Amanda Holland is an interior stylist and the owner of Small Acorns, a lifestyle and interior store. She doesn’t believe in following trends, instead she champions personal style, designs that stand the test of time, and a room that tells a story. You can find her at smallacorns.co.nz
Describe your style in five words:
contemporary, vintage, colour, personal stories.
Your favourite item in your home is…
a vintage Indian mirror work water carrier that I use as a console table.
What would you never be caught with in your home?
A fake or replica furniture design classic.
What was the last thing you bought?
An incredibly beautiful old Afghani suzani textile piece.
Favourite home or interior trend?
The fabulous thing about interiors right now is that any style goes. If you like something, embrace it, and if you don’t, it doesn’t matter. You don’t have to pretend to like it, and you certainly don’t have to decorate your home with this “trend” in mind.
Least favourite trend from the past 10 years?
Beige, porridge, or tea paint colours for walls.
Amanda’s tips & tricks
Mix, not match
I find that the most interesting and successful interiors are achieved when you mix things up. That little frisson of tension when you layer your home with a mix of styles and eras and treasured collections creates the most eye-catching and dynamic interiors.
Fabric freedom
I love to mix different fabrics for curtains or blinds in the same room, and even at the same window. Too much of a bold print can be busy and overwhelming, but if you mix it with a beautiful plain linen and perhaps a stripe, while keeping all the colours tonal and in harmony, it looks amazing.
Don’t underestimate colour
I believe that colour can be a whisper or a shout, but that its transformative effect on a home cannot be underestimated.
Featured in Capital #61
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