A Guide to achieving a cohesive look throughout your home

The use of timber in home design has always been a popular choice due to its natural beauty and versatility. With its warm and inviting hues, timber is perfect for creating a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere in any room.

We recently caught up with Emma from @the_calm_coastal, a young mum who’s achieved great balance between the use of strong timber colours, room organisation and introduced her own unique home styling, inspiring many with its simplicity.

1) How did you get into home styling?

I have always been an interior enthusiast and could spend hours pining my favourite styles and trends in Pinterest, but it wasn’t until we renovated our entire Brisbane home in 2021 that I truly discovered my passion for styling.

After taking on the design of the home myself, I fell in love with transforming spaces and being able to express myself through my styling. I found a new creative side that I never knew I had and its now become passion of mine.

2) What is the most rewarding thing about styling a space?

When planning my styling I always have a vision for the space and seeing it come to life sparks a great sense of joy. For me it’s all about how the space makes me feel. My home is a reflection of me and my family and I want to feel a sense of calm when I walk into a space. Finding the perfect balance is so important when styling so when I can nail this it is extremely rewarding.

 3) What are your top 5 décor staples when decorating a room?

• A good rug – Rugs are so important to zone the space and are a great way to bring in texture and colour

• Wall dressings – Sometimes walls can often be neglected and spaces can end up looking unbalanced. The addition of artwork, mirrors, wall hangings give the illusion of a cohesion and balance.

• Soft textures - Cushions and throws. These are my fav to use in any space. This is where you can get creative and bring in different patterns, textures and colour that spark interest but don’t take away from the beauty of the whole space. This is how you get that relaxed ‘lived in’ feel in a home.

• Coffee table books – I love using books in my styling. They provide the perfect base for layering your décor pieces, they look great and are an inexpensive way to contribute to that ‘lived in’ feel.

• Candles, vases and ceramics - These are your small styling pieces that are used to create the perfect balance. I like to use these in small clusters of varying heights and sizes.

• I know you only asked for 5 but I’m going to give a another as I believe it’s just as important – Greenery/florals – Bringing in pops of colour with plants or fresh flowers just finishes the space perfectly.

 4) Tell us about your neutral interior style?

I’ve always been drawn to soft palettes as they bring a sense of calm so when designing my home, I knew I wanted plenty of whites, brass, timber and natural textures. I have a lot of timber in my home and I love all the warmth it brings. I like to start any space with a neutral base and then add little pops of colour through my artwork, cushions and styling pieces.

 5) What is your favorite quote and why?

Ha, I think it’s an Oprah quote, but it’s always resonated with me.

'If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough’.

The grass is always greener right? It just puts everything into perspective and makes me extremely grateful for all my blessings. I have my family and my health and that’s all I need 😊