A guide to creating beautiful living spaces

Millie Buckland
6 days ago
3 min read

Hi, my name is Millie Buckland and I'm here to guide you through the importance of interior styling and artwork placement so you can achieve a well-balanced and considered home. Follow my top styling tips and insider knowledge as an artist and interior stylist previously working within the show home industry.

Freelance stylist and artist Millie Buckland is sat posed on a stool in-front of a wood panelled wall. The is smiling candidly looking away from the camera. The image is in black and white.

During my degree studying Textile Design at Nottingham Trent University, I discovered my passion for all things interiors, textures, and creating beautiful living spaces. After graduating, I worked as an interior stylist for five years, dressing show homes, commercial spaces, and private homes. This involved sourcing and buying accessories, traveling around the country to install projects and providing the finishing touches to award winning, luxury design schemes. During this time I learned that the most powerful interiors are the ones that feel personal, intentional, and effortlessly created.

A corner shot of a bedroom with the left side of the bed in shot, homing crisp white bedding with a khaki cylinder decorative pillow on it, a vintage style bedside table holding a small vase and bouquet of white flowers, and a corner seat in grey beside it. Behind them, a large painting on the wall.

My top five styling tips for you would be:

Grouping accessories (when placing accessories on a bookshelf for example, arrange items in a group of three with varying heights)
Mix of textures and surfaces (ensure you use a range of textures when sourcing accessories, from linen wrapped books, unglazed ceramic bowls to clean cut glass vases)
Variety is everything (combine old and new, artisan and high street, to create curiosity and unpredictability)
Layer, don't overfill (keep clutter to a minimum and allow your groups of accessories to have breathing space to create intention and a stylised look)
Bring in life (incorporate fresh flowers, indoor plants, and natural materials to soften and make the space feel more welcoming)

These tips are my basic 'rules' for styling, however when it comes to choosing accessories for your own home be sure to adopt your own sense of style. Developing your vibe is a constant process of experimentation and your creativity should always be allowed to evolve. It is important that whatever you bring into your home that you have a connection with it, maybe a sentimental value or something that represents your individuality. Take your time to embrace the journey. It's a process shaped by passion, experimentation, and practise. One where discovering, arranging, refining, and expressing your creativity can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

A sofa sits mid shot of a living room with the arm rests touching either side of the image border, infront of it sits a multi-level stone coffee table homing various decorative books, a bowl and series of candle sticks. On the wall behind the sofa you find a painting of a lady wearing a sunhat and white linen dress sat on the beach, to the right of it two straw hats used as decorative wall hangings and a wooden multi coloured decorative surf board propped against the wall.

I now offer my styling services on a freelance basis, allowing me more time to grow my other passion for creating bespoke pieces of artwork. Art has always been a huge part of my life and being practical and resourceful are qualities which I have been brought up with. I began exploring my practice throughout my interior styling career, slowly building up my client base. Now, I am fortunate enough to work with many interior design companies and private clients, creating tailor made artworks for projects across the country.

My artwork is generally abstract and heavily textured, with a focus on creating interesting surfaces, organic forms, and dynamic shapes. I have developed a wide range of designs without restrictions on colour palettes and continuously experiment with mixed media. I truly believe that a carefully considered piece of artwork can elevate an interior space. It becomes a reflection of your personality, can spark conversation amongst guests, and can either harmonise a room by tying colours together or make a striking, statement contrast.

A large painting is hung on a beige wall. It dominates the space and doesn't leave much wall visible. To its left is a glass window which shows the garden.

I've been working on a project recently where the living/dining room is a beautiful, open, and modern space that needed the finishing touches added to it. After meeting the owner of the house and gauging their sense of style and vision, I went out sourcing accessories that would add depth, interest and more character. To act a main focal point to the space, I produced a piece of artwork. Adding a rustic, 'Wabi-Sabi' twist to the clean-cut feel of the room.

This piece of art as well as the carefully selected accessories, tied the space together, softening the overall look whilst bringing a sense of completion which highlights the important role that interior styling and art play within the home. Introducing pieces such as bowls, vases, and sculptures with natural textures helped to elevate the room and create a more relaxed and less formal feel. Simple touches like stacking books, filling bowls, and adding greenery to earthy vessels introduced both visual and textural interest, forming a considered final layer of curation.

You don't need a full renovation or a large budget to create a beautiful home. Thoughtful styling alone can transform how a space looks and, more importantly, how it feels. The key is intention. When you understand why you're styling a space, not just how, everything becomes more meaningful, cohesive, and inspiring. You begin to create with purpose, not just decoration.

Your home should be your sanctuary, your expression, and your story.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me and my work.

If you're interested, follow my Instagram page @mbespoke_