Turn heads and WOW with your home interiors!

The secret to creating a show-stopping home is to source a few key pieces that will create impact and added personality. So, for this blog we have called upon our very own interior expert, Lucy St George, to ask for her Top 5 ways to create impact in your home. Keep reading to discover more...

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NUMBER 1 - ART & DISPLAY

Buy it. Make it. Fake it. Whatever you choose to display, be it your treasures, display pieces, artwork or quirky ornaments, the aim of the game is to create impact!

A simple, yet highly effective way to achieve this goal is to create a style spot. A style spot is where you group together furniture, artwork and lighting which in turn creates a focal point in a room that demands your attention. It also has the added benefit of making it easier to design a room, by narrowing your focus into smaller areas of the room.

Tips for creating impact with art and display are as follows:

• Focus on gathering together objects of different heights and textures to create a journey for the eyes. Mix in beautiful coffee table books, candlestick holders, vases filled with plants, unusual objects and something quirky too.
• Release the animal within! Animal ornaments and display pieces are a firm favourite of ours as they never fail to inject personality and humour into your interiors. From fashion-inspired pieces such as our Cobra Ornament, Sexy Snakeskin Cushion and Spotted Leopard Coin Bank to our quirky additions such as our Cute Cheetah Vase, Brass Armadillo Candleholder and Black Cat Candle Holder, the wilder you can be the better!
• Art, art and more art. Artwork is the best talking point ever. So, go on the hunt for unusual artwork that will make jaws drop! Alternatively, co-founder Jane spent a happy Sunday with two packs of Christian Lacroix playing cards and a stick of glue and created a fabulous Playing Card Picture that she then framed. It's a creative way to spend your afternoon, not forgetting, of course, that it's very inexpensive too. Check out, our blog - How To Create Your Own Lacroix Playing Card Picture Frame In 6 Easy Steps - for further guidance.

For more tips and advice on how to create impact with art and ornaments, check out our blogs - The Art Of Display and How To Display Artwork.

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NUMBER 2 - RUGS

Rugs can hide a multitude of sins. From carpet in rented homes that you cannot change to ugly flooring that you haven't yet replaced.

Not only are rugs incredibly practical, but they can also create an impact in a room too. Just take this image above, featured in the Rockett St George book - Extraordinary Interiors, the homeowner has layered rugs on top of rugs and even dressed the sofa with lots of silky sheepskins. It's created a room that is rich in textural interest and will demand your attention as soon as you walk into a room.

Tips for Creating A Statement In The Home With Rugs...

• Colourful Rugs. Inject some colour into your home with colourful rugs. Genius at creating instant impact in the home, this is a particularly clever trick for neutral decors that need a little life injected into the room. We have some fabulous colourful rugs at Rockett St George including our Pune Mustard & Gold Cotton Dhurrie Rug, Natural Jute Printed Rug - Ruby Red and Kolkata Yellow, Black & Grey Cotton Tassel Rug.
• Invest in a deep pile rug. Deep pile rugs such as a cosy Berber Rug or Benni Rug will add depth and comfort into your home interiors. It will frame the room, whilst also being incredibly inviting. We have some authentic, handwoven Berber rugs from Marrakech at Rockett St George, including the Original Moroccan Berber Large Rug - Souk and the Original Moroccan Berber Runner - Rabat.
• Be unexpected. Rugs are not just for floors, so layer your rugs on the backs or arms of your sofas or hang your rug on the wall as a makeshift bedhead or wall decoration.

For more tips on choosing and styling with rugs, check out our blogs - How Rugs Can Transform Your Interiors and How To Add Texture To Your Home.

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NUMBER 3 - STATEMENT LIGHTING

If you take just one tip away from this blog, let it be about the importance of good lighting!

We've said it before and will say it 1 million times more... Lighting is absolutely crucial when creating an extraordinary home. As such, it's worth really taking the time to consider your lighting (Chapter 5 of our book, Extraordinary Interiors, discusses this at length if you need extra advice).

Whilst well-considered lighting is absolutely essential, statement and unique lighting shades, chandeliers, wall lights and floor lamps will really help to raise this up a level. So, to create an impact in your home you really have go to town with your lighting.

Here are our tips for creating impact with lighting:

• Invest in the mother of all statement ceiling lights! The more flamboyant and oversized the ceiling light is, the better. Hang it over your dining table, in your entrance hall or in a central fitting. Just be sure to install a dimmer switch so that it twinkles and sparkles in your home. We have a selection of showstopping chandeliers that would be perfect for this, including our Leather Tassel Chandelier - Black, Antiqued Leaf & White Lily Chandelier and Ornate Candle Chandelier.
• Do the unexpected and hang statement chandeliers in the bathroom. Yes, you won't be able to wire this light in, but it will look really incredible when hung over your bathtub.
• Make art of your wall lights. Neon and quirky wall lights such as our Banana Leaf Wall Light will add a twist to your interior and look great as part of a picture or gallery wall.
• You can never have too many floor lights and table lamps. So get your hands on some eclectic lighting choices such as our Midas Flora Floor Lamp, 100% Recycled Unique Large Arched Table Lamp - Stone White or Atlas Globe Angled Floor Lamp With Marble Base.

For more tips on how to create impact with lighting, make sure you check out our blogs - How To Choose Lighting For Your Home and Six Of The Best Lighting Tips.

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NUMBER 4 - SOFAS

Everyone needs a place in the home to chill, be sociable or sleep. So, as the living room is so often the room in the home that is most used, its worth investing in that statement sofa that turns head and most importantly invites you to have a little sit-down!

Tips for choosing a statement sofa that you'll love:

• Make it pop with colour pop sofas! Of the moment, colourful sofas are genius at creating impact in your living rooms and sitting rooms. Great for colour-phobes who want to inject colour into their interiors or anyone who just loves cheery and bright colours, colourful sofas will become the focal point of your living rooms and look great on your Instagram feed too! We have some gorgeous velvet sofas in block colours that will rock your socks off. Check out the Ochre Gold Velvet Chesterfield Sofa and the Retro 50'S Style Burnt Orange Velvet Sofa With Gold Trim to see what we mean!
• Sexy Curves. Curved interiors are an interior trend that is here to stay. Nowhere is this more evident than in the curved sofa sphere. Sexy curvy sofas are great for adding shape to your interiors and are even better for those of you who want to position your sofas away from the wall. The curved back of the sofa is far more attractive than a straight back sofa. A Borne Settee such as our Traditional Leather 4-Seater Borne Settee would be perfect for this.
• Button Back Beauties. Button back sofa adds an additional layer of grandeur and luxury to your interiors. This is a great choice for those of you who have traditional Victorian or Edwardian properties and want to incorporate a period feature into your interiors. We have some sexy Black Leather Button-Back Chesterfield Sofas that would be perfect for this. Check out our Black Leather Chesterfield Sofa - Large and Black Leather Loveseat Sofa to see more.

For more tips and advice on how to create impact with art and ornaments, check out our blogs - 5 Timeless Pieces That Every Home Should Have and How To Choose Timeless Seating For Your Home.

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NUMBER 5. PLANTS AND PLANTERS

As a finishing touch, Lucy recommends getting yourself lots of beautiful house plants and planters.

It doesn't matter if its the real deal or fake, as there are now so many faux no one will know! Then get your hands on some beautiful vases, quirky planters and hanging baskets to breathe life into your interiors. Incorporating nature into your interior design will have a transformative effect on the way you feel in your home, so it's not a step to be skipped!

Tips For Creating Impact With Plants and Planters

• Texturise. Mix your textures by pairing green leafy eucalyptus or faux ivy with rattan baskets or weaved planters. The combination of contrasting textures will really draw the eye. We have some lovely storage baskets that can be repurposed as planters with just a simple liner, such as the Diamond Storage Basket With Lining and Moroccan Wicker Basket With Lid - Small.
• Quirky Planters. Go to town with imaginative and eclectic vases, planters and pots. It makes such a difference to your style spots and displays. We have a number of unique and quirky plant pots at Rockett St George, including the Alice In Wonderland 'Rabbit' Bust Plant Holder and the Quirky Little Creature Ceramic Flower Pot With Feet.
• Planters On Stands. Not only do planters on stands create impact with height variations, but they are also particularly useful for homes with heated flooring. Plants often wilt with underfloor heating so elevating them on stands is an easy and practical solution to this problem. Not forgetting, of course, that it looks really fabulous! We have some lovely planters on stands at Rockett St George, including our Iron Planter With Stand and the Brass Effect Planter With Stand.

For more tips and advise on how to make the most of your plants, planters and garden accessories, check out our blogs - How To Plant Spring Bulbs and 10 Tips To Transform Your Rented Home.