All it takes is a little planning and a splash of creativity
Redecorating your home doesn’t always require a big budget. There’s plenty of small, inexpensive things you can do to bring new life into your home without a professional on hand such as adding a plant or rearranging some furniture.
Here are some of our favourite home decor tricks and tips that might inspire you:
1. Use mirrors to reflect light
We all know that mirrors can make any room feel larger. You see them used a lot in restaurants with limited dining spaces. But a well-placed mirror can also brighten up a room and amplify the existing lighting. Placing a large mirror – framed or unframed – opposite a window will reflect more daylight into your space.
2. Paint your shelves
A great way to add a pop of colour or texture to any room is to paint or add wallpaper to the back of a shelf. A towering floor-to-ceiling bookshelf will look less boring, while a small floating shelf can act as a nice accent, with a patterned backboard peeking through books and knick-knacks.
3. Display knick-knacks in odd numbers
Every parent I know has at least one ‘display’ cabinet where they keep all their cute little decorative items that they’ve collected from years of travel or were gifted to them by friends. Display cabinets are indeed quite convenient but it can also seem old fashioned and cluttered. So another way to display those decorative knick-knacks is to scatter them around in groups or three or five atop tables and shelves, with items of varying height. This will immediately reduce the cluttered feeling. You’ll realise that there’s no need to buy new accent pieces – just use the ones you already have.
4. Add pillows for cosiness
Nothing is quite as uninviting in a home as a bare sofa. Add a few cushions to your three-seater and drape an afghan on the armchair to cosy up the space in an instant. Who can resist flopping onto a sofa with bright, bouncy pillows to catch your fall?
5. Pick a focal point
Every room should have a focal point, be it a dark wood table in the dining room or a headboard in the bedroom. Instead of trying to make every inch of your space pop, you’re better off picking one thing to be the focus of the room. From that focal point, you decorate and make sure that everything else doesn’t distract from the main attraction. That main piece will dictate the vibe you’re going for.
6. Display art at eye level
Many people tend to hang artwork and photos a little too high, which defeats the purpose of displaying them in the first place. You want the centre of the image or artwork to be at about eye level, which in art galleries is about 57 inches from the floor. If you have a piece of furniture that’s in the way, then place the image about 4 inches above it.
7. Use the golden colour ratio
When picking a colour scheme, a great rule of thumb is to pick a dominant colour, a secondary colour that complements the dominant colour, and an accent colour that pops. The golden ratio here is about 60% dominant, 30% secondary, and 10% accent. If you’re worried about using too much or too little of a certain colour, just stick to this ratio and you’ll be fine.
8. Add texture to monotone colours
Speaking of colours, if you like the Scandinavian-inspired single tone style but find it a little bit boring, a great way to spice it up is to play around with textures. A patterned throw pillow, crocheted rug, or even using a textured paint for the accent wall can add depth and character while still maintaining that minimalist vibe.
9. Make space for plants
This particular tip has been repeated over and over again, but that’s because it’s timeless. Greenery adds freshness and brightens up any room. Whether you’ve gone for a darker colour scheme or a light, minimalist-inspired monotone, some well-placed plants are great to revive any room. If you don’t have a green thumb, get some low maintenance plants like succulents or good quality faux flora – both of which are relatively cheap to buy.