above via CIAONEWPORTBEACH.BlogSpot
Being
at home should be a positive experience but if you find yourself looking for
ways to get out of the house rather than ways to enjoy yourself while there,
you might want to consider buffing up your domestic act with one or more of the
following improvements. If your home is a drain on your energy, maybe it’s time
for a change.
above STEPHEN SILLS
Fabric
above via DECORDESIGNREVIEW.tumblr
above via CENTSATIONALGIRL.com
Fabric
is one of my favorite ways to update and refresh a tired space. Reupholstering
the sofa, dressing the windows, slipcovering the chairs, and having some
coordinating throw pillows done up will revive a tired room into something wonderful.
Combining
fabrics and pattern is tricky. If you’re a person who shies away from pattern,
using high quality materials like silk, mohair and other textured fabrics will
be your best bet. You can start with a striated silk with color variations; add
a subtle, tone-on-tone stripe; a simple ribbed texture; and maybe a
velvet or mohair in a slightly darker color. Instead of pattern, use texture,
contrast and color to add visual interest.
above via GARDENANDGUN.com
For
a homey look, start with a faded floral fabric on your sofa; add two chairs in a
rich chenille texture with contrasting welts; pillows in an awning stripe; and
more pillows in a soft wool plaid or smaller floral.
above via CENTSATIONALGIRL.com
Paint
Every
ten years or so, have one or two fresh coats of paint applied to your interior
walls. Color trends evolve. Remember Navajo White? It’s now passé. Whites are
generally cooler now, with more gray undertones than before. Kelly Moore,
Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams and Dunn Edwards offer beautiful designer
colors while Pratt and Lambert, Fine Paints of Europe, and Farrow and Ball have
luxury products.
above via HOUSE BEAUTIFUL
Always
use a flat finish in the public rooms and master bedroom; satin or eggshell in
bathrooms, kitchen and children’s areas; and gloss or semi-gloss on cabinetry,
doors, windows and casing. If “white paint” isn’t your idea of redecorating,
choose your colors carefully. Today’s homes have open floor plans and they
usually don’t look right with multiple changes in color without the visual
dividers of doorway frames.
above via USBTEDDYBEAR.blogspot
Light
colors like cool, pale yellow, pale gray-blue, and light celadon green are good
options for colors that “travel” well from room to room. Reds, terra cottas and
other dark, warm colors are much harder to work with in an open floor plan.
They are easier to work with however, in bathrooms and bedrooms which are
visually divided from the rest of the public areas. I like to do a warm white
ceiling with white crown molding to separate it from the color of the walls.
above via THEYELLOWCAPECOD.com
Keep
in mind warm dark colors advance, making the room appear smaller while light,
cool colors recede, making the room appear larger.
Makeovers
A
great way to improve and beautify your home is to give it a makeover. A
makeover is economical because it saves you from unnecessary purchases. It
helps you make the most of what you already have. Once your makeover is
complete, you’ll see what purchases are truly needed.
above OSCAR DE LA RENTA
Makeovers
for the living room usually take one day while the other rooms take half days.
Experiment with furniture placement, placing the sofa and other large
furnishings first. Anchor conversation areas with furniture then create focal
points with accessories. Move things around till you get it right. Fireplaces
are built-in focal points and are nicely balanced with an opposing sofa.
Accessories
For a tour my home was on recently, I
purchased ten framed prints, five large pots, two table cloths (for permanent
use, not for dining), silver picture frames, and a small area rug. This
supplemented the things I already had. The tour was a success and two years
later, I’m still delighted with the changes in my home.
above via VERANDA
When shopping for accessories only buy the
styles that truly resonate with you. Keep in mind you need to work around your
architecture and existing furnishings, not just your personal taste.
above via VOGUE
Un-decorate
If
your personal belongings are collecting dust that never seems to be cleaned,
if your spouse or children are embarrassed to have guests over, or if “Hoarders”
has contacted you recently to guest appear in an upcoming episode (teasing)
it’s time to reduce or repurpose.
above via ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
Don’t take your unwanted stuff to the thrift store yet, however. Do your makeover starting with the living room first, dining room second, master bedroom third, and so on. You’ll be amazed by the things you can repurpose in other areas of your home. Change is harder for some of us, but quality of life at home relies on healthy, sustainable changes. A home isn’t static. It needs regular attention to keep it functioning and attractive.
above via BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
A Clean Sweep
One
of the things I’ve learned being an interior designer and home maker and using a professional coach is that the cleaner and tidier the home, the more motivated I feel. When
you eliminate or change things that are a nuisance to you, you get a tremendous
energy boost. This is true of many things in life such as excess weight or a
job you have outgrown. As someone smart once said, nature abhors a vacuum.
Get
rid of the things that drain your energy to make room for better things to
come.
above via HOUZZ
above via SLIMPALEY.com
