Designing a house and getting ready in the morning are really quite similar.

You often have a focal point in a room and it’s usually the fireplace, a piece of art or a chandelier. When getting dressed decide what that focal point is, maybe the dress, your hair, lip stick, your bag or shoes? Once you have decided you can enhance it.

Adding floral cushions to a floral sofa can be overwhelming and the same can be said for bold patterned trousers and tops. A patterned dress is fine and possibly your focal point but can be lost if we add a big patterned wrap and bag. It doesn’t mean we can’t but an eclectic style is much harder to balance.

‘But neutrals are boring,’ I hear this statement frequently.

When designing a neutral/pastel space I crave calm and interest. So I search for texture in wall art and soft furnishings. My home is predominantly white and cream. However, an all white outfit could look quite clinical on its own but mix linen with a light cashmere scarf and suede boots and you have an interesting soft style because the texture creates interest just as a velvet sofa with wood flooring and cotton cushions works in the home. You change the textures to create the style. Or if you love colour, just add a scarf or bag in a brighter shade.

I look for designs that last, I’m not up for faddy fashion or homewares. A plain linen sofa lasts for years and won’t date, dress it with flax cushions and soft cashmere throws and when those cushions and throws start to wear or you fancy a change, replace them with new ones and the cost is minor compared to a new sofa. Same applies to a dress and accessories, a linen dress will last years, pair it with a few cashmere or cotton scarves and you have the variety without the cost to you and the planet.

So buy wisely not plainly. Pick differing textures and muted shades.

Some nice textured fabrics are linen, cotton, velvet, wool, cashmere, leather and suede. Try and limit your outfit to no more than 3 or 4 colours. Pale pink, flax and dove grey for example create a calm romantic feel, add purple and green and it's very different, often chaotic.

Skin = Wall colour.

Dress = Sofa

Scarf = Cushions

Shoes = Flooring

Ornaments = Jewellery

Calming colours

Pebble, Pale blue, Chalk

Clay, Dove Grey, Warm white

Pale linen, Wheat, Old White

Im going to leave you with a pigeon. I know they are supposedly vermin but I find the colours of the feathers work when creating neutral wardrobes or colour schemes for the

home.

I hope you enjoyed this light read today, it won’t help world peace but it may make life easier when getting dressed and buying clothes in the future.

Some of our new collection. https://www.paleandfade.co.uk