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Interior Styling Tips from House Nerd, Maya Anderson

House Nerd, Maya Anderson, is a must-read Blog for any DIY and reno junkie. Framefox interviewed her recently to nab some of her interior styling tips shared on the popular home design site. We have to admit, both Maya and Framefox share a healthy obsession for a good gallery wall.

What do you love most about your blogging and DIY and interior styling lifestyle? 

I love the friendships that I’ve made through blogging and social media. There is a real community you can be part of through starting a blog or just from sharing pictures of your house on Instagram! I have met so many wonderful people through blogging and it has given me opportunities I would never have even thought I would have ever had, waaay back in 2012 when I decided to write a blog. If there is one thing I could define that has changed my life the MOST, it is crazy, but it is probably blogging. I also love that blogging gives me a kick up the bum to not just make all those projects swirling around in my head come to life, but to finish them! I also love that blogging and sharing our house online has given me more confidence in my own personal style. It’s your home – no-one else’s. Do what you want to do and what makes you happy! It’s never going to be to everyone’s taste. If we all had the same taste, homes would be really boring. 

You have a knack for transforming any room into warm and inviting, what tips have you learned to add quick fix interior styling tips to help bring an element of home to a room?

Interior styling tips Maya Anderson Interview

Thank you! Quick fix interior styling tips – a cute plant, a cool light or lamp, a great piece of art or a lovely photo, something with great texture and something black. And even if you love modern interiors, I’m a bit of a believe that every space needs at least one thing that is old or vintage with loads of texture or character to make it work. And art! I cannot lie, I LOVE a gallery wall. I think they can add so much to a room – interest, impact, a feature wall, quirkiness, cohesiveness, whatever you want. Sometimes I think of my own home, “Is there such a thing as too many gallery walls?” Then I think, “But if I love them…. who cares?” I have collected art I love since I was a teenager… I’ve still got lots to display. A gallery wall is a wonderful way to do it and have your collections and interests on show. 

What are some of your favourite must-have home decor elements?

Art and photos! I love seeing my favourite art and photos every day. I don’t even have enough walls for all my art or all the framed photos I would like to show off. Apparently I need a bigger house. And my other must-have décor item is books. I feel like these days it’s sort of become trendy to have books NOT on show, and to tuck them away. But I love seeing books in homes! That said, I read almost all my books on my phone these days; it’s the only way I can sneak some reading in if I download books to my phone, so I don’t really have many new hardcopy books in my home. But I still love to stickybeak into what other people have on their shelves! I don’t personally keep books that I didn’t enjoy or wouldn’t read again (otherwise I would have too many to store) but I think seeing well-loved books often make a house feel homey, and it can be a nice icebreaker or conversation point. 

Interior Styling Tips Maya Anderson Blog

We can see you aren’t shy to add framed prints and frames photos to a space!

Wall Art styling tips Maya Anderson

I like to team gallery walls together by loose themes (ie: seascapes) art colour themes (like blues, greens and whites) or frame themes. A lot of people get really nervous about committing to a layout (which I understand!) but at the end of the day, you can always patch up any holes. I have always had a lot of photos up but now with kids, I think I have even more. They love seeing pictures of themselves and their family and talking about the people in the photos. My two year old daughter is very confused about our honeymoon photos though. “But where… am I?” I have explained this to her a hundred times, “You weren’t there!” She has no concept of life before her own existence haha. 

DIY and reno’s with kids? Can it be done, and how! 

Hahaha. It can be done. But it’s definitely easier without kids than with! I think you need to accept it will take longer and it might be more frustrating! Now my hubby and I usually do it where one person looks after the kids and the other works on the house. And we eat quite a lot of fish and chips…. it’s the perfect renovator’s meal! Fish and chips makes everyone happy at the end of a long day on your feet painting or chasing toddlers. 

Do you have any DIY projects in the pipeline?

We might be converting our backyard workshop into a studio or kids room. And I am daydreaming of turning my study space into its own room with a WALL! Now that I’m writing at home with two kids so much in a very open plan house, I have really learned that having your own personal, private space with a door is so very special.

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