Decorating
Design Moves to Borrow From Your Beauty Regime
Believe it or not, your bag of skin, hair and make-up tricks can come in handy when making over your home
Interior inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places. While some home decorators take design cues from nature or trips they’ve taken abroad, others may find that films, fashion and other creative arts spark new decorating ideas for their dwelling. Another surprising source of interior inspiration can be found much closer to home: your own beauty and grooming regime, to be exact. After all, beauty and grooming rituals are all about maintaining good personal hygiene, enhancing your features and ensuring you look polished and well-presented, so it makes sense that the tricks of the trade can be used to improve the look and health of your house, too.
Try a single slick of red
A slick of red lipstick will instantly lift and add stop-and-stare appeal to any look, and so too will a single pop of red when introduced to an interior. For the best results, keep the rest of your scheme fairly simple in colour, and style like the space above. This will allow the bold colour pop to shine and remain the hero(ine) of the room. If you feel like your space doesn’t look complete, introduce a few lashings of black to anchor the scheme and create high-contrast drama. After all, a bold red lip’s best friend is a black mascara.
A slick of red lipstick will instantly lift and add stop-and-stare appeal to any look, and so too will a single pop of red when introduced to an interior. For the best results, keep the rest of your scheme fairly simple in colour, and style like the space above. This will allow the bold colour pop to shine and remain the hero(ine) of the room. If you feel like your space doesn’t look complete, introduce a few lashings of black to anchor the scheme and create high-contrast drama. After all, a bold red lip’s best friend is a black mascara.
Adopt a nightly beauty and grooming routine
You give your skin some TLC every night, so it’s only fair that you give your home the same treatment, too. Doing a quick clean and tidy up before you go to bed will help you stay on top of your home’s hygiene so it doesn’t get out of control (and tricky and time-consuming to clean) come the weekend.
You give your skin some TLC every night, so it’s only fair that you give your home the same treatment, too. Doing a quick clean and tidy up before you go to bed will help you stay on top of your home’s hygiene so it doesn’t get out of control (and tricky and time-consuming to clean) come the weekend.
Don’t forget to deodorise
If there’s one thing that’s worse than foul body odour, it’s stomach-churning household odours. A simple way to stop offensive smells from stinking up your interior is to take cues from your grooming routine and regularly deodorise your home. Get in the habit of spritzing room mist, essential oils or odour-neutralising spray around your house every second day or so and even throwing in a load of washing to do the trick. Scattering reed diffusers and scented candles around your home will also mask funky smells. Keeping your home well-ventilated and trying other natural odour busters will help, too.
Make your home smell heavenly
If there’s one thing that’s worse than foul body odour, it’s stomach-churning household odours. A simple way to stop offensive smells from stinking up your interior is to take cues from your grooming routine and regularly deodorise your home. Get in the habit of spritzing room mist, essential oils or odour-neutralising spray around your house every second day or so and even throwing in a load of washing to do the trick. Scattering reed diffusers and scented candles around your home will also mask funky smells. Keeping your home well-ventilated and trying other natural odour busters will help, too.
Make your home smell heavenly
Prime your surface for the best results
Primer is an essential product that you’ll find in any make-up artist’s and design professional’s toolkit. Both make-up and paint primers are used as a base and help fill, smooth and prep the surface you’re painting on, whether it’s your skin or a wall. They also conceal blemishes and give make-up and paint something to hold onto so the finished surface lasts longer.
Primer is an essential product that you’ll find in any make-up artist’s and design professional’s toolkit. Both make-up and paint primers are used as a base and help fill, smooth and prep the surface you’re painting on, whether it’s your skin or a wall. They also conceal blemishes and give make-up and paint something to hold onto so the finished surface lasts longer.
Use bronzer to warm up your look
Applying bronzer to your face and body will give your skin a sun-kissed and shimmering glow, so it follows that introducing this rich iridescent shade to your home will maker it feel warmer, more welcoming and full of life, too. When choosing what hues to pair with bronze, you can’t go wrong if you opt for a classic monochrome or timber palette. Jewel tones like sapphire, amethyst, emerald and ruby also work nicely with the metallic shade.
Applying bronzer to your face and body will give your skin a sun-kissed and shimmering glow, so it follows that introducing this rich iridescent shade to your home will maker it feel warmer, more welcoming and full of life, too. When choosing what hues to pair with bronze, you can’t go wrong if you opt for a classic monochrome or timber palette. Jewel tones like sapphire, amethyst, emerald and ruby also work nicely with the metallic shade.
Make your products multi-task
I recently downsized my make-up collection, and now all that’s left (bar a few other essentials) are products that I’ve discovered can work double time, like cream blush (which can moonlight as lip and eye colour) and translucent powder (it also thickens lashes, mattifies glossy lipstick and works as dry shampoo). Try a similar approach at home and research ways you can make common household items work double-duty. For example, while lemons make food and beverages more flavoursome, they can also be used as a natural deodoriser, cleaner and stain remover.
I recently downsized my make-up collection, and now all that’s left (bar a few other essentials) are products that I’ve discovered can work double time, like cream blush (which can moonlight as lip and eye colour) and translucent powder (it also thickens lashes, mattifies glossy lipstick and works as dry shampoo). Try a similar approach at home and research ways you can make common household items work double-duty. For example, while lemons make food and beverages more flavoursome, they can also be used as a natural deodoriser, cleaner and stain remover.
Energise your look with temporary treatments
An easy way to update your look, without making any major cosmetic changes, is to experiment with easy (and inexpensive) beauty fixes, like changing your hair part, trying a coloured hair rinse or painting your nails an unexpected colour. Adopt this trick in your home by switching up your home accessories and making other small temporary tweaks when you feel like a change. Replacing your cushion covers or curtains, creating a feature wall using removable wallpaper and making art to display on your walls are just a few ways you can transform your interior quickly and on the cheap.
An easy way to update your look, without making any major cosmetic changes, is to experiment with easy (and inexpensive) beauty fixes, like changing your hair part, trying a coloured hair rinse or painting your nails an unexpected colour. Adopt this trick in your home by switching up your home accessories and making other small temporary tweaks when you feel like a change. Replacing your cushion covers or curtains, creating a feature wall using removable wallpaper and making art to display on your walls are just a few ways you can transform your interior quickly and on the cheap.
Enjoy regular pamper sessions
Just like weekly deep-conditioning hair and luxury facial treatments help revitalise and protect your locks and skin, setting aside me-time each week will work wonders for your health and wellbeing. I love the idea of transforming a corner of your bedroom, living area, bathroom or outdoor space into a dedicated relaxation and pamper zone. Take cues from the chic chill-out space above and dress the area in soothing colours. Complete the peaceful scene with a cosy armchair, scented candle, some greenery, relaxing music and a good book to read while you kick back.
17 ideas for relaxation zones
Just like weekly deep-conditioning hair and luxury facial treatments help revitalise and protect your locks and skin, setting aside me-time each week will work wonders for your health and wellbeing. I love the idea of transforming a corner of your bedroom, living area, bathroom or outdoor space into a dedicated relaxation and pamper zone. Take cues from the chic chill-out space above and dress the area in soothing colours. Complete the peaceful scene with a cosy armchair, scented candle, some greenery, relaxing music and a good book to read while you kick back.
17 ideas for relaxation zones
Go glam with metallics
If you want to inject your home with a hint of drama, luxe appeal and glam sophistication, take a leaf out of your beauty playbook and make over your space with brilliant metallic finishes and accents. Another rule to take from your bag of beauty tricks is to use shimmer and sparkle in moderation. This will ensure your space dazzles but doesn’t resemble a disco ball.
If you want to inject your home with a hint of drama, luxe appeal and glam sophistication, take a leaf out of your beauty playbook and make over your space with brilliant metallic finishes and accents. Another rule to take from your bag of beauty tricks is to use shimmer and sparkle in moderation. This will ensure your space dazzles but doesn’t resemble a disco ball.
Splurge on quality products and tools
While you can find some great beauty products and tools at equally amazing prices, sometimes it’s worth prioritising quality over cost. The same goes when you’re designing and decorating your home. Quality workmanship is one area where you can’t afford to cut costs. You should also invest in good quality flooring, appliances, and furniture that will be heavily used, such as sofas, mattresses and kitchen benchtops.
TELL US
What interior ideas would you borrow from your beauty or grooming regime? Tell us in the Comments.
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While you can find some great beauty products and tools at equally amazing prices, sometimes it’s worth prioritising quality over cost. The same goes when you’re designing and decorating your home. Quality workmanship is one area where you can’t afford to cut costs. You should also invest in good quality flooring, appliances, and furniture that will be heavily used, such as sofas, mattresses and kitchen benchtops.
TELL US
What interior ideas would you borrow from your beauty or grooming regime? Tell us in the Comments.
MORE
Get Back to Nature With Decorating Ideas Inspired by the Great Outdoors
7 Fashion Trends to Bring Into Your Home
15 Decorating Tips That Moonlight as Song Lyrics
The Oscars 2015 Reimagined as Rooms
Contouring is the buzzword of the moment. The sneaky make-up trick is all about accentuating and minimising facial features using different coloured foundations – and it’s a technique that not only belongs in your bag of beauty tricks, but your little black book of decorating ideas, too. Unlike facial contouring, which requires you to blend light and dark shades seamlessly together, strong contrast is key when using this technique in interiors. It’s the variations in tone that creates visual interest and helps define, enhance or downplay the shape, size and architectural features of a room.
This cosy living area shows how the beauty trick can be adapted for the home using different shades of grey. Notice how the dark, moody wall colour adds depth and anchors the scheme, while the light grey rug, beige sofa, and white ceiling and accent wall make the room appear brighter and create the illusion of spaciousness.