The Pippa Guide

Featured image credit: Laoise Moggan

Top Tips On Making Your House A Home

Style icon and savvy businesswoman Pippa O’Connor shares her guide to making your living space a homely place with tips on finishing touches that will add that extra dimension to your home.

‘When it comes to details, I think you can’t overestimate the usefulness of mirrors. They’re amazing for adding light and interest. I’ve used them as a design feature in every house we’ve lived in over the years. I think mirrors are the cheapest way to bounce and create light and to make the space feel bigger.

It’s not about being able to see yourself in every room – you can’t even see into lots of the ones we have in our house because they’re up too high – but without them a corner would seem darker and part of the room would feel smaller. I’m all about maximizing the light. After all, we live in Ireland and a house has to work at 4pm in December as well as at midday in July. I absolutely love fires and cosiness in the winter, but if I can get a little more natural light into a room, I will.’

Get the Look

*    Finishing touches add personality.

*     Use trays to create vignettes and swap them around whenever you’re bored with a room.

*     Flowers, flowers and more flowers. Invest in good silk ones for the weeks you don’t pick some up with the shopping – just remember to dust them.

*     Go with one candle scent per room then add lots of tealights for twinkly gorgeousness.

*    Mirrors create light and space.

*     Don’t overspend on all your little bits and pieces, bargains can make you happy and look beautiful.

The Pippa Guide, Live your Best Life is published by Penguin Ireland with photography for this blog by Lili Forberg