Where to begin

Where to Begin

The first step to a successful styling project is defining exactly what you want from it. With Gabby's guidance, you will learn what to ask yourself when styling your home and where to begin.

You want to start from scratch. This editing process is all about constantly changing and tweaking things. Take stock of all of your belongings because we all accumulate items that we may or may not want. Be ruthless in your edit and really question things.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

– William Morris –

Do you actually like this? Is it because you received it as a gift, and it holds sentimental value for you?

Be honest with yourself about who you are and how you live

It's not about setting aside a huge amount of money, going out and buying all the necessary components. Styling is more about working out what you have already, what you want to keep and what you want to bring in.

Budgeting

It's vital to figure out who you are and how you want to live. Our living habits don't really change. We can make our surroundings more appealing, but at the end of the day, we are who we are.

Work out who you are

The way you live in your sitting room is something you should really consider. If you are a keen television watcher, you need to factor in that you are going to want a TV stand. Don't act as if you want every corner of your room to be an artistic arrangement of objects. If you want a television, get one, and be completely honest about it.

The way you live in your sitting room

I like going through old magazines and looking at images of rooms from the 1980s, 1990s, and earlier to see how curtains were made and colour combinations came together. Seeing how an idea worked in another home can be very reassuring.

The value of finding inspiration offline

Scrapbooks are an excellent way to create a mental picture of what you want. It is a time-consuming process that doesn't happen overnight. However, scrapbooking trains you to see things together.

Scrapbooking is a brilliant tool when looking for inspiration

I collected lots of magazines during my time at House and Garden, as well as World of Interiors publications.

Vintage interior and home magazines are available on eBay and Etsy. eBay allows you to filter by publication year, so you can narrow down the year you are interested in. World of Interiors, House & Garden, Ideal Home, and Golden Home are all widely available on second-hand websites.

Discover more

Your Assignment

Get scrapbooking! The bigger the scrapbook, the better. You can purchase a scrapbook at arts and crafts shop like Hobbycraft. Check out charity shops, and shop online for vintage magazines and catalogues. Fill your scrapbook with anything that catches your eye, whether from magazines or elsewhere. It doesn't necessarily need to be interiors images; it could just be a pattern or colour that brings you joy. See what evolves as you fill your scrapbook.

Scrapbook checklist

• Magazines
• Paper
• Scissors
• Tape
• Glue
• Markers