23/06/2014
1. Let there be light
There’s nothing worse than a dark and gloomy space so if you want to make your nest look more inviting, do all you can to make it appear lighter. Wash away grime from windows to let in more outside light, use bright or light-colored curtains and add mirrors in strategic locations. Get yourself lighting fixtures that throw warm and soft glows across rooms.
2. Decorate with what you love
Personalizing your space is all about including the stuff you love. If you’re into antiques or art, buy items along those lines and use them to decorate your rooms. If you love books, set a space aside just for your tomes. You could get bookshelves made in an antique style and fill them up with your collection.
3. Mixing up your furniture
Mix and match your furniture to keep things interesting. You could get a stylish mirror and hang it up instead of wall decorations. Or, you could team up your contemporary chairs with a vintage settee.
4. Make a statement with your entry
Most folks tend to focus on interiors and not entrances. But, giving importance to the entry way says a lot about how you view your home. If you have stairs leading up to your house, choose to get a stylish banister. Or, decorate your door with an antique knocker.
5. Deep clean
Giving your home a good cleaning makes an instant difference. Begin from a certain room and slowly proceed to the rest of your house, throwing out useless junk and clearing away clutter. Clean items and spaces that are hidden to prevent them spreading their dust and grime everywhere else.
6. Choose relaxing color combinations
Soothing colors are known to relax the mind and body so try to combine hues that complement each other. Colors that go well together are cream and indigo, lime yellow and tangerine, aqua blue and sea foam green, blue and white, gold and deep red, dark purple and lavender and light pink and chocolate brown.
7. Lead a simpler life: Remove electronic clutter
While snazzy gadgets and devices ease our workload and help us stay in touch with colleagues, friends and family, give away or discard stuff you no longer use. If you have old monitors and keyboards lying around, find a way to reuse them – maybe there’s a shelter that would take them or maybe you could reuse them in another room.
8. Create photo collages
Pictures make perfect memories so get out your photo album and select shots that mean something to you. Buy cheap picture frames and arrange your photos on a wall like how you would when making a collage. If you don’t have enough family pictures, use whatever catches your fancy.
9. Put fun objects at unexpected places
Not everything has to be in their place. Get some fun and interesting objects and place them in unlikely spots, for instance, a quaint flowerpot on a coffee table.
10. Choose furniture that will fit both the room and your needs
Assess the size of your room and choose your furniture accordingly. A small room would look even smaller with large furniture pieces so be wise when selecting items. If there is a space that looks empty, try to fill it with coffee tables, divans and chairs.
