Over time it is common to feel stuck with your home interior and crave a fresh start, but major renovations can be daunting and highly expensive. However, a significant transformation doesn’t always have to require lengthy projects with extensive budgets, when executed correctly small strategic changes can make a huge difference. This blog will guide you through straightforward home improvements, from quick cosmetic updates to practical upgrades, that will completely transform your space.
Quick Cosmetic Updates
The Power of Paint
A fresh coat of paint is a quick and easy way to dramatically change the look and feel of your room. Strategically use different colours to make your room feel larger, brighter and create different emotional tones.
Light colours, like creams, soft blues and muted greens, are a popular choice for making a room appear larger and brighter. These colours reflect light around a room and can often extend visual boundaries to create the illusion of more space.
If you’re looking to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere within a room, then browns and deep greens can absorb light to make a room feel warmer and more intimate. Furthermore, these colours are connected to nature, so they can create a sense of grounding and stability within a room.
Declutter and Organise
Decluttering is an easy way to create an immediate visual improvement within a space. Simply tidying away miscellaneous items and creating a more organised space can go a long way in creating a more peaceful and enjoyable home.
There are a variety of different decluttering methods that can be used to make the process more efficient. Some popular decluttering methods include:
The Four-Box method: This is a beginner friendly decluttering method that involves getting four empty boxes and labelling them keep, throw away, donate and sell. The method helps with the decision-making process when decluttering. If you notice a lot of items are in the ‘keep’ box, then you may need to be more cut-throat.
The Kon-Mari method: This is Marie Kondo’s method that involves working through items by category. For instance, books, clothes, sentimental items and so on. When doing this method, it is important to think about whether these items truly bring you joy. It is a more emotional decluttering method, but it definitely helps with the decision-making process.
Furthermore, built-in storage can be a great way to organise your home, whilst saving space. You can use small tricks in every room of your home to incorporate hidden storage, without using up vital floor space. For instance, the use of under-bed storage in bedrooms, ottomans in living spaces or office desks with built-in cupboards in your study.
Lighting Upgrades
Lighting can go a long way in completely transforming the atmosphere within a room. Principles from commercial lighting, like prioritising functionality, energy efficiency and creating a comfortable environment can be used in an interior to create a more inviting atmosphere. However, upgrading your lighting doesn’t have to be a complex process, it can simply involve changing a light fixture, opting for a different toned bulb or incorporating a new lamp.
Accessorise
Incorporating new accessories throughout your home is an easy and inexpensive way to completely upgrade a room’s look. This can be as simple as adding new cushions and a new throw to your living space. Replacing your sofa can be expensive, so soft furnishings can go a long way in upgrading the appearance of your sofa.
Furthermore, plants and flowers are perfect for instantly adding freshness and life to your home. Integrating nature into your interior, also known as biophilic design, provides numerous benefits for your metal well-being, including improved mood and reduced stress.
Practical Upgrades for Everyday Living
Smart Storage Solutions
Clever storage solutions are useful for reducing clutter and improving the flow of space throughout your home. Floating shelves are a popular choice for maximising floor space within a room, reducing the need for bulky cabinets or cupboards. In addition, shelving can be a great way to store items, whilst also creating an interior design feature by displaying decor pieces, picture frames and books.
Hidden and discreet storage solutions can be a game changer in properties that lack storage space. Furniture with built-in storage is ideal for combining both functionality and style within your home. Under-bed storage can be particularly beneficial as it provides the perfect area for storing spare bedding, towels or winter clothes.
Kitchen & Bathroom Upgrades
Straightforward and impactful changes are an easy way to completely transform the practicality and physical appearance of your kitchen and bathroom. This can include quick changes like new tapware, upgrading cabinet handles or adding a colourful backsplash to your cooking space. By simply just upgrading your current features you can be left with a kitchen or bathroom that feels completely brand new.
In particular, a heated towel rail can make the perfect addition in a bathroom as it provides both functionality and aesthetics. Not only can a heated towel rail contribute to keeping your bathroom warm, but it also provides the perfect place to dry your towels after showering. This is a simple upgrade that can provide an element of luxury and comfort within a bathroom, to give it that spa-like feel.
Organising for Efficiency
An organised home goes a long way in improving your daily routine and overall outlook on life. It is important to focus on organisation as when clutter begins to accumulate it can become out of control and create an overwhelming and chaotic environment. It can be hard to concentrate when the environment around you is full of chaos.
Incorporating functional, yet stylish, waste management facilities in your home is paramount for remaining organised and keeping the clutter at bay. Separate facilities for recycling, food waste and general waste, will help to keep your rubbish organised and provide more motivation to create an organised home environment. In addition, this is an extremely important step towards sustainable living as it ensures that you’re recycling items, rather than throwing everything in general waste.
It can be helpful to set aside an hour or so a week or a few hours a month dedicated to cleaning and organising your home. By doing this you are able to hold yourself accountable and ensure that your space is tidied regularly to prevent a build-up of dirt and clutter.
These quick and cost-effective improvements are an easy way to completely transform your space, without the need for big and time-consuming upgrades. Anyone can achieve these changes, you don’t have to be a professional or have DIY experience to transform your home. Just picking one or two of these quick changes can go a long way in creating a space that is truly your own.
