I don’t know about you but I love scrolling through instagram for inspiration. I think it’s actually become my top place for getting ideas on the go, there’s so many creative people, photographers, artists and gorgeous design to discover. Plus I check the #areyoufauxreal and #abigailaherncolour hashtags every morning to get to peek at all your pads too! It’s always so cool and uplifting to see other champions of faux plants and flowers, or converts to the dark side. Keep it up guys, I can’t thank you enough for the daily shots of inspiration.

At the end of last year I took a look through my own instagram to see which posts you guys all liked best. Turns out they were nearly all of my living room space! Interesting, huh? It got me thinking about which pics work best on instagram, and how these can translate into IRL decorating tips too. So without further ado here’s my top posts and tips… and a lot of Maud’s tummy later too.

STYLE UP YOUR COFFEE TABLE

This was the single most liked instagram pic of 2016. Crazy right? I think it just shows that it doesn’t take much to transform a space. Here the vintage drum I use as a coffee table is styled with just two stack of books, two plants (I like to use varying sizes and curvy, interesting shapes), a t-light and scented candle. Dead simple!

GO BIG WITH PLANTS

Plants add instant life to any shot – I think there’s hardly a single pic on my instagram that doesn’t have a fern, succulent or cacti or two. They add texture, colour, vitality… quite simply they’re a decorator’s best friend. I don’t think of them as an afterthought but an integral part of all my rooms, I honestly couldn’t do without them. Go big for maximum impact. Who knows, your banana tree could become an instagram star!

USE A BIRD’S EYE VIEW

I’ll bet you know this trick from your own instagram feeds. ? The photog techy term for it is called a flat-lay where you shoot down from above, and it makes everything so much cooler.

The same applies to rooms – I’m constantly shooting over my balcony to get a bird’s eye view of the living room. Even if your room is never going to be seen from this angle, it really helps pull the whole space together if you have it in the back of your mind. How do the shapes play together? Are there enough curves to counteract straight lines, what’s the flow through the room, how’s the furniture lay out, are there any gaps? Even try sketching out a floorplan if that helps you nail a tricky space. Oh and for your instagram shot try shooting your favourite styled coffee table from above. It makes all the difference!

PICK YOUR COLOUR PALETTE

This shot of the “living space” I’d created at the the front of our store was one of the top posts of the whole year. I’d stuck to a really strong colour palette of black, white and neutrals, lifted with shots of green and metallic golds. This is absolutely a trick I use all the time in my pad – it makes for a soothing, sophisticated vibe (and a great instagram pic!).