When it comes to tiny updates and interior ‘refreshments’ – the easiest ones are usually the most effective ones. And even though there are probably hundreds of them, here are the best of the best that can apply to every single home.
First impression matters
Even though the real beauty is on the inside, your home’s curb appeal is also important. People simply need to feel welcome when approaching it.
Firstly, dress up your front door – which is, by the way, the focal point of your home’s exterior. Clean them, polish all the metal fixtures and maybe even repaint them. Next, replace the old exterior hardware such as those dingy and dirty house numbers and a rusty mailbox. Splurge on lighting fixtures all over your front and back yard for both safety and aesthetics – gas lamps do wonders for entryways, pendant lights will look great in front of your front door, step lighting will make your stairs pop and make it easier for you to climb them during night time etc.
Finally, add plants and flowers wherever you can, and maybe even a couple of outdoor art pieces that are weather resistant such as birdbaths, fountains, wind chimes etc.
Liven up your furniture
Just because your favourite chair is old, it doesn’t mean you should throw it away. You can reupholster it with the help of paint and some new fabric. The same goes for your sofas, tables, chaise lounges – whatever. All you need to do is turn your imagination on and roll up your sleeves.
However, if this currently seems like too much work for you, you can always go with a couple of new throw pillows or blankets to bring back life to your furniture pieces.
Colours
Changing the colour is definitely one of the easiest and most effective ways to change your home. You can either splurge a little bit and hire both interior and exterior painting services or you can focus just on the interior. Paint one wall in a dramatic colour and turn it into an accent wall, paint your closets, chairs, tables, shelves… And if you are afraid that you might make a mistake, simply follow the 60/30/10 formula as your guide. The predominant colour is supposed to cover around 60 percent of the room (this usually refers to walls), the secondary should cover around 30 percent (windows, rugs and upholstery), and the accent colour should cover the remaining 10 percent (accent tiles, artwork and other accessories).
Declutter
Mess and clutter have no positive sides whatsoever. And dealing with it is not as easy as it seems. However, there are a couple of creative ways to cut the clutter in your home for good.
Before even starting, it is important for you to visualize how you want the space to look after you’re done. That means mostly determining what belongs where. After that is done, start from the top – the walls. Usually, we tend to overcrowd our walls with shelves that are filled with unnecessary stuff. So the first thing you are going to do is limit your wall décor to just a couple key pieces.
Next, there are the closets – and the most effective way to declutter your closet must be The Oprah Winfrey experiment. You can determine which garments to throw out by hanging and folding them in the opposite direction, and after wearing one, return it to the closet but this time in the right direction. After six months, throw out the stuff that is still reversed.
Clean your drawers and your medicine cabinet, and simply throw all the unnecessary stuff out. If you don’t know where and how to start, use a four box method. You will be amazed with the results.
Update your floors
By updating your floors, quite an impact can be made. If your home has an open floor plan, define areas with the help of multiple area rugs. Next, if you are a fan of vinyl, go with tiles in contrast hues to achieve that cool retro look. Refinish your hardwood floors with a duty sander and, finally, give your foyer’s hardwood some personality by stencilling a pattern or a design.
Do you have some more tips you would like to share? Let me know.
