

Final words

Lastly, make sure you prepare as much as can in advance to make enjoy every moment your time with family and friends.

Oh, and if you want to extend your style to the rest of your home, why not style your console to create that wow moment your guests arrive into your home! Check out our blog, https://www.designstoinspire.com.au/consoles-5-steps-style-perfectly/

Here’s to a summer of fun!

Happy styling,

The DTI team x

The post Table Settings – 5 Steps To A Stylish Soiree appeared first on Designs to Inspire.

The following styling tips will help make your bathroom feel more enticing, luxurious and warm this winter.

Stack, layer and group

Layering items create a sense of opulence. Stack towels, with a soap or coral on top or use a tray to group items together.

Green bathrooms

Escape at home with greenery – oh so restful, uplifting and inviting.

From potted plants that love humidity to a single green leaf. And who said you can’t introduce a vase with flowers in a bathroom? For a master bathroom (and needless to say a kid-free zone), these gladioli make a big statement.

For a low-cost option, forage around your garden and place a succulent in a small vase or flower in a glass.

Bathing rituals

Look across cultures, and you’ll appreciate bathing rituals.

From Cleopatra’s milk soaked baths, heavenly warming hot springs in Japan to the quintessential Russian banyas. How do you bring this sense of pampering to a humble abode?

Occasional tables or drums layered with fragrant candles, soft wash cloths and scrubbing brushes invite you to unwind.

Artful designer towels

We’re coveting Ninnho designer towels for their standout designs and sumptuous feel. Take a look at how they’ve added a wow factor to homes we’ve styled recently.

For neutral bathrooms, towels can add welcome colour. Add a luxurious gold sheen with the Sapphire or Diamond design which lift the room with their sparkle. Further, you can accentuate graphic elements in a monochrome bathroom scheme with black and white towels, such as one of our favourites, the Watermark.

Wall art

Apart from the regulatory mirror, walls in bathrooms can be adorned with art. Choose a metal or plastic frame to withstand humidity and start out with an inexpensive print and see the difference it makes!

Creative storage

Need additional storage? Baskets can be used to store towels or even toilet rolls in bathrooms which lack cupboard space. Here these two baskets act as a clothes hamper and towel storage.

Final words

These simple tips can help add both style and function to your bathroom.

Remember, the little items can add up to provide a lot more character and help place the finishing touches to one of the hardest working rooms in your home.

Happy styling!

The post Bathrooms – Affordable luxury edition appeared first on Designs to Inspire.

Now you’ve found a place for your sideboard, how do you achieve that elusive look that warrants more than a quick sideways look? No matter your personal taste; traditional, Nordic, Hamptons, Industrial..follow our 5 steps to style your console like a pro.

1. Create height

A good place to start is with a statement lamp or set of lamps for a more formal look. In addition to adding ambient lighting, the height establishes the foundation for how you style your console.

With a lamp, go for a solid base to anchor it to the console. A graphic black base adds designer flair, washed timber suits a Hamptons-inspired look or go for a quirky lamp, such as our stylist’s pineapple lamp, for a sense of playfulness.

Importantly, a high component on your console creates scale. It also helps your eye travel across the different layers you’re about to build for your perfectly styled console.

2. Add a mirror or artwork

To inject a sense of your personality choose an artwork or group of artworks that scream ‘this is me!’ Artwork can be centred above a smaller console or propped up against a wall or hung off centre as a stylish alternative. We’re crushing on Antoinette Ferwerda’s colourful and layered art at the moment, and mist filled escapist prints.

There are so many pluses in having a mirror in your space. Mirrors make spaces look larger, bring in much-needed light to a room and can be positioned to reflect a beautiful view. With many options to choose from, we love bold sculptural frames to make a statement and metal frame with a leather strap for a modern edge.

3. Group elements

Layer, layer. layer and did we say ‘layer?’. The keys to success with your console styling are building different levels of height and layers. To create your layers you can:

• Stack hard bound books together with a decorative object on top
• Place decorative items on a tray and see the difference it makes. As a side note, we love how the talented Mr Darren Palmer positions trays on top of old bedroom side tables to enhance their look (genius!)
• Group vases with alternating heights together for interest. The added bonus is they no longer need to be stored away!
• Add a sculpture as an art aficionado and make a statement

4. Soften with foliage and flowers

Feathery maidenhair ferns, lush magnolia flowers, fiddle fig leaves and orchids bring a touch of green touch to your table. Choose seasonal flowers to celebrate with warm autumnal colours or try branches and twigs for a long lasting display!

5. Maximise space

Amp up the practical nature of your console. Don’t forget to use the space underneath to add baskets for storage of cushions, firewood or shoes. A stool or pair of ottomans underneath a console can turn it into a powder room table or functional workspace.

Final words to perfectly style your console

With this newfound knowledge, you’ll be able to dissect images of artfully arranged consoles and see how they follow these 5 steps!

A word of caution, to avoid your console looking like a circus, don’t go for too many colours. Choose similar tones for decor to create harmony, and then you can add one pop of colour for a welcome burst of delight.

Most of all, have fun playing with the arrangement on your console. When it works, you’ll know! And enjoy how guests pause to take in that beautiful new space you’ve created in your home.

Happy styling!

The post Consoles – 5 Steps To Style Yours Perfectly appeared first on Designs to Inspire.