Sometimes, no matter how long you spend flicking through the pages of interiors magazines, pinning on Pinterest and trying to get your home to look magazine worthy, it just doesn’t seem to look like it could be out of the pages of a magazine.

Where exactly are you going wrong?

If you want your house to look like it’s straight out of a stunning home magazine, then here are some easy tips to follow that could make all the difference.

Minimise and store

One reason your house is probably never going to look right out of a magazine is the fact you actually live in your house!

If you have a family, especially, then your home is well-used and probably full of stuff.

Those magazine shots of gorgeous homes and room suggestions and layouts are all tackled by a team of professional from interiors stylists to lighting experts and photographers.

The main thing you’ll notice in these images is the lack of clutter. If you want your home to feel like an interiors dream then you need to be clever with your storage.

First, minimise your belongings and have a declutter. Next, work in some clever storage to your rooms, such as hidden storage under sofas and beds, so your clutter cannot be seen. Then you can focus on styling the room to make it photo worthy.

Bring life into each room

You don’t want your home to look sterile, you want it to feel alive.

This is easy to do by adding houseplants to your rooms. Layer these for interest – for example, a hanging plant in one corner, but a standing plant elsewhere.

Bring colour and beauty into a room easily with a bunch of fresh flowers.

In the kitchen you can add pots of fresh herbs to the windowsills and leave a fruit basket beautifully arranged on the side.

Add textiles

Layers of textiles are great for adding different textures, patterns and materials to a room. Stop your sofa and bed from looking so plain by adding some cushions and draping a throw over one end.

Make sure your floor is clean and tidy. If you have carpets then ensure they are properly cleaned and if you have wood, laminate or vinyl flooring then add rugs strategically to bring warmth and cosiness into these rooms.

A faux sheepskin throw thrown over a chair or ottoman can quickly instantly make a dining area or living space look professionally styled.

Master the casually thrown throw! Make sure the rest of the bed or sofa is perfectly neat, and then casually drape a throw to make the room look lived in, but still picturesque.

Have a statement feature

Have something in each room that makes a statement and is totally photo worthy.

Most people opt for a statement wall in their homes, but how about a statement floor (think herringbone in the living room or patterned floor tiles in a hall or bathroom), a brightly coloured sofa (we love how our bright orange retro sofas cheer up our living room), or even a new bold statement tap in your kitchen?

Touch up the paint

Always keep a small tin of your wall paint in a cupboard in your home. Keep a brush nearby so you can quickly touch up paint around your home as you notice it becoming marked.

Keeping your walls spick and span is one way to instantly make your home look like new.

The same applies to all other surfaces too – keep them spick and span. Clean those grubby finger marks and smears off windows and mirrors and dust your surfaces, ceilings and skirting boards. if you really want your home to look like a magazine feature then you’ll need to keep it glowing!

Let in natural light

Everything looks better and feels better in natural daylight. Pull up the blinds, open the curtains and let the natural light brighten the room and let the colours of your furniture pop.

Dress the windows properly

Dressing your windows stylishly and appropriately can make a real difference in your room looking stunning or simply boshed together for practicality!

The standard wooden curtain pole or wire with a bunched up short curtain in any old fabric will not work wonders for your room.

Instead, think carefully about your window dressings. Don’t just choose a curtain for functionality, but think about style and design too.

To make a statement, choose floor length drapes which hang proudly in an accent colour or beautiful patterned fabric to align with the rest of your interior. Carefully pull them back and secure with ties to give a cinched effect in the middle.

To soften light or keep things minimal, opt for made to measure blinds that fit within the windows in pale colours or white.

Custom made wooden shutters not only look picturesque and add a cottage-chic style to a room, but let you easily control how much light comes into a room.

Hide countertop appliances

Much like the clutter suggestion, your kitchen can look overcrowded very quickly with numerous kitchen gadgets and appliances on show on the countertops.

Instead keep one or two eye-catching appliances on show and put the rest away. This will instantly make your kitchen appear clean and fresh.

Add books

There’s something about a small stack of books that adds a great visual element to a room, whether it’s a book on a coffee table or a small stack of books on a bedside table or side counter. It can be a great finishing touch to a room and for when you are taking a photo of your space.

Is your home ready to feature in a magazine?

If you’ve a unique space that you truly think is magazine worthy then why not try and feature your home in a magazine?

There are some great tips in this article by We Love Home Blog for how to get your home into an interiors magazine!