Make some ch-ch-changes at your place, using nothing but your own creativity.
Giving your home a refresh doesn’t have to involve taking out a major loan from the bank and undergoing substantial renovations. In fact, there’s countless ways you can update how your home looks and feels that are incredibly affordable, or don’t cost anything at all!
Here are 8 clever and affordable styling ideas to start with.
FEATURE YOUR FIREPLACE
A fireplace is often the focal point of a room, with the furniture arranged around it. If it’s not a working fireplace, or if it’s not in use, this leaves you and your guests gathering around a blank opening.
Take this as an opportunity to create a styling ‘moment’ with shape, colour or texture. Bring interest to this focal point with a stack of books, an interesting vessel, an indoor plants, or even a collection of candles that can be lit to provide a mini-fire effect. Each of these ideas will fill a space that would otherwise be blank and boring.
REHANG YOUR ART
It might be time to reassess your whole art collection. And we mean everything hanging on your wall, all the way from oil paintings to tiny prints or even the kids’ art.
Opinions differ about where to hang your best pieces – in the bedroom where you can enjoy them every morning and night, or in the living area where guests will be impressed, perhaps. It’s up to you, but what is important is that you match the scale of each work to the space it’s in, and to the wall it’s on, especially if you’ve invested in a statement piece.
If you’ve collected lots of smaller pieces, could you hang them in groups, or create a gallery wall? Balance is key: are there any bare or crowded walls? Even if you do nothing but move artworks between rooms, the different light will give you a new appreciation of them.
CHANGE YOUR DISPLAY
If you shop your own cupboards, we guarantee you will find some treasures. Use these forgotten items to create new vignettes, or refresh your existing displays. Shapely perfume bottles are great in the bathroom or on a bedside, and some of those wedding presents deserve their moment in the sun.
Remember the basics when it comes to the art of display: odd numbers of objects work better, use a tray or board to corral like objects together, and avoid the cluttered feel that comes with large numbers of tiny objects. Sadly, no-one like dusting…
USE YOUR LAMPS
Lighting is one of the easiest ways to create atmosphere, so it’s an area where you’ll be able to make real impact. Obviously your ceiling ones are fixed, so pull together all your other light sources, including lamps, your Christmas fairy lights (draw the line at anything red and flashing) and candles, and place them around your living and dining area as well as your entry.
The aim is cosy – especially in the cooler months – which means setting the tone with multiple lamps at different height levels. You may expend some extra energy walking around to switch them all on and off, but this might just offset your winter Tim Tam habit.
SWAP ROOMS
This one’s a little more radical, but it’s worth exploring. Have a think about the current configuration of your home – looking at a floorplan can help – and consider whether swapping any rooms could provide any benefits.
If you have an open-plan kitchen and living area, this might mean flipping the living and dining areas around within that space. If you have a series of smaller rooms, you might swap a living room for a bedroom, or swap bedrooms with the family.
Think about the orientation and aspect of each room; if you’re wasting the best outlook on a spare room, take it over as your own bedroom. If your living room is overtaken by toys but your study is pristine (and unused), repurpose it as a playroom. Or, have the kids share a bedroom and create a homework and playroom zone for them.
Remember, the changes don’t have to be permanent; the aim is to match your home’s floorplan for your family’s routine and lifestyle.
RESTYLE YOUR SHELVES
This is an easy win. After a while, your bookshelves become part of the background, so changing their look can change your whole perception of the room. If you’re lucky enough to have lots of books, use them to your advantage.
Colour code them by spine colour, arranging them from one end of the spectrum to another. Try horizontal stacks rather than the usual vertical arrangement, or a mix of both. Break up an expanse of books by removing some, and replacing with curated vignettes made up of small artworks, ceramics or collectibles.
GO GREEN
You don’t need us to tell you that indoor plants are big. In a trend-with-legs way, yes, and literally big, in that we’re now seeing actual potted trees indoors. The difference they make to a room is incredible. They’ll need nurturing, but the benefits are worth it. So cut some clippings and get growing!
Bring foliage from your garden inside, or go for an evening walk with secateurs and see what the neighbourhood has to offer. Set yourself up to succeed by adding greenery to the rooms you live in: the kitchen, living area and bedroom – you’ll have more time to enjoy your plants and you’ll notice if they’re not doing well.
SUBTRACT SOMETHING
We all know Coco Chanel’s maxim about removing one accessory before leaving the house, and this kind of editing also works for interiors. Here’s a trick: take photos of your room from several angles to help you see the space with a more critical eye.
There is a fine, and personal, line between clutter and artful display, and editing some ‘stuff’ can allow the space to shine again. This may mean removing a piece of furniture, or taking out an accessory that no longer fits in.
A general Marie Kondo-inspired declutter and good clean will help, too. The key to the editing process? Revisit your original scheme for the room, and pare things back to stay true to this vision.
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