Making over your home to suit your style

MANILA, Philippines - There’s a symbiotic relationship between fashion and furniture. Many fashion tips and guidelines could be applied for the home as well. No person has ever avoided fashion slumps. I’m willing to bet that even Anna Wintour has her off days despite her Vogue freebies. Nor has anyone been constantly happy with the look and feel of his or her living space. In lieu of delving into pages of self-help books and idealized makeover schemes, why not scratch the surface of your creativity and see how small changes in both home and closet can make your rainy season days brighter? Here’s my attempt to summarize and simplify fashion and interior decorating tips for those who want to break a monotonous cycle in style.

Go gaga over prints. Don’t be scared to try out layering prints. Though my personal style sways me away from going print crazy, many fashionistas and designers thrive on dizzying patterns and pull it off.

Diane Von Fürstenberg designs are fun, flirty and often drape beautifully over a woman’s curves. Her iconic jersey wrap dresses have been manufactured in a myriad of bright prints since the ‘70s. If you are new to print layering, simply step into one of her stores and this will boost your confidence to go gaga over patterns. “Going print” with your top and ballerina flats is a perfect way to start your print frenzy.

For New York-based decorator Muriel Brandolini, style is not about what’s hip, but how to “consistently break away from the traditional,the customary and the predictable.” To spice up a room, she uses Nordic and Asian patterns on walls and accent pieces. Brandolini’s trick is to repeat certain elaborate patterns from the walls on to interior objects such as lampshades and throw pillows.

Theme scheme. Picking out a theme is an easy way to escape your style rut. Magazines, books and the Internet are accessible sources to guide you right toward your “theme direction.” Start off with one of your favorite images — be it of a movie, a photograph, a style icon — and develop it from there. 

African safari-inspired looks do not only take your mind on a journey far away from home, but are also a breeze to emulate. Begin with neutrals and canvas-like textured fabrics, and then pair it with an animal print (a leopard scarf knotted to your handbag or a zebra striped pillow case). Top it off with some beaten-up leather and matte metals such as a silver cuff or hammered pewter candleholders. Voila, you are Out of Africa.

Dare to be eclectic. This rule does not only apply to the BoBos (Bourgeois Bohême) or the anti-preppy. Eclectic style is versatile, and most importantly it allows you to display your love for things from various sources. You can play around with the old, new, textured and colored. It is an all-embracing look that practically forbids boundaries. Brandolini’s housing projects are good examples of this as she incorporates Asian-inspired silks and patterns within European architecture. Think fusion.

Trial and error is the best way to go about achieving the perfect amount of eclecticism, so all the mix-match and anti-coordinating can be done with your interior pieces as with the items in your closet. Overzealous fashionistas, beware! This look may also take you straight to the fashion police as Ashley Olsen’s doppelganger, so I suggest exploring with fewer than five assorted pieces first.

Add some old to the new. Going vintage can be tricky but is well worth exploring for those who have never tried wearing or displaying pre-owned pieces before. A vintage piece adds soul, substance and a story to an outfit or a room. Moreover, it allows you to be creative by giving you carte blanche to incorporate an older piece in your contemporary everyday style. The best part about this is that you can raid your mom’s closet. For those who are still apprehensive to do so: think Mike, think shoulder pads, and how you really believed they’d never come back.

Our very own Filipina-Norwegian blogger Ingrid Holm shows her chic vintage style on www.theshowmanship.com. Log on for some flashback fashion inspiration!

DIY style. At the end of the day, you don’t need to be crafty or have a high budget to revamp your look — your very own closet can do the job just right. I know that most of us Manila-philes aren’t down with the sewing, cutting, and trimming as we’ve got Alterations and Lola’s reliable costurera who do it for us. Nevertheless, little nips and tucks can be achieved by almost anyone (even the clumsy left-handed people like myself), and if you are adamantly opposed to picking up a pair of scissors, you can still find ways to spice up your closet and home with some nifty tricks.

For your closet: Pull out a scarf and wear it every day of the week in a different way. Some ideas: knot it on your handbag, go boho with a headscarf and have its edges flowing on one side of your shoulders, go preppy and use it as a seamless belt, wrap it around your wrist or wear it around your neck as a long “necklace.” Finally, use the scarf as a top knotted on your chest as long as you have a proper inner for it (i.e. tube top).

For your home: Throw your bed pillows on the floor and create a lounge-y Moroccan feel by changing each pillow case to bright print fabrics and sewing stringy beads on each pillow case corner.

Be it rain or shine, I hope that these tricks inspire you out of a fashion slump or into a fun, new styling frenzy! Finally say au revoir to the monotonous and welcome new inspirations from all cultures and eras. Kickin’ new style should not only be seen from head to toe, but also from door-to-door.