Charming Rooms

We've all been invited to homes that are absolutely charming. We've seen photos of architectural layouts and thought to ourselves, 'I could have done that'. Money is required for a lot of things, but it is not necessarily what is needed to create a charming ambiance.

Some of the ways to create a charming room are:

1. Lots of tall bookshelves:

Books are full of stories, and owning lots of them tells a bit about your story. It lets people know that you like to read, what you like to read and that you're a bit of a collector. You hold on to books like treasures and respect the memories they instil. Perhaps you are a great fan of adventure stories and Homer, Twain and Conan-Doyle, line your shelves. Or perhaps you are a collector of beautiful art books and have organised your shelves by publisher - Thames & Hudson, Phaidon and Black Dog. No matter whether your books are tall or short, old or new, thick or thin, bookshelves add an enormous amount of character to a room.

2. Antique basins:

Bathrooms are an ideal space to get a bit creative and adventurous in a home. People don't spend a lot of time in them, so if you get something a bit wrong, or the décor doesn't match the rest of the house, it doesn't really matter. Between the wood, the piping, the tub, mirrors and colour there is a lot of choice when it comes to bathrooms. Stand alone antique basins, his and her sinks built into an old table, stained mirrors and lots of candles all add a lot of personality to a bathroom.

3. Wallpaper:

Hints of colour, interesting prints, fabric and paper all add charm to a room. Without taking up space they give a room a personality and reflect the personalities of the homeowners as well. Why not build a mosaic over your kitchen stove, or paint a wall of your bathroom in fusia? You can line your staircase with wallpaper and spruce up your plain couches with some colourful throws.

4. Decorative doors:

While no home has 'The Gates of Paradise' at its entrance it is very possible to build a door with a lot of character. It might be a matter of painting it a bright colour, lining it with bamboo blinds, or building in sliding doors as wide as the entire side of your home. You could even create a little house for your door by installing a canopy to sit above it.

Creating a charming space requires more thought and personality than it does cash. A lot of these things come from an eye for aesthetics and collecting special items over the years.