How to Accessorise Your Home Like Coco Chanel
Fashion icon Coco Chanel knew a thing or two about making an impact, so apply her wisdom to dressing your home and ‘take one thing off’
Famously elegant and effortlessly stylish, the fashion designer Coco Chanel was said to have offered this advice on personal style: ‘Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.’ Maybe that scarf is unnecessary? Or those earrings a distraction? Chanel was championing the less is more argument, and this can be applied with as much success to interiors as to clothes and accessories. It’s not about a return to minimalism, though. These beautiful rooms prove that editing out a few details from your space will not render it cold or sterile – quite the opposite. By giving each item room to breathe, we can create real impact and balance, improving the appearance, functionality and atmosphere of our interiors.
Ditch the details
This compact kitchen steers clear of fussy details that could clutter the space. The cabinets are fitted with push-catch doors or very slim handles, while the sleek surfaces reflect light and help the space feel bigger.
This compact kitchen steers clear of fussy details that could clutter the space. The cabinets are fitted with push-catch doors or very slim handles, while the sleek surfaces reflect light and help the space feel bigger.
Lose the TV
Removing the TV from your living space is one edit that actively changes the atmosphere of the room. Chairs and sofas can now face one another, rather than the screen. The owners of this room have also resisted the urge to build in lots of storage or add chunky armchairs. Two elegant Cherner chairs supplement the sofa and keep the space looking airy.
One Chair, 12 Homes: The Shapely Cherner Chair
Removing the TV from your living space is one edit that actively changes the atmosphere of the room. Chairs and sofas can now face one another, rather than the screen. The owners of this room have also resisted the urge to build in lots of storage or add chunky armchairs. Two elegant Cherner chairs supplement the sofa and keep the space looking airy.
One Chair, 12 Homes: The Shapely Cherner Chair
Say no to shelving
This home office is the perfect, distraction-free work area. A desk and a chair sit neatly in the room and that’s it. Shelves would eat into the space and inevitably encroach on headspace, too.
This home office is the perfect, distraction-free work area. A desk and a chair sit neatly in the room and that’s it. Shelves would eat into the space and inevitably encroach on headspace, too.
Avoid artwork
Tall walls cry out for artwork, don’t they? Well, no, as this serene bedroom demonstrates. A rich blue paint shade gives this lofty space personality, the bed is deliciously sumptuous and the lampshade and cornicing deliver heaps of rich detail. Nothing more is needed.
Tall walls cry out for artwork, don’t they? Well, no, as this serene bedroom demonstrates. A rich blue paint shade gives this lofty space personality, the bed is deliciously sumptuous and the lampshade and cornicing deliver heaps of rich detail. Nothing more is needed.
Cancel the coffee table
Even the most diminutive coffee table takes up floor space and becomes something to negotiate. Where space is limited, leave it out. This mezzanine library is full of colour and warmth, thanks to all the books, while two neat armchairs supply a place to sit and enjoy them.
Even the most diminutive coffee table takes up floor space and becomes something to negotiate. Where space is limited, leave it out. This mezzanine library is full of colour and warmth, thanks to all the books, while two neat armchairs supply a place to sit and enjoy them.
Do without window treatments
Blinds and curtains offer privacy and some insulation, but if your property is not overlooked or you are lucky enough to have great views, leave them out. Large windows in particular often look better unadorned, so that the impressive glazing and abundant light can be enjoyed.
How to Choose the Right Window Treatment
Blinds and curtains offer privacy and some insulation, but if your property is not overlooked or you are lucky enough to have great views, leave them out. Large windows in particular often look better unadorned, so that the impressive glazing and abundant light can be enjoyed.
How to Choose the Right Window Treatment
Bin the bedside tables
Obviously bedside tables were not an option in this space, due to its dimensions, but this room illustrates an alternative way to furnish our sleep space. By fitting wall-mounted lights and installing a few shelves behind and above the bed, there’s no need for additional furniture.
Obviously bedside tables were not an option in this space, due to its dimensions, but this room illustrates an alternative way to furnish our sleep space. By fitting wall-mounted lights and installing a few shelves behind and above the bed, there’s no need for additional furniture.
Streamline your shower
Lose the shower enclosure and opt for a simple glass screen instead. This cuts down on bathroom furniture and gives the space a cleaner, more streamlined appearance.
TELL US
What do you think of using Chanel’s editing approach to accessorising your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Lose the shower enclosure and opt for a simple glass screen instead. This cuts down on bathroom furniture and gives the space a cleaner, more streamlined appearance.
TELL US
What do you think of using Chanel’s editing approach to accessorising your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Flanking a long table with dining chairs, but leaving the table ends free, is a simple way to streamline the look of your dining space. The chairs face each other neatly for a look that’s symmetrical, but not cluttered.