Decorating with Stylist Magazine

Stylist Magazine talks to Att Pyntas Co-founder and Director Amanda Nelson to discuss how she has updated her rented homes over the years. She talks us through her top tips and budget friendly ideas

Like most of friends in their 20s, I'm a serial renter. I've lived in 10 different flats over nine years since I moved to London from Gothenburg, with each room being different in shape and size 

If you do rent and can't paint, accessories are perfect for decorating with instead because they work in any room, no matter how small. The secret is to make sure you display them well so that they feel curated. It's important to decide which pieces you really like best and think outside the box – I will display a pair of heels or a handbag alongside candles and pots, and use beautiful gift boxes to boost smaller items. Start by working out which items go together best in terms of colour. I like to use two or three dominant colours to make it feel more curated – black, gold and green are my current favourites. If you're not sure which colours work together, look to nature for your inspiration. Take a picture of cliffs, for example, and you'll see black, grey, and blue together – the perfect muted palette

If you can't put up shelving, books and magazines are useful for adding height to a surface and creating levels to display your accessories on. Also, picking items of different heights will stop them looking cluttered and will add depth to give a greater impression of space in the room

Limiting the items in your display to three or five is a great tip. Odd numbers of items tend look better than even as you can display them in an aesthetically pleasing triangular formation. Try to incorporate a light source into each display, even if its just a candle or a lantern. It will not only create a spotlight but allow you to carry on enjoying it from day to night 

Words: Georgie Lane-Godfrey and Amanda Nelson