Bored with the same old home interiors and planning a major renovation? As daunting a task as it may sound, your home makeover could actually be a fun-filled activity if done collectively and correctly, where you can fully exercise your creativity, inspirations and style sense. Your home is a reflection of you, so spruce it up smartly, and you will have a reason to smile each time you walk through that entrance door. Here are a few ideas to help you choose home accessories more prudently.

Colour your walls beautifully

Choose wall colours which are in contrast with your room’s furniture. If your living room, bedroom or study receives plenty of sunshine, then playing with darker themes such as deep teal mixed with maroon in moderation or purple shades, lavender coupled with a bit of turquoise and navy, pitch green mixed with a tinge of pink, red and yellow will immediately brighten the room once the curtains are drawn apart, giving your eyes an interesting palate of colours to observe. Silvery blue will produce a delicate look, while spring green and baby pink will add a playful aura to the place. Pairing navy blue with maroon and bronze is tricky but consider these for large rooms as they can handle these shades more gracefully, provided you throw lots of whites around to balance the theme.

Whether your home is big or small you can create additional space and cheer it up if you use your imagination and some help from experts

Furnish the rooms moderately

If you are furnishing or refurbishing an apartment, pick light furniture that leaves ample space around for other accessories. Pick basic wardrobes, slender glass tables and beds with simple headboards to keep the bedroom from looking cluttered. Use spaces under the beds and sofas and inside the trunks (if they are used in place of coffee tables) for extra storage.

It would be good to keep furniture along the sides of the room so it doesn’t occupy much space. You can convert a hall into a multi-purpose room simply by attaching bookshelves to the walls, placing sofas in the centre with a coffee table, placing a TV, and setting a small study table in a corner to get the feel of a library, TV room and an office all in one. In a studio apartment, you can separate the bedroom from kitchen either through colourful curtains or an open shelf, for storage purposes.

Don’t clutter the kitchen by erecting cabinets; instead make shelves and place hooks to create space. Shelves allow you to admire your crockery and provide easy access to the cooking essentials.

Lightening your place

Good lightening sets the tone and atmosphere of the room. Generally, well-lit rooms are used more as compared to the poorly lit places, therefore it is important to understand the purpose of the room before deciding its lightening.

A store room would require glare free fluorescent lights while children’s study room would need task lightening. An elaborate living room with a dining area attached would require several circuits of lights to enhance the composition of this zone. A bedroom might require mood lightening, which is a soft diffusion of lights emitting from different sources to create a warm ambience.

Embellish those bare walls

Bare painted walls might give a dull look, but hanging one statement piece like a painting, framed mirror or colourful patterned design will brighten any room instantly. Consider putting up a picture wall, built-in racks, tapestry, framed quotes or book covers and wall clocks too, as they serve as eye-catching wall pieces.

Decorating the floors

If you have dark but medium-sized furniture with plain walls in a large room, throw in a bulky, multi-colour, patterned rug. This would immediately add colour and revitalise the place. On the other hand, if the walls and furniture contain vibrant colours, then use rugs, carpets or mats of lighter or neutral shades like light brown, grey or off-white. You can also choose to go with wooden vinyl floor as it looks good and is easy to maintain. Always select the floor piece first as it sets the foundation of a gorgeously decorated room. Later move to walls, furniture and fabrics.

Introduce nature indoors

Placing plants like mini cacti and succulents on a side table in the living room and Dracaena on the entrance or next to the couch would definitely invite Mother Nature indoors, adding a refreshing touch to the internal environment. Ferns are the best choice for bedroom or bathroom plants while money plants are more suited for verandas and corridors.

Decorating your own cosy nook will require some work, imagination and experimentation, but once you’ve created your personal bold n’ beautiful designs using these tips, you will love them for many days to come.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 29th, 2015

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