A personal touch makes all the difference. Spruce up your space with textiles, ceramics, lighting, and vintage finds from around the world.
No matter where you call home, it’s what’s inside that counts: the special moments you share with loved ones, an atmosphere where you feel at ease, beloved art and objects that adorn the walls and shelves. Whether you’ve lived in your place for ages or you’re starting fresh at a new address, a few thoughtful tweaks can help you turn your space into an artful sanctuary.
With more than 7 million talented sellers in nearly every country, discover well-crafted home decor and furnishings to suit your taste from small shops across the globe. Read on for totally attainable ideas and tips on how to refresh and brighten your living spaces.
Curate your walls and shelves
You don’t need to have special training to be the curator of your own home. To cultivate your own unique interior decoration style, follow your heart and look for pieces that give you a zing of happiness. Surrounding yourself with these sorts of objects will not only make you feel good, they’ll enliven your living spaces. A framed oil painting depicting a verdant pastoral landscape by a Scandinavian artist might summon a peaceful, transported feeling. Perhaps piling fruit into a curlicued antique French bowl or filling a handmade checkered vase from Barcelona with fresh-cut flowers sparks joy and travel daydreams. Or maybe stashing your jewelry in a miniature clawfoot tub brings a smile to your face. Whatever it may be, you do you!
SHOP: Original oil painting by Danish artist Axel Tankmar from SMEDEGAARDdecorates, $304
SHOP: Handmade checkered ceramic vase from ElementalEchoEstudio, $284
Adjust the lighting
An ambient update could be as close as the flip of a switch. To find just the right level of illumination, consider which areas of your home would benefit from being brighter and what type of lamp or light fixture will do the job best, such as a standing lamp, overhead light, or wall fixture. Then, pinpoint the designs, materials, colors, and textures you gravitate towards. For example, if you’re a mid-century modern enthusiast looking to illuminate a kitchen island, this glossy tomato-red Danish pendant lamp casts its glow with sleek vintage style. Or if you’re a bookworm with a fondness for earth tones and boho vibes, a textural stoneware tabletop lamp, made by a ceramicist in Portugal, is the ideal reading light. Whether you prefer a vivid stained-glass statement piece or a Raku-fired pendant light with understated radiance, follow the light and let your style shine through.
Note: When buying light fixtures online from international shops, contact the seller to confirm that the voltage, plug, socket, and bulbs will work with the electrical standards in your country.
SHOP: Red Danish modern pendant light from NordicAndNice, $487
SHOP: Handmade ceramic table lamp from DeBarroCeramics, $216
Choose beautiful and functional ceramics
As a craft with ancient roots spanning the world and dating back thousands of years, ceramics are always in style. Sprucing up your space can be as simple as opting for artful dishware that looks equally lovely in action on a tabletop or stored on the counter. Choose pieces that feel good in your hand and elevate the meals you fill them with. Drinking from expertly crafted ombré espresso cups from Turkey and white speckled bowls from Spain turn everyday eating into relished rituals, like lingering at a cafe abroad—no passport required. Or, if you’re feeling fanciful, seek out otherworldly ceramics that double as sculptures. Hang umbrellas, hats, and bags from golden mushroom hooks that sprout from your walls, like a surreal vision. Or pick playful tulip goblets that seemed plucked from a fairytale for serving wine or ice cream sundaes—or displaying as art objects.
SHOP: Ombré espresso cups from BekatCeramics, from $36
SHOP: Mushroom hooks from LeilyCloud, $30
Tie the room together with textiles
Whether making your bed or serving dinner, beautiful fabrics and leather goods add natural warmth and rich texture to every room of the house. Let the sunshine in with colorful curtains hung from elegant, vegetable-tanned leather straps from Poland. Set the table in style with an elegant, color-coordinated pairing of tablecloth and cloth napkins in your favorite hues to make even the most casual lunch feel like a special occasion. And end the day in comfort, as you snuggle up with luxurious bedding sets stitched from Lithuanian linen to keep you cozy and cool as you drift off to dreamland.
SHOP: Luxe linen bedding set from LinaraArt, from $233
SHOP: Set of four linen napkins and a linen tablecloth from SandSnowLinen, $145
*Disclaimer: Description of the materials, attributes and quality of any items are based solely on Sellers’ listing information and are not verified by Etsy.
