Top Tips for Decorating with Fresh Start Artwork - Fresh Ideas Start Here

A home should feel like a quiet exhale at the end of the day; a place where beauty feels natural, not forced, and every detail carries intention.

This guide shares my Top Tips for Decorating with nature in mind, inspired by homes that feel warm, soulful, and lived in. It's intended to help you style your space with pieces that honour the outdoors that in turn will help you slow down and elevate your everyday living. At the heart of this approach is Fresh Start Artwork, a concept where you link your intentions for the New Year to a new piece of artwork so art is more than a decoration, it becomes a physical representation of your intentions or manifestations.

As you explore the ideas below, you'll discover how thoughtful placement, natural textures, and storytelling can transform even the simplest room and how creating a subconscious link with an object can help you focus on your intentions. Remember, these are just suggestions rooted in creativity, sustainability, and personal expression. When art reflects who you are, your home begins to feel complete.

If you are unfamiliar with how to link your intentions to an object, follow these easy steps:

1. Choose your artwork. This is best done with a new piece, but equally you can use something you already own but has been hidden away, something with no memories attached to it.

2. In a quiet space where you won't be disturbed, hold or touch the piece of art and concentrate on the intention you would like it to hold. This can be anything - being more active, eating fewer biscuits, taking more time for self care. Speak this intention into it.

3. Place the piece where you will see it regularly following the tips below.

Consider this your moment to begin again, starting the year with intention. Fresh Ideas Start Here!

1. Let Nature Lead the Room

Before adding anything new, pause and observe - look at how natural light enters the room throughout the day. Notice the warmth or coolness of the space. Pay attention to materials already present like wood, stone, linen, clay, cotton, glass or plants. These elements will create a natural framework for you to work with. The most effective Top Tips for Decorating often begin with listening to what a room already offers and its vibe.

When styling your Fresh Start Artwork piece, placement matters more than quantity. Choose a spot where it can be seen clearly and appreciated without distraction. Near a window where light shifts, but not in direct sunlight; on a shelf where the eye naturally rests; within a quiet nook that invites stillness and calm. The artwork should feel as though it's always belonged there, not added as an afterthought or to compliment something else in the spotlight.

Let colours remain soft and grounded. Neutral walls, muted tones, and subtle textures will allow the artwork to become the focal point without overwhelming the space. Avoid heavy patterns or busy arrangements nearby as this will distract your attention. Simplicity creates room for detail, and detail is where the beauty lives.

Natural styling isn't about perfection, it's about harmony. Pair your artwork with objects that carry story. Dried botanicals, handmade ceramics, vintage books, or natural fibres all help reinforce a sense of authenticity and aesthetic. These choices align with one of the cornerstones of my Top Tips for Decorating, where intention replaces trend.

As you explore how to style your home, remember that your new piece of artwork will thrive in environments that feel unhurried and balanced. When you let nature lead the way, decorating becomes an act of self-care and spaces begin to feel restorative in a home that reflects calm, creativity, and quiet beauty.

2. Choose Meaning Over Matching

A home becomes a sanctuary when it reflects feeling, not formulas.

It's easy to fall into the habit of choosing décor that simply matches what's already there. The same tones, styles and the same safe decisions. Meaningful spaces are built differently, they are shaped by connection, memory, aesthetic and personal taste. In a world where everything has to be 'Instagrammable' people have lost the joy of allowing emotion to lead rather than colour palettes and trends.

When selecting your new piece of artwork, focus on what draws you in instinctively. It might be the curve of a leaf, the delicacy of a painted scene, or simply the way a piece makes you pause for a moment longer. These reactions matter, art chosen for its meaning carries presence, even when it doesn't perfectly match the surrounding décor.

Do not be afraid of subtle contrast. A piece can sit beautifully against an unexpected background and still feel harmonious. In fact, contrast often adds depth and character, making a space feel lived in rather than staged. I'm personally in that process now of moving from one colour pallette to one I actually want, so there's a lot of contrast.

3. Style Small Spaces with Intention

Small spaces often hold the greatest potential, rather than trying to fill every corner, approach compact areas with purpose. A hallway, bedside table, reading nook, or narrow shelf doesn't need much to feel complete. One of the most effective Top Tips for Decorating a space is understanding that scale and restraint matter more than quantity.

Your Fresh Start Artwork is especially suited to these quieter spaces. Its calm nature allows it to stand out without overwhelming its surroundings. Choose a location where the piece can be seen up close and appreciated slowly, eye level works well, as do areas where you naturally pause during the day. These placements create brief moments of calm woven into your everyday routines.

Keep the surrounding elements minimal. A single artwork paired with a small plant, a ceramic dish, or a well-loved book is often enough. This balance prevents visual clutter while allowing your artwork to carry presence and meaning. In small spaces, every item needs to earn its place.

Styling with intention also means thinking about flow. Consider how the space is used and how the eye moves through it. Allow breathing room around the artwork so its natural shape and detail remain the focus.

When done thoughtfully, even the smallest areas can feel expressive and personal. Your new artwork brings intention to spaces that are often overlooked. Among the most practical Top Tips for Decorating is recognising that size does not limit impact. If you live in a small home with limited space, you might not get the same vibe as someone who lives in a big house, but you can easily get the same amount of presence, meaning and beauty in your home.

4. Layer with Texture

A space feels richer when it has texture, it provides a sense of depth.

Rather than relying on colour alone, build interest through materials. Natural fibres, aged wood, soft ceramics, antique lace, and gently worn surfaces add warmth without noise. One of the most timeless Top Tips for Decorating is learning to layer thoughtfully, allowing each element to support the next rather than compete. Like a well thought out collage.

My favourite place for inspiration is Pinterest, it's full of amazing ideas. When styling with art, consider what sits beside it and what sits beneath it. A stack of vintage books, a linen runner, or a handmade object can create a subtle backdrop that enhances the artwork’s natural presence. These layers should feel collected over time, not styled all at once.

Story matters just as much as texture, the objects with meaning create emotional connection. A keepsake from a market visit, a family heirloom, or something crafted by hand brings authenticity into the space. .

Avoid over-layering though - balance is key. Leave space for the eye to rest so the artwork remains the focal point so you prevent any overwhelm.

As layers build slowly, your home gains character and warmth. Your chosen artwork becomes part of a wider narrative, woven into textures that reflect care, intention and give off the same harmonious vibes.

5. Create Calm Through Spacing

Space is as important as what fills it, this is where calm lives.

When decorating, it's tempting to add more. More objects, more layers, more detail. Yet one of the most powerful tips I can give you is knowing when to stop. Thoughtful spacing allows each piece to be seen, felt, and appreciated without distraction.

Your chosen artwork will benefit from breathing room. Its delicate detail and natural form deserves focus, not competition. Whether displayed on a wall, shelf, or other surface, leave space around the artwork so the eye can settle. This separation creates clarity and allows you to reconnect with the intention set.

Consider the relationship between objects; avoid placing items too close together or stacking visual weight in one area. Let shelves feel light and let walls remain open. Negative space is not empty space - it should be intentional. It gives structure to a room and brings a sense of openness.

Spacing also affects how a room feels emotionally. Open areas create softness and balance, helping the home feel restorative and grounding rather than busy. This is where simplicity comes in - simplicity encourages presence and calm.

By allowing your artwork to stand quietly within its surroundings, you honour both the artwork and the space itself. This tip is coming from experience, because as a creative decorator myself, I've always had a tendancy to go straight in there and get a bit carried away, which always leads to contrast and overwhelming chaos in a room. So take it from me, be slow but stready with your decorating.

6. Refresh with the Seasons

Nature is always changing, and your home can change with it. A seasonal refresh doesn't require new purchases or major updates.

One of the most flexible tips is learning to move and restyle what you already own. Subtle shifts can transform the mood of a space. Light and energy change throughout the year, and your décor can respond in subtle, thoughtful ways.

In warmer months, position your artwork where natural light highlights its form and texture. Near windows, airy shelves, or open walls where brightness feels welcome. Keep surrounding elements lightly and minimal to echo the freshness of the season. In cooler months, relocate pieces to cozier areas. Reading corners, bedside tables, or spaces warmed by candlelight or lamps. These small adjustments create comfort without clutter.

Seasonal styling is also about atmosphere. Use fresh plants/flowers in warmer months, then introduce dried florals in autumn and soft textiles in winter, or lighter natural materials in spring. These additions should support the artwork, not overpower it. Your chosen artwork remains the constant, while the setting evolves around it, kind of like using props on a stage setting.

This approach encourages creativity without excess. It allows your home to feel renewed while staying intentional and consistent. Refreshing you space is best done not through replacing, but through reimagining what you already have and seeing it with fresh eyes. By shifting familiar pieces in new ways, your space can feel renewed without losing its sense of story or intention.

By refreshing your space with the seasons, your artwork continues to feel relevant and alive throughout the year.

Lastly

Decorating with intention is an act of care.It is about choosing pieces that bring calm, meaning, and connection into your everyday life.

When nature leads your choices, your home becomes a place that feels personal and grounding. A space that reflects who you are, not what is trending. Small, thoughtful details create rooms that feel warm, lived in, and comfortably beautiful.

If you are ready to bring nature indoors and preserve its beauty in a meaningful way, explore the Elder Leaf collection and discover artwork designed to tell a story. Let your space evolve with intention, and let fresh ideas begin where nature is honoured in style.