​Super Speedy Tips To Change Your Interiors

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Coussin - collection septembre 2015, Tissage Art de Lys Tissage Art de Lys Living room
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You get home after a hard and tiring day. Your boss was on your case, those deadlines wouldn’t subside, and you had to dodge cranky clients and colleagues. But it’s over for now. So, what are the plans for the evening? How about changing your home décor?

‘Not a chance!’, is what most people would say. That is because most people associate ‘rearranging’ and ‘redesigning’ with hours and hours of work. And after a stressful day, that is the last thing we want to go through.

Good news! You can update your home layout and décor before bedtime! With our quick and effortless tips, 10 minutes is all it takes to makeover that bedroom (or dining room, or living room… ).  Who knows, it might just lift your sour mood and make you feel like you’ve accomplished something before calling it a day.

Let’s start!

Switch up that furniture

Nobody said you had to apply new wallpaper, add a new window, and buy new furniture to change the look and feel of a room. It can be much easier than that. 

It is a universally accepted truth that certain elements belong in certain rooms. Your toilet has no place in your kitchen. And we are not recommending moving your television set to your garden. But there are other furniture pieces that you can switch to different rooms without throwing your interior style off balance.  

Three simple words: rethink, then rearrange. Rethink what furniture pieces can switch rooms. Moving a chair, side table, bookcase, or smaller accessories like lamps and vases might sound small (and they are), yet they will definitely be noticeable (at least by you). 

Or what about keeping your snug sofa in the living room, but just turning it at a different angle, or have it switching sides with your two armchairs?

Art that moves

If you don’t have the energy to move large furniture pieces around (or like them just the way they are), yet you still want an interior change, then opt to alter the placement of your artwork. 

Those family photos in the living room can look equally stunning in the hallway. And those oil paintings in the hallway might just do wonders for your guest bedroom. Now, where to hang that guest bedroom wall art?

homify hint: Repeating colour that’s showcased in your wall art increases its impact in the room. For instance, those purple scatter cushions on your bed will be even more striking if you add some artwork with lilac tones. Try it to see for yourself.

Tackle those pillows

Dying to redecorate and brighten up your living room, bedroom or any spaces within your house, but have limited budget (and time)? Then scatter cushions might be your answer.

Scatter cushions (or throw pillows) are available in various colours, styles, and shapes. They also spoil us for choice in terms of fabric, from the simple and modest to the ultra luxurious.  Some may even be adorned with sequins, embroidery and other trimmings.

Use your scatter cushions as the focal point in a room or to add panache to your space. Pick pillows of different sizes, patterns and textures to create variety and interest. 

Love your earth-toned sofa? Add some red-hot and orange pillows and see how that couch sizzles with style!

Spice up the scent

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: don’t be scared to add flowers and plants to your home. Few things add as much life to a room as a fresh bouquet of flowers. And not many elements can spice up a space like a decadent potted plant. 

Not only do plants and flowers inject some fresh scent, they also bring in colour. Regardless of what tones your interior palette consists of, Mother Nature’s greens go with everything. 

For those of us who understand the joy of allergies, scented candles and incense are life-savers. So you see, there is really no excuse not to have a fresh-smelling home. 

homify hint: Need some unwinding? Then add lavender scent to your home. Studies have shown that lavender links up with slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and lower arterial pressure. Bergamot and sandalwood have also been known to produce relaxing effects.

Shed some new light

Those lighting fixtures of yours aren’t set in stone, you know. Altering lighting is one of the most effective ways of changing a room’s look and feel. 

One way to accomplish this is to change those lampshades. Either add decorative accents to old and worn-out shades, or treat yourself to some brand new ones. And while you’re at it, change your old light bulbs to new, energy-efficient ones (LED, anyone?). You will be surprised at the difference it makes to both your home and your electricity bill. 

homify hint: What’s the correct way to light a living room? Light three of the four corners, and focus one of the lights on an object (an art piece, chair, or plant). Use a combination of table lamps and floor lamps, some with a downward glow and some that shine upward. And enjoy comfortable reading without squinting by adding down-glowing lamps on three-way switches. If possible, opt for a dimmer on your overhead fixture.

Beautify your books

Whoever said that your bookcase had to consist of boring, side-by-side placement of your reading material? Make a fabulous feature of your bookcase by zhoosing up your literary collection. 

Colour-coordinate those books. Or leave the colours alone, and instead add some trinkets in-between. A framed photograph here, a little sculpture there, and a vase with flowers over there. To up the interest factor, mix up the orientation of your books from shelf to shelf (horizontal on the one, then switch to vertical on the next). And be sure to leave a gap here and there to avoid that cluttered look. 

Or how about moving some of those books off the shelves/bookcase and propping them up on a side table? As they say, it’s the small things in life that count.

Clear the clutter

If you are perfectly happy with your furniture layout, then how about doing something about that messy clutter in the study? Or dining room buffet? Just an example, but most of us have some clutter hidden away here and there that we plan on sorting out in the future.

Don’t put it off any longer if you really want to go from a messy surface to a sparkle-clean space that is guaranteed to give you a new appreciation for your home. Whether it’s your kitchen shelves, linen closet, or entrance hall, things have a tendency of piling up, so take action before that clutter habit gets out of hand. 

For more information on how to live a clutter-free life, turn to: Cool simple storage solutions.

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