Beautiful Storage That You'll Actually Want on Display

I'll admit it... I'm a little obsessed with beautiful storage.

Maybe it’s because I spend so much of my life moving things around for staging shoots and styling displays, but I genuinely love finding pieces that work hard in a home without actually looking practical.

We all have clutter. Throws that seem to multiply on the sofa, spare cushions, board games, children’s bits and all those random things that never quite seem to have a proper home.

But I’ve always thought that storage can be part of the room rather than something we desperately try to hide.

A wicker trunk at the end of a bed, a basket full of throws beside the sofa or a beautiful box on a console can add just as much to a room as any decorative accessory.

And if you’ve ever stood looking at an empty corner thinking something is missing here, a beautiful wicker trunk or basket is often the answer.

Start With a Beautiful Wicker Trunk

I’ve always loved wicker.

We use so much of it in the shop because it works with almost everything. It adds warmth to a room, but it never feels heavy, and I love the slightly imperfect texture of the weave.

A good wicker trunk is one of those pieces you can move around your home for years.

At the end of a bed, it’s perfect for spare bedding and all those cushions that inevitably end up on the floor at bedtime. 

In the living room, it can hide craft items, magazines and board games.

In a hallway, it’s brilliant for shoes, bags and everyday bits you don’t necessarily want on show.

And in a conservatory or garden room, I love filling one with blankets ready for those summer evenings when it suddenly gets much cooler than you expected.

I think that’s why I love them so much. They’re incredibly useful, but you would never look at one and think storage box.

 

Style the Top Just Like a Coffee Table

This is probably my favourite bit.

Once the lid is closed, I style a trunk exactly as I would a coffee table or console.

I normally start with a throw draped over one corner. And I do mean draped — don’t spend twenty minutes trying to make it look perfectly arranged! I always think things look better when they feel as though they’ve just naturally fallen into place.

Then I’ll add a couple of books to give a little height and usually something sculptural on top.

Our ceramic artichokes are pieces I come back to again and again in the shop. I love their slightly weathered finish and the texture they add without introducing another colour into the room.

A vase, a few books and one or two favourite pieces are usually enough.

 

Faux Flowers Are One of My Favourite Styling Tricks

I absolutely love fresh flowers in my kitchen, but I also use faux stems everywhere else.

At home. In the shop. In displays.

Everywhere!

A large vase filled with soft, delicate stems can completely change a corner of a room, and you don’t have to remember to change the water or wonder why they’ve suddenly collapsed overnight.

White gypsophila is one of my favourites because it’s so light and airy. I tend to use quite a lot of it rather than just two or three stems, and I love it in a large textured vase where it can fall naturally.

It works all year too. I might move it, change the vase or style different pieces around it as the seasons change, but I always seem to come back to it.

 

Texture Does All the Hard Work

If you’ve followed Lulu for a while, you’ll know how much I love texture.

When someone asks me how to make a room feel warmer or more finished, my answer is nearly always the same.

Add texture.

It doesn’t necessarily mean buying more. Quite often, it’s simply looking at what you already have and mixing the finishes a little more.

Wicker.

Ceramics.

Soft woven fabrics.

Weathered wood.

A little glass.

I love all of these together.

When you keep the colours fairly soft and neutral, the textures do all the work. A room starts to feel layered and interesting without being busy.

It’s something we do constantly when styling the shop, often without even thinking about it now.

Don't Overthink It

I think we’re all guilty of overthinking our homes sometimes.

We see beautifully styled rooms online and suddenly feel as though every table, shelf and corner needs to be perfectly finished.

It really doesn’t.

Sometimes a diffuser and a favourite decorative bowl are enough.

I actually find myself removing things from displays in the shop far more often than adding to them. I’ll style an area, step back, look at it and think, there’s too much going on here.

Taking one or two pieces away usually makes everything else look better.

A little breathing space lets you actually notice the things you’ve chosen.

 

And Don't Forget What's Inside...

This is, of course, the best bit.

Lift the lid and nobody has to know what’s in there!

Throws.

Spare cushions.

Children’s toys.

Board games.

The pile of bits you’ve been moving from one room to another because you don’t quite know where they belong.

Pop them in. Close the lid. Done.

Maybe that’s the real reason I’m so obsessed with wicker trunks.

They let a room look beautifully styled while real life carries on behind the scenes.

And that’s exactly how I think a home should be.

A Home That Feels Lived In

For me, creating a beautiful home has never been about perfection. I am a military wife, a dance mum, I run three business. Life is incredibly busy and my own home is most definitely lived in.

I want the things I bring into it to make life a little easier, but I still want to walk into a room and love how it feels.

That’s why pieces like wicker trunks have become some of my favourites over the years. They work hard, they move from room to room and somehow always seem to find a place.

I think the best homes are full of pieces like that.

A wicker trunk that hides the clutter.

A soft throw you actually curl up under.

A favourite vase filled with stems you’ve rearranged a hundred times.

They’re not there simply to make a room look pretty. They become part of everyday life.

And sometimes, the most practical pieces really do end up being the most beautiful.

Happy styling, Louise x