Decorating, or re-decorating, your home should definitely be fun and exciting, but it should also be achievable. Luckily, there are plenty of quick and easy things you can do to give your home a fresh look.
Try not to look at home decorating as something that is overly complicated or overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be expensive or labour intensive either. Approaching decorating your home as a number of small tasks instead of one big project helps to break it down into much more achievable parts.
There are many places and pieces in your home that make it easy to re-decorate. Here are a few ideas to show you just how simple it can be.
Give it a lick…
…of paint that is. We’re not necessarily talking about every wall and the ceiling too. A splash of colour can do wonders for a room. You could create a feature wall – use all one colour or maybe experiment with some colour blocking – to quickly add a dramatic element of interest to space. Or for a more subtle, but equally interesting visual effect, you could paint just the door or the architraves or skirting in a contrasting colour.
Paint is not just for the walls and doors though. Depending on your flooring material you could produce an attention-grabbing statement by painting the floor to really invigorate a plain room.
And don’t forget the furniture. Whether new or old, any piece of furniture can be given a new look, to contrast or compliment your decorating plans, with a fresh coat of paint.
Deck the walls
The walls of your home literally are a blank canvas, ready and waiting for your decorative touch. As well as adding some paint, or even instead of, there are so many great things that you can do with your walls to really take them from drab to fab.
There are more common and obvious ideas such as hanging precious framed photos or a new print. And there is a reason they are so common, they certainly are great options for decorating your wall. But common doesn’t have to mean tired and boring. Even these simple ideas can be viewed in a new light. Create something extra special by choosing a mix of gorgeous antique frames from your local second-hand dealers or markets. Or have a single colour for your frames but choose lots of different styles in that colour and add pops of colour by using coloured matting.
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Another great item to add a fresh and unique feel to any wall or room, is the use of mirrors. It could be a collage of small hand mirrors and mirror pieces in a section of a room or hallway or a large ornate mirror as the focal point of a room, or anything in between.
Use what you have
Introducing new wall hangings doesn’t necessarily have to mean a new purchase. Consider swapping or re-locating existing photos, prints or mirrors from one room to another to give the space a new look.
You can also use the walls, or any other available space, to display those prized and precious collections you might have. Rather than having pieces scattered throughout your home, gather them all together and arrange them on some shelving or cabinetry for a great visual feature.
Do the furniture shuffle
A great way to quickly and easily change the look and feel of a space is to re-arrange the furniture. It sounds so simple that it is often, and easily, overlooked. Play around with different layouts and combinations until you find something that works. Or just keep changing it as often as you like! It doesn’t cost anything, only a few minutes of your time, and can really help you to find a renewed love of the space.
Change up cushions and textiles
There are plenty of smaller décor items that are super simple to swap out. Grabbing some new throw cushions, blankets or bed linen can instantly change the look of a space. Whether your style is trendy and unique, or classic and chic, you can easily enhance the look with some new textiles. And if you can’t decide which style you are, or you like a few different ones, you can easily have a few key textile items on hand for each and bring them out where and when the mood takes you.
New window dressings can also have a huge impact. Consider changing blinds for curtains, or the other way around. Alternatively, you could keep the same type of covering but try a new material. If you are feeling extra creative experiment with adding some stencilled patterns or monograms to existing window coverings.
Get in touch with nature
The natural world has so much to offer home decorating. Amongst all the paint and furnishings and textiles, adding a touch of natural elements really brings a different dimension to your room that cannot be replicated by other items.
Some ways to include natural pieces and materials in your home décor include:
- fresh flowers, branches and leaves in glass vases on side tables or shelves
- painting branches and styling them in large pots or vases on the floor
- framing pressed flowers and leaves
- table centrepieces with seasonal fruit and greenery
- natural materials and textiles in furniture and soft furnishings such as timber, jute, rattan and marble.
To contrast or to compliment
Finally, not everything in the space has to match or compliment. Some truly interesting visual effects are created by introducing a key feature piece that is in stark contrast to the style of the rest of the room. If you have a predominantly traditional space you could include a modern, geometric coffee table, for example. Or in a modern and contemporary space, an antique mirror on the wall can really create something special and unique.
With so many quick and easy ways to decorate your home, there is no reason why you shouldn’t get to work making some small, but impactful, changes right away. You’ll be wondering why you waited so long!
We love helping our clients create unique and interesting spaces in their homes. With our many years of hand painting expertise, we have the knowledge and skills to help you achieve your home decorating goals. Contact Highlands Handpainting on 1300 662 112, submit an online enquiry, or visit us at 12 Graham Hill Road Narellan NSW to discuss how we can help you with your next handpainted project.