Making a House a Home

Living in a two-bedroom flat where one of the rooms is full to bursting with miscellania, I try not to acquire too much in the way of non-essential homeware. We haven't got a lot of space for ornamental or decorative bits and pieces, and when we moved in here, I had a bit of a struggle with trying to find homes for the pieces I do have. I'm quite selective with the items I want to have on display in my home, as I like things that add a bit of character and identity without creating too much clutter. This Christmas, I ventured into the Debenhams home section in search of a present for my mum, and ended up making a few finds of my own. Despite my better judgement, they eventually found their way into my Christmas stocking, and I can't deny than I'm thrilled to bits with them all.

I tend to gravitate towards anything mint, and there's a distinctively mint and cream colour scheme going on in my home. When renting, there isn't a lot you can do to the property itself in order to whip it into shape and display a bit of personality, so I tend to add what I can to it in other ways, with things like mirrors, photo frames, candles and prints. Some of my favourite pieces are a beautiful cream bird cage which currently sits on my mantlepiece, and an ornate mint photo frame, but at the moment neither of them are displayed to their best advantage. In our old place, there was a deep shelf that was perfect, but currently I have little more than a mantlepiece in my living room on which to arrange things. The frame is still empty, too, so a minor new year's resolution of mine is to find the right photo - having pictures of family and friends around the place always makes things feel that little bit more like home.

The new additions to my collection are a pretty, patterned bird ornament which doubles as a moneybox, a carved wooden jewellery box - in a shade of mint, of course - and this beautiful cream and mint ceramic jar, which has a rabbit sitting atop it. Currently, the bird is sitting on the mantlepiece along with my other pieces, while the jewellery box and jar have made it into the bedroom, as I could do with a little more storage in there.

I also picked up a gorgeous cream and mint print with the words 'All you need is love' written on it, and I'm really annoyed that I didn't take a photo as it ties in with all the other items beautifully. It's bound to be popping up on the blog at some point, so I'll be sure to point it out to you when it does. Sadly, it's no longer available on the Debenhams site - a huge shame, as I know that some of you would have loved it.

Currently, I can't get enough of the interiors posts on Gh0stparties. Kate's blog has long been a favourite of mine, initially winning me over with skincare, but since moving into her new flat she has given me a huge amount of inspiration when it comes to decorating my own place. With a palette of cream, mint, light pink and gold, her living room has gone from a blank canvas to a thing of absolute beauty, and I adore her minimalist walls and wooden floors, hanging plants, spray-painted DIY pieces and ashi-tape wall collages. If you need some inspiration of your own, then I'd definitely recommend following her on Facebook and Instagram, as she is always rearranging things and posts regular updates on what she's changed.

What are your favourite pieces from around your home? Do you have any favourite places to collect new and unique pieces which will add a bit of character to your nest?

xx