by Catalogs.com Info Guru Terri Wallace

A true home is more than just the untouched, unlived look that comes from between the pages of a designer magazine.

A true home is a reflection of its residents’ hopes, dreams, and interests. One of the easiest ways to turn a mere house into a true home is to incorporate your unique style into your home and to make a bold statement with your style. Here are ten ways to make a personalized home decor statement.

10. Tables with Character

Tables serve a function. Whether to hold a beverage, to provide a space for display, or to keep the remote within reach—but a table can be more than. A table can be a stylish piece of art or a whimsical representation. Tables with characters fill a useful need while making a strong and stylish statement.

9. Rugs

We walk all over rugs; they never receive their stylistic due. However a quality rug is more than just a warm covering for a stark floor—it is a work of art. Rugs can make a room more cohesive by integrating different colors, they can provide the inspiration for an entire room, and they can also provide a warm place to curl up before a crackling fire. Splurge and invest in a rug worthy of distinction.

8. Clocks

Time can be a distraction—fear of wasting it, losing track of it, or just the lack of it. A well-placed clock can alleviate this distraction. Make sure your living space has a clock so that guests don’t fret about staying too late or missing another engagement. But take care to ensure that your timepiece is as fashionable as it is functional. Grandmother clocks, grandfather clocks, mantle clocks, and cuckoo clocks are just a few of the timely options available.

7. Clusters of Collectibles

Collections showcase your interests as well as add visual interest to a space. Consider clustering your collection into groupings in order to add extra impact to a room. A cupboard of teacups, a wall of antique maps, or a curio of canisters can make a room more personal while keeping the personalized home decor polished.

6. Curiosities

Unusual pieces, used in moderation, can add drama and cultural interest to a piece. Unlike a collection, curiosities might overwhelm a room if used en masse. But these showpieces are useful to bring a visual anchor to a room. An exquisite antique, a rare work of art, or a piece in a particularly striking color can draw attention to a room.

5. Habits and Hobbies

Allowing your hobbies to be seen rather than tucked away in cabinets and cupboards can make nice personalized home decor more inviting and more personal. A writer with a collection of antique typewriters, a photographer with a display of vintage cameras, or an astrology buff with a bevy of telescopes—whatever takes up your time and stimulates your mind should also have a home in your personal space.

4. Memorable Mirrors

Just as a room should reflect its inhabitants, so should a space have a few reflective pieces to catch and carry the light and shadow of a home. Memorable mirrors show us more than moments reflected in reverse, they also reflect the warmth and joy of a room—and offer it back to us. Brilliant art deco mirrors, heavy guild pieces, and crisp modern mirrors can all make a room more vibrant.

3. Stylish Storage

A real, lived-in home comes with clutter. Keep your stuff in check with some storage options that provide style as well as extra space. A tea trunk, a steamer trunk, a curio cabinet, or a collection of vintage hat boxes can all give grace to a room as well as space.

2. Hospitality and Home Wares

Part of what makes a house a home is the warmth and hospitality that it exudes. A warm fire, a cozy throw, and a cup of tea can make any house feel homey. Whether you prefer a fine wine or a hot cuppa, consider investing in a service setting that offers your guests beauty as well as beverages.

1. Artistic Touches

Art is like music for the eyes. A lovely vase, a fine painting, tiles, and plaques, or a graceful sculpture can all add visual interest and appeal to an otherwise bland space.