You have been living in your home for a few years and you feel that it is time to “refresh your home.” You like the basic look but are looking to refresh your home to make it feel exciting again. One month and a flurry of torn pages from a dozen magazine, three sleepless nights watching reruns of HG TV and you are exhausted. But don’t stress, we are here to help! Learn how to refresh your home in 3 simple design tricks.
3 Ways to Refresh your Home:
- A Fresh Coat of Paint: This is by far the easiest solution to a successful refreshing of your home. Pick a color from your existing palate and paint an accent wall. This is very popular now and can, for instance, accentuate the architecture of the space if you have cathedral ceilings. Painting the fireplace wall in a contrasting color, you will not only change the room but you will accent the strongest element in the room. You can buy “Design fashion time” for a year or two before you become sure that you are ready for a professional to lead you out of the fog.
- Decorative Pillows – Although I am not a fan of the harsh mix of patterns that I have seen in some magazines, large furniture outlets and on HG TV, there is a way to do it. I will digress …it takes a real professional to get the mix right…and so far I haven’t seen it but in the upper end magazines. But that being said if you tread lightly and select small textures and shades of your existing palette you can’t go too far off track. You are better off selecting fabrics getting samples and then finding the right mix. Once you have establish the right mix for you, have them made by a professional. Hiring a good technician to assemble adds to the custom look that you desire. Cheap pillows are just that…cheap. Follow this “pillow rule” and you will be successful in refreshing your home.
- Area Rugs– the Horizontal effect in Refreshing your home. I have the same complaint with area rugs. Some of the patterns are just…in a word…awful. So, look at your room the way you look at your wardrobe. If you buy a loud print dress, how many places will you be able to wear it before your less than best friend say, “ I’ve always loved you in that dress”? So my advice is to buy a beautiful texture, lush with either small bands of color or flecks of color and you will get to the place that you want…an interesting change that will not overwhelm the space.
Try these simple tips and while you are refreshing your home trying to extend the life of your home’s décor, start the process of searching for the right professional to help you with the major overhaul. This process is about personality and how you communicate with that person. It is about a relationship, not just a sofa. You need to be heard and you need to be confident that the designer that you select is understanding your aesthetic. So do this research carefully and enjoy. If you would like to the possibilities of your home, feel free to contact us when you are ready.