What is the value of an Interior Stylist?

The roles Interior Designer and Interior Stylist can easily be confused as being the same thing. However the roles of each are actually quite different, as is the value they provide. The services of each are required at different stages of the project.

A designer is employed near the beginning of the project to help with some of the bigger decisions; colour and large textile choices, joinery and big furniture items, lighting and layout among many other decisions!

A stylist comes in at the end of the project to provide the finishing touches. A stylist has the power to transform an interior through the placement of furniture and objects, while ensuring the space remains authentic and functional for the client. Stylists pay attention to the forgotten corners and the finishing touches of a space. This is where the magic lies.

A stylist will tell their clients' journey, by styling the space with personal items already belonging to the client. For the most part, our clients already have all they need in their home. It is only if required that a stylist will add in carefully selected new items to pull the look together. At Sarah Vivian Home we specialise in sourcing unique and one of items. We love the imperfect beauty of vintage objects which maintain an interior’s originality.

Attention to detail is a fundamental skill of a stylist, as it is the detail that can make or break a space - whether it be a vignette, a room or a whole home. Successful styling can be as simple as shifting the furniture to uplift the energy in the space, or as granular as moving a small object a few inches. The value of a stylist lies in knowing and understanding this detail.

A good stylist will be curious, they will be able to see things from a different perspective. That old chair you are thinking about giving away, the chipped jug sitting at the back of the cupboard? These things can be overlooked, yet with a stylists eye these are the very things that can provide the greatest impact.

We encourage you not to overlook the importance of styling in your home, and the ability a good stylist has to change the whole look and feel of a space.

This all said... styling is something you can do yourself with time and commitment. Spend time following your favourite stylists on Instagram or Pinterest, make a list of ideas and then apply them to your home. Play with what works and what doesn't. However do bear in mind, it can be costly if you don’t get it quite right - this is where the value of an interior stylist comes in.

Many of our clients have a vision of what they want their home to look and feel like, and how they want to live, but do not have the knowledge and tools to achieve their goals. We have saved our clients a lot of time and money, by avoiding potentially costly mistakes.

If you are unsure, here are a just a few of the many benefits to using a stylist:

• New textures, colour, pattern and shape can breathe life into a room into a room. Clever use of soft furnishings such as curtains, rugs, cushions, throws can dramatically change the feeling of a space

• Stylists have excellent spatial awareness that enables them to optimise the layout of a room - creating the illusion of space or of intimacy

• From the positioning of large dynamic furniture to the smallest of accessories, a stylist will focus on the minute detail and how each piece functions and contributes to the space as a whole

• A stylist will innately understand the energy of an object. Can the object (let's say a vase, a book or a piece of art) to stand alone, or does it need a partner to optimize its presence?

• Stylists will make clever lighting decisions. From the understanding of the importance of natural lighting and how to optimise this, to the addition of artificial lighting such lamps and task lighting

• A stylist will use indoor plants and greenery to add freshness and soften a space

• A stylist will implement clever storage solutions, blending function with beauty, and in doing so creating a space that is easy to use by all inhabitants