The Eclectic Home
WORDS:: Chyka Keebaugh
PHOTOS:: Lisa Atkinson
As you all know, my house is full of collections from my travels...
Over the past ten years, I have gone to town on the beaded, pom pom, tassel variety from nearly every country I have travelled. You can imagine how much Bruce loves travelling with me knowing I need to go into every little market stall selling anything close to looking like a tassel! My house has really turned into a treasure trove, and I could not be happier!
I love collecting pieces of fabric that you can make into your own cushions, or trims to add colourful detail to a bookshelf, and camel tassels and decorations to hang on doors, cloches and lights. Decorating with souvenirs collected along your travels makes for a beautifully eclectic and layered home. These tokens will remind you of places once explored and act as a great conversation starter when guests come to visit.
The great thing about decorating with Indian fabrics is that you can add so many layers and different colours and everything just goes; you can’t go wrong when you mix and match every colour under the sun because the amount of detail and texture in the fabrics. It's definitely a case of more is more!
Simple tricks to add a little eclecticism to your home…
- Simple Tassels can look good on bags, door handles, and over cloches - experiment!
- Just layer! candles on books on stools, surrounded by candles, surrounded by trinkets. If you’ve got it - flaunt it.
Think outside the box and don't always use things the way they are normally used; a shawl can be made into napkins, a table runner into a bolster cushion cover...
Frame favourite post cards or menus from a special place to remind you of fun times.
Find beautiful fabric even if it's from a jacket or dress and recreate into a cushion.
For some strange reason I collect children's shoes from around the world. Sitting on a pile of books or under a cloche looks great.
Choose a candle smell that's a little exotic to give your house the scent of somewhere far away.
Buy great old necklaces and hang off ladders, book shelves, doorknobs etc..
Keep small trinkets together in a beautiful bowl - it will make something small look stronger.
Be quirky and fun when displaying things and try moving your collections around from room to room.
Just remember - There are no rules - do what you like!
Your home should be a reflection of who you are, your family and what you love in life. Take a walk around your home, does it reflect your desires? Are you surrounded by a collection of items that trigger happy memories? Are you holding on to things you really should be kicking to the kerb? If you are, it’s time to kick it! Let’s start living the life we love in the home we love.
