Styling: Lucy Gough / Photography: Simon Bevan
I am often asked, ‘Where do you look for inspiration when starting a new project?’ The answer is EVERYWHERE. I have always been one to stop and smell the roses (that was a criticism of one of my old managers). In fact, I remember once being asked, ‘Lucy, would you stop smelling the roses and hurry up?’ I didn’t last long in that role…
I have always been fascinated with what I see in front of me. Whether it’s the font used in a London tube station, the subtle differences in the colours of pebbles on a beach, or the colour palette used in a shopfront window – it’s all there to serve as inspiration.
Here are five ways I get inspired to style a room:
1. Gaze into shop windows
Window dressers have such a creative eye – they need to dress a tiny space for maximum impact, and I am constantly analysing how they have created their mini-masterpieces. The windows of Anthropologie are a huge favourite of mine!
2. Walk through a town or city with a phone/camera
I take many shots of textures, surfaces and colour combinations, then save them into folders on my phone. This becomes a directory of all the things that I love.
3. Spot themes in your things
Walk around your home and gather trinkets you have collected over the years. Is there a colour or textural theme? Maybe you have your definitive style, after all. Use that as the springboard to your home restyle.
4. Visit florists and flower markets
Have a look at the colour combinations that are put together in bouquets. There is a modern trend in floristry to use floral bunches with loose, blowsy wildflowers and foliage, and I think this is a great way to style your home too. Make the space loose, happy and relaxed.
5. Put your phone down
One thing I always do as a stylist is LOOK UP. We can be so hooked on our devices, often looking at maps or messages on our phones as we walk along. As a result, many of us fail to look above us – but there is so much to see! Architectural details, shop signs, cloud formations, neon lights and moss-covered surfaces can all feed your creative ideas when you are styling your home. You just might not know it yet!
This excerpt from The Home Style Handbook by Lucy Gough, Hachette, is published with permission.
