Personalizing your dream home with the power of renovation and imagination
We all crave the creature comforts of a cozy, well-designed home. Whilst there are countless DIY (“do-it-yourself”) enthusiasts out there who work tirelessly on their homes and seem to be renovating on a constant basis, this is however not possible for those of us who do not know the difference between a table saw and a drill bit. Of course, we could always hire someone to renovate our homes, but then it probably come with messy and costly renovations. Anyone who has undertaken a renovation job can attest to the hidden costs and huge clutter that it creates. So how can we refurbish our homes while doing away with major renovations? Handy D-I-Y’s may suffice to some but for many of us out there we demand a real renovation. There is a myriad of ways to rework your home without the messy revamp and huge expense on remodeling & redesigning. Perhaps it is time to change those old cabinet knobs, switch to the latest energy-saving light fixtures, install brand new water faucets (and bathroom fittings), or even apply a fresh new coat of paint to your dull & drab walls. These little or minor updates go a long way to reinvigorate your home, your spiritual well-being and your sense of belonging.
Open up your home space
According to home living and interior deco research, open floor plans are on the top of the list when it comes to home purchasing and home ownership. Homeowners naturally prefer an open floor plan whereby the kitchen, family room and dining room share a single vast open space. Also, formal dining rooms seem to have gone out of style. This is your opportunity to create more space in your home, making it more appealing to you and your guests. How can this be done without tearing down the walls?
Actually, making your home appear more open and airy is much easier than you think. Sometimes it is as simple as getting rid of bigger, bulkier furnishings, or moving furniture around the room to see what placement gives the most open space. If you are attached to the huge armoire, cabinet or other bulky furnishing that is taking up a lot of space, then consider painting it a warm off-white colour— this will help it “disappear” into the room, naturally tricking the eye to think the space is more airy and open.
Another optical illusion with regard to open space is, of course, mirrors. Mirrors when placed opposite windows reflect light into the room and make the room seem more open and spacious. If you have an unused dining room, do consider turning it into a cozy den, home office, crafting room or a library with a reading nook. This will make the current space you have much more usable. This will create a whole new room and introduce a fresh new vibe into your home which you never had or experienced before!
Time to light up your home!
Proper lighting can truly bring a room to life. A poorly lit room looks small, dark and cramped. While a brightly lit room appears open, airy and welcoming. There are a multitude of ways to brighten up your home with lights. Some of the simpler methods are as straightforward as buying table lamps and floor lighting for your home. Strategically place a couple of tall floor lamps in various dark corners and watch your room come alive. Layer this lighting with lamps on side tables, making the room feel more cozy, warm and welcoming. Should you prefer something more refreshing and adventurous, you can replace all those obsolete or outdated ceiling fixtures with modern masterpieces that are easily available on the market. Of course, you may be required to hire an electrician for standard installation and safety issues. And if you are a handy person, replacing a ceiling fixture should not be too complicated. Whether you keep it simple & sweet with floor lamps, or go all out and replace all your ceiling fixtures —always modernize your home with plenty of bright lights. They certainly can brighten up anyone’s day or night!
Kitchen cabinets & bathroom closets
Nothing puts you off your kitchen and bathrooms more than old-fashioned, worn-out and dirty handle pulls and knobs. There is no definitely no excuse not to update all your cabinet and cupboard door handles when it is really so simple to do, since there are almost unlimited ways to update your cabinetry. There are also numerous design or finishes to choose from such as bronze, brushed nickel, aged copper, and shiny stainless steel. With so many modern choices on the market, it may actually be quite tough & tedious to decide on what suits your home best. Notwithstanding the mind-boggling plethora of cabinet styles available, we can always buy one or two different styles to see what works best in the room. In addition, there are no steadfast (hard & fast) rules to choosing cabinet pulls and knobs. Essentially, a country kitchen may look chic and updated with modern-looking stainless steel knobs, while a modern kitchen might look cool and eclectic with more vintage-style knobs. The design choice is up to you, so get out there and start updating your kitchen and bathroom cupboards today!
Personalise your home wall-paper
Removable wallpaper come in superb patterns and stunning graphics that will make your room look like you just hired an interior designer and spent a fortune on redecorating the walls. These wallpapers are easily removed by simply peeling them off without harming the wall’s underlying surface beneath. For an easy wallpaper project, consider covering the main wall of your bedroom with a tranquil pattern, or opt for a living room update by covering one wall with a funky geometric-patterned paper. There are numerous online stores whereby these wonderful wallpapers can be purchased. Just make sure you read the fine print and buy only premium brands that can be conveniently removed without hassle.
Spruce-up your bathroom
Bathrooms get dirty and dingy quite quickly. Begin a bathroom overhaul with a thorough cleansing. Admittable, it is not much fun, but the shiny product or end result will provide you motivation or spur you to spruce-up the rest of the bathroom. Once the room is clean, keep a lookout for old door knobs, light fixtures, vanity mirrors, faucet heads and shower curtains, which are in depilated or deplorable condition from constant wear & tear, and also due to nature’s elements. Simply by replacing one or two of the most outdated items, you can make your bathroom look modern and new again. A coat of paint can really go far in a bathroom as well. And all this can be achieved without having to break walls, tear out wallpapers, or even replace bulky bathroom fixtures.
Repainting as the last resort
A deep-cleansing almost always enhances the mood and make our home more livable, and more importantly, inspire us to do more. It seems pretty obvious or straightforward that a clean coat of paint can take a room from drab-looking to appearing fabulous! Try adding a hint or punch of colour on an accent wall, or simply touch up your trim with a clean coat of white paint. If your home already has a fresh coat of paint, try looking to other things or items which could be used for touch-up. Maybe paint your ceiling a cool maroon, or breathe new life into an outdated or worn-out piece of furniture with a layer of high-quality primer. Repainting goes a long way to revamping rooms without major renovations.
