Give your home a fresh, new look
Who hasn’t been there? After a while, things become routine and the things that you found cute and quirky aren’t anymore.
Many of you will think I am talking about a relationship, but I’m not. I’m talking about your home. No matter how wonderful you thought it was when you first moved in, after time, it needs the equivalent of a new shirt or a new shade of lipstick. Play with the items you already own and find the time to spice it up.
Here are some tips to turn your old faithful decor into a new “hot date”: Change your throw pillows. A simple gesture can transform your living room or bedroom. Choose fabrics from new collections or play up a color scheme — all in one color, or in various colors for a kaleidoscopic effect. Give your bathroom a
spa makeover. Organize the clutter. Add the largest size towels you can find in a color that accentuates your decor. Strategically, add small votive candles to your bathroom for a glow that will make you want to luxuriate in a long bath or shower.
Add a trim or tape to existing drapery at the leading edge to change the look. This will also make the room seem taller by accentuating the vertical lines and height.
Control the lighting in your room by adding dimmers to lamps and fixtures. This will allow you to orchestrate the amount of lighting and the mood of your room. Create large art or photographic walls. Buy a dozen or so frames in varying sizes with the same color or finish. Place sketches, engravings or simply family pictures within the frames. The color and frame type will create a unifying element even with images that seemingly do not belong together. Add a biofuel fireplace to an empty corner of a room or candles to an existing fireplace to give the room the warmth and glow of a flickering fire. Organize small collectibles on trays. These can be placed atop your existing coffee table, and even on side tables with lamps and picture frames, etc. Buy one, two or three orchid plants and cluster them on a skirted table or console for a welcoming wow. Layer several oriental rugs, kilims and cotton rugs under your coffee table for a casual and welltraveled look. A new set of colorful sheets and new blanket are sure to take the doldrums out of the bedroom.
New lampshades will make your lighting seem new. Should you be using new fluorescent bulb, painting the inside of a paper shade in a peach or beige can mitigate the excessive bluish white light. Embellish your tabletops with a single item. For example, a shallow glass bowl filled with glass bead or flowers. Nothing beats moving furniture around the home for a fresh look. Don’t limit yourself by thinking that nightstands can only be used in a bedroom, or a sideboard can’t be used as a bedroom dresser. Furniture will adapt to the function you give it.
Follow these basic suggestions and your home will be a keeper.