FIVE STYLING RULES WE LIVE BY
MELIS’S EDIT
Great design is about the small, considered details that bring a space to life. It is a philosophy that runs through everything we do, and one that our team lives and breathes daily, both on projects and in their own homes.
This month we sat down with Melis, part of our Project Delivery team, to hear the styling tips she swears by. Having spent years immersed in the world of interiors, Melis has developed a natural eye for what makes a space feel finished, lived in, and truly considered. Here, she shares five of her go-to principles.
LAYER IN THE COSY
For Melis, warmth is everything. "Cushions, throws and lighting are the key tips to making a house feel like a home,"she explains. These are often the final touches in a scheme, but they carry real weight. Layering soft furnishings and considering how a room is lit, whether through table lamps, floor lighting or warm overheads, transforms a space from simply styled to genuinely inviting.
TEXTURE IS EVERYTHING
Colour is often the first thing we think about when styling a room, but Melis encourages a different approach. "Mix and match your materials, not just colours. This adds depth and dimension to your space." Pairing boucle with linen, or a matte finish with something more tactile, brings a scheme to life in a way that a single colour palette alone cannot.
PLAY WITH SCALE
Melis is a firm believer in confident choices. "Don't be afraid to go big. Find pieces you love and make them a statement." Whether it is an oversized mirror, a sculptural light fixture or a bold piece of artwork, a well-placed statement piece can anchor a room and give it a real sense of identity.
THE 3-5-7 RULE
One of Melis's go-to styling principles is the 3-5-7 rule: grouping decorative items in odd numbers that vary in height, shape and texture. This simple technique creates a more natural, curated look, avoiding the overly symmetrical feel that even numbers can bring, and giving every shelf or console table a sense of thoughtful arrangement.
USE NEGATIVE SPACE INTENTIONALLY
Perhaps the most important tip of all is knowing when to stop. "Allow for breathing room in your schemes and let the design feel open and create pockets of calm," Melis says. Not every surface needs to be filled. Leaving space within a room allows the eye to rest and lets the pieces you have chosen truly stand out.
For Melis, it always comes back to the details. Get those right, and everything else in a room tends to fall into place.
Want to see these principles in action? Discover our projects, or get in touch with the BoxNine7 team to bring them into your own home.
