If the thought of styling your home stresses you out, let me help ease your mind. I’ve learned that the key to making my clients truly happy with their home decor is to follow a few simple, stress-free principles.
Caffery Vanhorne is an award-winning fashion designer, furniture designer, photographer, and lead stylist at R&P Home.
Mirror Your Wardrobe
There’s a strong relationship between fashion and home design. Both incorporate elements like colour, pattern, shape and texture. Now, let’s get personal.
What do you like to wear? Start by taking a look in the mirror at your own wardrobe style — that’s what your home needs. Including your fashion aesthetic into your surroundings can feel reassuringly familiar and bring you joy. It’s not about brands or price points, I believe the more you reflect your style in your space, the happier you’ll be.
I once asked a client to give me a sense of her vision for her space, and rather than sharing a Pinterest board, she gave me a leopard bra and panty set in a Ziploc bag!
By getting to know her personality, I understood that it wasn’t about the animal print. Her style was feminine, bold, luxurious and most definitely sexy. That’s what set the direction for her home’s restyling.
Related: 10 Things You Need to Know About Caffery Vanhorne and Nicole Babb
Take Note of Your Personal Style
So what’s your personal style? When you think of fashion that excites you or what you feel most confident wearing, look for the common elements. Is it the shape? The soft texture? Is it the bold pattern or colour that energizes you?
If I’m working with a woman who wears relaxed clothing, I know she values comfort and that tells me the shape and firmness to suggest for a sofa.
If she has ten great pieces in that style versus 50 fast fashion versions, it tells me that she values quality over quantity. Fashionable, not trendy. That means she’s willing to invest in a sofa that is comfortable and durable, one she’ll enjoy for many years.
Get Inspired by Fashion Details
I noticed how one client easily incorporated elements of black leather into her attire. The first meeting she wore a wide belt, the second meeting over-the-knee boots, the third meeting she carried a large, black Hermès Birkin bag.
These details were clues about how to make her home feel good to her by bringing in high fashion.
The first unique piece I found for her was a vintage French provincial sofa. I had it reupholstered in black patent leather and updated the frame in matte white. It perfectly married her taste for modern, sleek style and her affection for iconic vintage pieces. By the time we were finished with the space, he and her home looked like a page from Vogue!
Whether you’re a design beginner or expert, your personal fashion style is the perfect starting point to create not only a beautiful home, but a space that’s uniquely you.
Related: Debra Salmoni Talks Vintage Home Decor, Sustainability and Rewriting the Story of Your Home
