Things I think people misunderstand about interiors

I've been having lots of interesting conversations lately with friends and family about how to get started with making their spaces feel more like “them”, and they all seem to be saying the same thing…

"I just don't know what works."

Or...

"I'm worried I'll get it wrong."

It got me thinking about how we all relate to our homes. We spend so much time in them, yet so many of us don't feel particularly confident making decisions about them.

I wonder if that's because we've been taught that creating a beautiful home is about following a set of invisible rules.

But I really don't think it is.

I think we're surrounded by so much inspiration that we've started believing our homes should look like someone else's instead of feeling like our own.

So I wanted to share a few things that I think people often misunderstand about interiors. Not because there's one "right" way to decorate, but because I think changing the way we think about our homes can make decorating feel a whole lot more enjoyable.

1. A beautiful room doesn't have to be expensive.

This might be one of the biggest misconceptions I come across.

People often assume designers simply specify expensive furniture and that's what makes a room look good. But great interiors aren't built on price tags.

They're built on thoughtful decisions.

Some of my favourite rooms have combined vintage finds, affordable pieces, family heirlooms and the occasional investment item. It's about understanding balance, scale, colour and personality, not whether every piece came from a designer showroom.

A home collected over time usually tells a far more interesting story than one bought all at once.

2. Your home doesn't have to match.

I actually think we've become a little obsessed with everything matching.

Matching dining chairs.

Matching bedside tables.

Matching timber tones.

Matching cushions.

Sometimes matching can work beautifully.

But sometimes it's the differences that give a room life.

The homes I find myself drawn to usually feel layered rather than perfectly coordinated. Different textures. Different materials. Pieces collected over years.

Those little imperfections often make a home feel much more authentic.

3. Colour isn't something to be afraid of.

This one probably won't surprise anyone who's followed me for a little while.

I love colour! But I don't think colour has to mean bright pink walls or rainbow furniture. Colour can be incredibly subtle.

It might be warm terracotta, soft olive greens, muted blues or rich chocolate browns. It might simply be choosing colours that make you feel calm, energised or comforted.

Colour has an enormous impact on how we experience a space, and I think sometimes we've convinced ourselves that neutral automatically means timeless.

In reality, timeless often comes from creating a palette that genuinely feels like you.

4. Trends aren't the enemy.

This one might sound a little contradictory coming from someone who encourages individuality.

People often say, "Don't follow trends."

And while I understand the sentiment, I don't think trends are necessarily bad.

They're simply observations about what's happening in design right now. The problem isn't the trend itself. It's adopting one without asking whether it actually suits your life and your space.

Sometimes a trend introduces us to a colour we never considered, or a new material, or a different way of living in our space.

Adapt and use what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t. But whatever you do, don’t incorporate a trend simply because it’s “new” and everyone else is doing it.

5. Pinterest should inspire you, not define you.

Pinterest is one of my favourite tools. It's where I collect ideas, discover designers and explore colour palettes. I ask my clients to use Pinterest to show me examples of what they like, don’t like, their goals for their spaces and so on.

But I also think it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to recreate someone else's home exactly as it appears on your screen. The challenge is that your home isn't theirs.

We are all so different and so are our spaces; from architecture to lifestyle, from natural light to favourite colours.

The best inspiration doesn't ask you to copy. It helps you notice what keeps catching your eye and that's usually where your own style begins. So don’t stop using Pinterest, just use it in a way to inspire you, rather than copying images directly.

So... what actually makes a home feel good?

For me, it's never been about perfection. It's about walking through your front door and feeling like the space understands you. Like it supports the way you live and it tells your story.

The homes I remember most aren't necessarily the biggest or the most expensive, they're the ones that feel lived in, with art collected over the holidays, books stacked on coffee tables, a favourite chair that's been recovered three times because nobody wants to let it go.

Those are the homes with soul.

And perhaps that's the biggest misunderstanding of all...

Interior design isn't really about creating a beautiful room. It's actually about creating a life that feels beautiful inside it.

Is there something you've always believed about interiors that's changed over time? Or is there a decorating "rule" you've realised you don't actually need to follow anymore?

I'd love to continue the conversation. Feel free to email me or contact me via socials. I love chatting with you all!