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Jan 14, 2025

A Slow Approach to Decorating

Slow decorating is an approach of taking time to let a home evolve gradually and thoughtfully, in accordance with needs, values and personal style. It is about creating a home that feels authentic and enduring. When we allow ourselves the time to decorate and layer our homes slowly and mindfully, and consider what we truly need, we can create spaces that reflect us and the life we want to unfold within them.

Principles of slow decorating:

(1.) Invest time

Take time to consider how you use your home, as well as how you want it to look and feel. Plan and gather inspiration intentionally to help hone your personal style and vision before rushing in. Having clarity, helps to increase your focus and simplifies decision making. You can then iterate and refine your spaces slowly over time as your home and life evolve. Accept that the essence of ‘slow’ means homes are never quite finished, and eliminate pressure to rush the process. Valuable things take time to unfold and if you allow your home to emerge slowly, you are more likely to end up with spaces that have greater resonance and longevity.

(2.) Repurpose & reuse

Find ways to use what you already have, taking time to repurpose things or move them around to refresh your home and create different arrangements and layouts. Slow decorating encourages incorporating antiques and buying used but quality items. These pieces add warmth and character and help to create spaces that instantly feel unique, lived in and comfortable. There is something special about creating a home with vintage and antique pieces, each object has a past, and by choosing it you can weave it into your own story.

(3.) Prioritise quality over quantity

Purchase items for your home with care and intention, opting for things that are considered, well made and beautiful, rather than being driven by trends. Purchasing mindfully and adopting the ethos of buying less but better, reduces rash decisions and purchasing mistakes. As a result, this is more cost efficient over time and treads more softly on the earth. Don’t feel the need to fill every room, sometimes the space you leave is just as important as the things you put in .

(4.) Cultivate patience

Be willing to have patience and wait for key pieces that resonate and are right for your home. When you take time to source, you can build an environment that feels cohesive and purposeful, that truly reflects you. Be prepared to look everywhere from online marketplaces to flea markets and antique shops and remember that small details make a real difference. The best interiors are those that gently gain their layers and continue to evolve naturally and slowly.

(5.) Create emotional connections

Take time to collect meaningful and personal objects such as travel mementos, art or family heirlooms which resonate, reflect your values and foster an authentic connection to your home. By weaving these items thoughtfully into your spaces, you are not just decorating, but crafting a home that holds emotional value and tells your unique story.

(6.) Make space for change

A home is not static. It needs to be flexible in how it is used, able to accommodate the changing needs, activities and stages of our lives. Rather than being designed around a fixed idea of how a home should look or be used, it can make space for life to happen, giving us room to live and breathe, move things around, gather people, work and rest. Spaces can take on different purposes over time, and objects can find new places and uses as life evolves.

The most meaningful homes never feel entirely finished. They remain open to change, growth and new experiences. A home is alive with the people who inhabit it, and its story continues to unfold through the everyday moments that take place within it.

Slow decorating is ultimately about giving a home the time and space to become your own. It is about making thoughtful choices, living with what you have, allowing things to evolve and resisting pressure to have everything figured out at once. The result is not a home that is perfectly finished, but one that feels considered, personal and lived in. A home that reflects the people within it and has room for the life that happens there.

Like a garden, a home is never truly finished. It grows and changes with us, gathering memories, meaning and stories along the way.

The feature below from the April 2025 issue of Homes & Antiques magazine includes our thoughts about slow decorating.

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Dec 3, 2021

Winter Gatherings at Home

Many of us look forward to spending more time inside with family and friends As winter approaches and the colder months draw in, many of us look forward to spending more time inside with family and friends. Whether hosting small intimate drinks parties, or large family gatherings, connection is at the core. Gatherings are made memorable by the small touches that make our homes and guests feel special. Simple, intentional details spread throughout the home go a long way towards fostering a beautiful and welcoming gathering.

WINTER TABLE

A well-laid table can elevate even the simplest of meals and is a good way to embrace the season. A limited colour palette creates visual cohesion and the feeling that everything has been put together with care and consideration. Neutral coloured linens and furnishings soften a space and provide a good foundation for colour and texture to be brought in by natural elements and food.

COLOUR & TEXTURE

Accents of silver, gold or copper bring a touch of opulence in the winter months. Layering tactile cushions and cosy wool blankets on chair backs infuses the space with a luxurious and comfortable feel, perfect for special winter occasions. A gentle mix of handmade, old and new pieces, collected slowly over time help to create unique and personal spaces. Gathering versatile, meaningful items which can be used across the seasons is a good way to ensure things have longevity.

NATURAL DETAILS

Looking to nature for inspiration and incorporating gathered seasonal flowers and foliage provides natural colour and texture and adds a touch of the season. From foliage to flowers, berries to fragrant herbs, plants can be displayed in vases or pots, arranged across the table, shaped into garlands and wreaths or wrapped with twine and velvet ribbon to create simple place settings. Even a single flower or branch evokes beauty and thoughtfulness. Subtle, natural details throughout the home give an elegant, festive feel without being overbearing and can be left in place all season.

LIGHTING & AMBIENCE

Winter calls for gently illuminated corners, lamps and candlelight across the home. If you don’t have any low level-lighting like floor or table lamps, wireless lamps are a great alternative for soft, flexible lighting. A flickering fire and the soft glow of candlelight imbue a space with warmth and a restful ambience and is especially atmospheric in the darker winter months. For extra atmosphere, incorporate varying heights by combining tapered candles, scented votives, pillar candles, lanterns and tea-lights. This creates a lovely layered effect and sets the tone for a truly cosy gathering. Fairy lights are also magical in winter and can be used around the home.

Integrating music, perhaps a favourite playlist gently playing in the background is another small detail which engages the senses, sets the tone and helps to create a memorable experience.

FOOD & DRINK

Preparing food and drink in advance and keeping things simple frees up time to spend enjoying the company of others to the fullest. Cheese and charcuterie boards are simple to prepare and can act as a decorative centrepiece on the table. Wooden boards or platters laden with an assortment of cheeses, cold meats, crackers and all the accompaniments add a festive feel as well as forming part of an indulgent winter feast. Similarly, bowls of foods such as seasonal fruits and nuts provide a beautiful, simple form of decoration and celebration and can be left for guests to enjoy.

A self-service table or tray with drinks, glassware and accompaniments can also be set up ahead of time and be replenished as needed. Pre-cut any fruit and garnishes to go with both alcoholic and soft beverages and arrange in decorative dishes. You can also add special touches such as filling decanters and carafes with favourite drinks and adding an ice bucket or cocktail shaker for guests to help themselves.

Winter is a magical season. Along with the cold, crisp and sculptural landscape and cosy evenings come opportunities to gather family and friends close, share traditions and create special memories. We hope this journal post will inspire simple and memorable winter gatherings in your home throughout the season that foster connection and joy. For more winter inspiration, visit our seasonal folder on Pinterest or read our other winter posts; A Foliage Wreath, Winter Flowers and A Festive Swag here.