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Interior Styling for Real Homes: Ideas, Advice & Inspiration

Handwritten style text that says 'Hi, I'm Sandra'.

I’m an interior writer, stylist, photographer for interior magazines and a Sunday Times best selling author, sharing ideas to help you style your home with confidence and ease. this blog is about interior styling for real homes.

If you love interiors and want your home to feel stylish, pulled together, yet still personal, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll be sharing styling advice to help you edit, layer, and finish your home with confidence, alongside articles on what’s happening in the interiors world — from design events and colour stories to features on interior gurus.

I also take you on tours of beautifully styled homes from around the world, offering inspiration and styling ideas to steal for your own space. Ultimately, I’ll show you how a little bit of styling can be transformational and take your home to a whole new level.

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INTERIOR STYLING Sandra van Aalst INTERIOR STYLING Sandra van Aalst

Styling your Home with Blue Accents: Different Ways to Use this Timeless Hue

From pale powder blue to bold cobalt blue, it is one of the most versatile colours and remains a timeless hue. In this post, I’m sharing various ways to bring in blue, whether it’s adding drama with a bold accent wall or lighting up a corner with a ceramic blue lamp. I’ll take you through different ways to bring this classic colour into your home.

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HOME TOURS Sandra van Aalst HOME TOURS Sandra van Aalst

Stylish Home Tour: Inside the Vintage-Styled Captain’s Rest by Interior Stylist Sarah Andrews

In this stylish home tour, we step inside Captains Rest – the unique Tasmanian retreat styled by Sarah Andrews featured by Vogue as Tasmania’s best stay. From vintage finds to curated vignettes, discover how this former scientist turned stylist created a soulful, story-filled space that continues to inspire vintage style lovers worldwide.

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Natural Festive Decorations by the Pros: How to Get the Look at Home

In this article, I go behind-the-scenes at Chewton Glen Hotel to see the florists in action decorating in both a natural foraged style and a more traditional look.‍ From the more classic festive palette of red and copper, to the wild foraged installations, read on to find out how you can create hotel festive styling in your own home.

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HOME TOURS Sandra van Aalst HOME TOURS Sandra van Aalst

An Interior Stylist’s Vintage-filled Vacation Home

In this article, I’m taking you on a tour of a vintage-filled vacation home - The Biscuit Cottage, designed and styled by Clare Southcombe-Holmes, an interior stylist and owner of award-winning interior boutique, No 64 The Biscuit House. Click here to see her interior styling skills and vintage finds.

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FESTIVE MANTELPIECES - a mix of unusual ideas and inspiration to create your own Yuletide mantel masterpiece

Whether you have a classic stone hearth, a modern wood burner, or even just a faux surround, the mantelpiece is the perfect place to get creative with festive styling. In this article, I will show you my handpicked selection of festive mantelpieces, with advice on how to get the look, kicking off with a few elements you might want to use to create your own.

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SEASONAL STYLING Sandra van Aalst SEASONAL STYLING Sandra van Aalst

FESTIVE TABLESCAPES - a mix of unusual ideas and inspiration to create your own

The table is definitely one of my favourite areas to style during the festive season. Whether you're contemplating going down the full traditional route with red, green and mistletoe, or something a bit more natural and pared-back, there are so many different options to suit your interior style and your table. In this article, I will show you several gorgeous, very different festive tablescapes to inspire you to create your own this season.

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HOME TOURS Sandra van Aalst HOME TOURS Sandra van Aalst

HOME TOURS - A Stylish South African villa

In this article, I take you on a tour of Ubuntu Luxury Villa, situated on the Hoedspruit Wildlife Estate in South Africa, which was built from the ground up by a Dutch couple, photographer Anouk, and her husband Dennis. The villa uses local craftsmanship and home decor inspired by South Africa, with attention to detail throughout.

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Brown Interiors: Stylish ideas for Décor, Furniture and Colour Schemes

Brown is having a revival - from espresso to caramel, the colour is slipping back into our interiors. The key is all about introducing brown in various subtle, nuanced, and rich tones in tactile textures, and teaming them with warm neutrals, cream, or white, to create balance and contrast. Read the article for inspiration and ideas on bringing brown into your interior in a fresh, modern way.

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Dried Flowers - how to style, dry and preserve flowers

This article is all about styling with dried flowers, from ideas for beautiful arrangements to tips on drying, preserving, and colouring flowers. I will also enlighten you on the best flowers to dry, as well as the ones that can be preserved and coloured. Finally, I will share online stores where you can buy dried and preserved flowers.

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