RENOVATING LIVING SPACES

IT’S WHERE YOU ENTERTAIN, RELAX AND SPEND TIME WITH YOUR LOVED ONES – SO IT MAKES SENSE TO GIVE YOUR LIVING AREAS SOME EXTRA SPECIAL ATTENTION

Atmosphere, function and clever use of space is crucial when renovating a living space – here are some tips on how to get it right and add valuable resale value to your home.

USE GLAZED DOORS TO

LET IN MORE LIGHT

An option is to have glazed doors between zones so rooms are not closed in and light restricted. This is a good idea for doors leading from a passage to a family room. Or if you have a period home, they could have a striking leadlight design. This looks attractive it they’re lined up with the front door. Clear glass can give a leafy view of the back garden from the front door, yet still serves to stop that wind-tunnel effect if the front and back

doors are aligned.

MISMATCH FURNITURE

TO CREATE INTEREST

Don’t feel that a co-ordinated modular lounge or three-piece suite is the only way to successful decorating. Furniture doesn’t have to match. In fact, the look of a room can be lightened with a small carver or tub chair in place of a bulky armchair. If you hate the cover, disguise it with a throw rug or a ready-made loose cover.

GET THE PICTURE

Whether the room is for formal or informal living, when it comes to hanging paintings (or prints and framed photos) don’t put them up around the ceiling. The experts say the centre of a painting should be at eye level.

They don’t have to be lined up in rows, either. Hang them in groups or mount them over a table or sideboard. You can cover a wall with them if you like; just stick to a common theme. Another option is to span a wall with narrow shelves ‘styled’ with framed photos or prints. For a more casual effect, overlap the frames.