Refreshing your home is a great way to change the look of your interior spaces without the massive cost of renovating and the mess of rebuilding. A clever refresh can make as much impact to the look and feel of your space without the hassle of a larger project. Here are some quick tips to make this easily achievable.
1. Change Your Wall Colour
Painting is the fastest way to change the atmosphere of a space. It is inexpensive and relatively fast to do. If you have been living in dark colours, switch to lighter ones so you experience the full impact a change of paint colour can bring.
2. Add Throw Pillows
This is a simple way to bring an old sofa or chair back to life. Pick a few toss pillows with lots of colour or pattern and layer them on top of furniture as this will help to distract from what’s below it. And to help tie a room’s colour scheme together, pillows can be a great way to make the whole space flow better, so overall, the room will look larger.
3. Change Your Kitchen Countertop
This is slightly more costly than some of the other options, but it can have a large impact, particularly on a room that has so much influence on the rest of the house. Adding a solid surface counter top can increase the value of your home and make the room more functional. Options like quartz or granite are durable and beautiful and really do make a kitchen look more expensive! Remember though, with this option you will have to change your sink to one that is an under-mount and a new facet made without a top plate; again, two additional features that add to the quality and look of your kitchen.
4. Add Colourful Art
There are so many options available now to source artwork from, including original pieces by local arts to big box retailers that sell large scale reproduction pieces. This is an easy way to get colour into your life without having to paint your walls. To create a focal point using art, be sure to buy a large piece with strong visual elements so it is easy to read from a distance.
5. Add Lighting
Lighting is one of the most over looked design elements when you want to add life to a room. Lighting draws your eye to the area that is most lit so it’s a key way to create focal points. In addition, more light means a brighter space, and this is important everywhere in Canada when we can have long and dreary winters. Remember when you are adding overhead lights, put them on a dimmer switch so you have more control of the lighting level of the room.
6. Keep Window Coverings Light
To keep a space open and airy it’s important to allow as much light as possible to filter into the room. One way to do this is to use sheer drapes rather than heavy lined drapery. Sheers come in every colour today and can be installed so they look fresh and modern. Sheers let some light into the room which keeps it feeling big and spacious. This can be a very good solution for a condo, rather than heavy window coverings, so a small space still feels expansive.
7. Decorate With Fresh Flowers
Such a simple addition to any room in the house, decorating with fresh flowers adds wonderful colour and texture. This is an easy way to liven up a room and they don’t require any real work. Remove as many extra green leaves as possible and cut the stems shorter so it’s the flower that your see the most. This will also help the flowers to last longer.
8. Group Accessories
Often the challenge is not which accessories to purchase, but how to arrange them. Group accessories in 3s, 5s or 7s and place them together on a large tray. This will add a more powerful statement, create a focal point and keep the space less cluttered. Without the clutter, the room will open up and flow better. Have a look at our Accessories page for more ideas.
9. Add A Mirror
It’s no secret that a mirror reflects light or draws attention, but it also a great tool to create drama! Adding mirrors on walls across or adjacent to windows will create the sense of a secondary window and can add depth in otherwise flat spaces. For more interest, choose a mirror with a chucky or detailed frame as this becomes a feature as well.
10. Buy A New Area Carpet
Area carpets are the perfect way to unit a space and to brighten a room. If you have dark wood floors, a light carpet can add the sense of light. If you lack colour, put colour in the area carpet so it draws people to the centre of the space where the carpet is placed. And carpets add warmth and dimension to any room, as they are often pieces of art themselves!
