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Designing a space is a lot like making a good meal. You’ve got your key ingredients that form the base of your dish, but it’s all the extra elements – like seasoning and condiments – that take that meal from decent to delicious.

In this article, I’m not going to mention the basic elements of any given space. Obviously you need somewhere to sit and store your things!

Instead, I’m going to discuss the decorative accessories (the seasonings, if you will) that make all the difference.

Here are 10 things you can need in a space to take it from good to great.

1. You need art

It’s definitely smart to start with the art.

Whether it’s one statement piece or a full gallery wall, every room should have some artwork – even your toilet!

Art draws the eye in and adds interest to a room. Great art makes you feel something, in the same way that great design does.

Original art is amazing if you have the budget, but you can also source vintage pieces from thrift stores and frame prints you’ve sourced from online retailers, such as:

• Fy! (use code MISMATCHEDHOME for 20% off)
• Society 6
• Da Vinci Arts (use code PAULA-DVA for 5% off)
• Posteroo (use code HOME20 for 20% off)
• Mo & Paul (use code MISMATCHEDHOME for 15% off)
• Cass Danson (perfect for kids interiors)
• Amazon

Art is subjective so don’t worry about anyone else; choose artwork you love and use it as a starting point for styling the rest of your space.

2. You need books

Books just add instant cosiness to a space.

There’s something very comforting about the sight of a shelf full of books you’ve read or plan to one day. Who needs a library card when you’ve got your own cosy collection?

Collections of books also make fantastic decor. The matching spines add tidy blocks of colour to your shelves, making them super easy to style.

We buy lots of our book collections from QBD Books, including our Clothbound Classics collection in the library, Popular Penguins collection in the living room and Little People Big Dreams collection in the playroom.

3. You need plants

If you think your space is missing something but you can’t put your finger on it, take a look around.

Do you have any plants? Would it hurt to have more plants?

It’s always a good idea to bring the outside in. Most spaces feel immediately more relaxing and balanced once you’ve added an element of nature.

Plants not only add colour and cosiness to your space, they also have practical benefits like improved air quality.

If you’re not much of a green thumb (like me) stick to low care options like spider plants, snake plants, monsteras, devils ivy or fiddle leaf figs.

4. You need a rug

Rugs help create zones in your home.

By defining a space, they bring it all together and make it feel complete.

Depending on style, rugs can also be the largest artwork in your home, but instead they’re on the floor. They’re an easy way to introduce colour and pattern to your space, especially if much of your furniture and decor is more on the minimalist side.

But whatever you do, be sure to get the size right. There’s nothing worse than a bedroom rug that your feet don’t hit when you get out of bed or a dining table rug that the chairs don’t fit on.

Here’s a handy guide by Apartment Therapy to help you get it right:

Some of my favourite places to source rugs in Australia and beyond include:

• If you’re a maximalist: Maia Homes (use code MISMATCHEDHOME for a 10% discount)
• If you prefer calmer colours: Miss Amara
• If you like a bit of everything: Temple & Webster, Sydney Rugs Online or AU Rugs

5. You need thoughtful lighting

Natural lighting is number one. So if you’ve got it, flaunt it by framing your windows with timber mouldings and highlight them with window furnishings (more on that later).

For mood lighting, you need lamps. Think about layering your lighting, with interesting lamps on tables and shelves, low floor lamps and taller, scupltural floor lamps. Lamps are kinda like plants; you can never have too many.

For overhead lighting, we want to avoid actually turning them on, but they should still be pretty. Think of pendants and chandeliers as sculpture for your ceiling and a way to add life to the often overlooked fifth wall.

If you’re in the market for eclectic lighting, visit Residence Supply and use code MISMATCHED for a 10% discount.

6. You need family photos

This must be an obvious one right?

What kind of family home has no family photos?

I think it’s nice to sprinkle family photos all over the place, particularly in thoroughfares like the hallway or on bookshelves and dressers.

In our family home, most of our photo frames are thrifted. Opshops are full of perfectly good frames, both old and new, so unless you just really love the look of a particular frame, there’s no reason to buy brand new every time you print a family photo.

Vintage frames also just add a certain charm to your memories and are often art themselves.

7. You need window furnishings

Don’t let your windows go naked!

The choice of whether you’ll get blinds or shutters and/or curtains will likely be a practical one. But don’t underestimate the difference colour and pattern in your window furnishings can make to your overall aesthetic.

If you’ve got great natural light, white blinds paired with sheers will help bounce the light around while still giving you the option for more privacy. You can also never go wrong with white.

If you can afford to block out some sunlight, then a patterned, darker coloured curtain in a light filtering or blockout fabric will do some of that work for you while adding colour and cosiness to your space.

All of our window furnishings are made to measure from Blinds Online, but you can also get ready to hang curtains from Spotlight, Temple & Webster, IKEA or Freedom.

8. You need something soft

Texture is a key design element you need to consider for your home.

Without texture, everything will just feel a little flat, lifeless and not cosy.

Soft textures in particular will make your home feel more ‘hygge’. Adding softness to a space will make you and your guests want to linger longer, particularly in the cold winter months.

You can achieve this feeling of hygge with a sheepskin rug slung on a chair or bench.

Or, via a high pile rug with a textured pattern.

Or of course, with a cute collection of cushions and a complementary throw thoughtfully draped on your couch.

9. You need something old

Rooms can feel cold and sterile when everything is shiny and new.

Rustic, antique and vintage items add character to any space. So try incorporating at least one thing that’s older than you.

Maybe it’s an old typewriter. A distressed antique chair. Or a vase handed down from your granny.

Adding pieces that have rich histories of their own will make your space feel more collected and lived in.

If, like me, you’re big on a secondhand shopping, this should come easy for you.

If not, then give it a go! There is so much treasure to be found and a lot of time, you’ll pay peanuts for it.

10. You need something weird

I’m of the humble opinion that every space needs something a little weird.

A conversation starter, if you will.

Maybe that’s a spiky vase. An ugly/interesting artwork. A panther coffee table. Or a giant ice-cream cone planter.

Just one WTF moment will make your space all the more interesting. Trust me!

But don’t be weird for weird’s sake; you’ve still gotta love it. Maybe your friends won’t, but that’s ok – it’s your weird and wonderful house, after all.

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