Leading interiors influencers share their top shortcuts and secrets

If your home isn’t perfect but you still want it to shine, here are some tips for dressing even the most modest abode for success.

Our love of home entertaining is quite literally on show like never before. Social media is bursting with posts of home gatherings with family and friends, complete with elaborate dinner table settings, carefully curated coffee table vignettes and abundant floral arrangements.

But what if your home is less than Insta-worthy? When everything these days is bound to be shared on socials, how can your humble abode be sure to impress?

Bettina Brent has 34,600 Instagram followers who watch her home styling for tips and tricks and says looks can be deceiving – artful disarray for Insta does not mean the whole house is perfect. Picture: supplied/@bettina_brent

Smoke and mirrors

Melbourne mum and interior stylist Bettina Brent (@bettina_brent) would seem to have the perfect home if the calm, aesthetically beautiful photos she shares with her 34,600 Instagram followers are anything to go by. But, like most social media, she says the perception doesn’t always match reality.

“I always laugh when people think my house is perfect,” she says. “I literally have one room at a time that’s styled in my own home.

“I’m married to a builder, so people think everything should be perfect but there’s so many areas of our house that are not completed.”

Interiors influencer Bettina Brent. Picture: supplied.

Moving right along

In rooms that may not be quite up to scratch, Brent suggests creating Instagram Reels, noting the short videos allow the eye to move quickly over imperfections.

“I know a lot of people still like the classic, still photo – and I like it too because you can zoom in on it and focus on the details,” she says.

“But I do find reels a little bit easier because you don’t have to be quite so specific about angles and everything being exactly right, because you’ve got the movement there.”

When it comes to still photos, take as many as you can before posting the one that looks best. If you intend to use several photos, post them as a carousel, starting with a wide-angled shot that’s more likely to catch the attention of followers.

Reels conceal a multitude of sins – but Bettina Brent’s pantry still looks pristine in a classic Insta still. Picture: supplied/ @bettina_brent

Tone it down

Sticking with a neutral colour palette is often effective, with Brent admitting her attempts at interiors photos using bright colours have come across as appearing garish and a “bit kindergarten-y”.

It’s a sentiment with which Sydney interior stylist Kerrie-Ann Jones (@kerrieann_jones_stylist) agrees.

“The colour palette of a room can make or break the photo,” says Jones, who has more than 91,500 Instagram followers and runs an online course that includes tips on styling homes for photography.

“Ensure you have a cohesive palette and not too many colours. Neutral and muted colours are generally easier to work with and always look great.”

Interior stylist Kerrie-Ann Jones suggests a cohesive palette and “not too many colours”. Picture: Milly Mead/supplied

Consistency is key

Also consider the overall look of your Insta feed, Jones says, and keep it consistent so that people know what type of content to expect if they are following you.

“For my Instagram, I only post my interiors work, my home, fashion and anything lifestyle-based that’s in my style,” she says. “I only post neutral and muted colours so the colours look cohesive when all the images are seen together.”

While it should go without saying, the area of the home you are photographing must be tidy and free from clutter. Generally minimalist backgrounds work best to avoid distractions and allow whatever is in the foreground to be the focus.

Follow the leader: the minimalist background immediately pulls focus toward the spectacular island, demonstrating Jones’ point in fine fashion. Picture: Milly Mead/supplied

Light and large

Natural light is always best, although Brent says outdoor photos can appear over exposed, depending on weather conditions and location.

Jones adds that a room where natural light appears to be coming from the side of the photo works well.

“Overhead lights cast shadows and don’t make the room look great,” Jones says.

“The best rooms to photograph in the home are those with lots of space so you can get far back to capture (more) room, so the living room and dining rooms work best.

“Avoid small bathrooms, as you will not be able to capture the space at its best, and also any dark rooms.”

Avoiding small and dark spaces in her Insta feed is working a treat for interiors stylist Kerrie-Ann Jones. Picture: Jacob Bettie/supplied

Fabulous flora

When it comes to sprucing up the plainer spaces within your home, flowers and greenery never fail to impress and can be used almost anywhere, including the kitchen bench, dining table and hallway, or featured in a small vase on a coffee or bedside table.

Vignettes are also beautiful, so long as the colours are kept consistent and a variety of shapes and sizes are included.

Flowers and greenery never fail to impress. Picture: supplied/@bettina_brent

“The little details matter, so take a moment to check the space you are photographing to ensure your home is exactly how you want people to see it,” Jones says. “Is the tap straight? Are there any dead petals or leaves on the flowers? Check all the details.”

Brent uses op shop finds and greenery scavenged from a nearby golf course to great effect – she once purchased 21 bud vases from a thrift shop and a supermarket floral arrangement that she split into single stems to create a stunning table centrepiece.

“The little details matter,” says Kerrie-Ann Jones. Picture: Pablo Veiga/supplied

Style guides

The most important thing, however, is to have fun. Brent says there’s a great sense of community on Instagram and you don’t have to spend a lot of money for your home to look fabulous online.

“Anything en masse is always going to create an impact,” says Brent, who takes note of what other popular Instagrammers are posting and then styles similar shots using her own items.

“Everyone has their own style and I’ve never really found Instagram to be very critical,” she says.

“When you’re posting something that’s as inoffensive as home interiors, you would have to be a pretty sad person to say something mean – it’s just (recognising) that there’s different tastes.’’

Originally published as Leading interiors influencers share their top shortcuts and secrets