Friday, February 10, 2012

10 simple steps to reinvent your room

Do you have a room in your house that has gone stale? You’re not sure where to begin but all you know is you don’t want to spend a fortune on it. Here are some simple steps to refresh and restyle the room without having to do any major structural changes.

1) Walls
Refresh the walls with an interesting shade of paint. Move away from your ‘safe’ colour and try something a little bit different and exciting. Don’t be afraid of deeper colours on the colour charts. Remember that paint always comes up lighter on the walls than the way it appears on your colour chart. There are stunning neutral shades of greys, taupes, stones and fawns that can be used instead of your typical white or cream wall colour. One of my all time favourite classic paint colours is Beauvais Lilac by Zoffany. If you are feeling more adventurous why not invest in wallpaper on the walls. Wallpaper adds a lot of texture, depth and personality to a room. Don’t think 80s fussy florals but instead textured silks, classic stripes or bold and fun patterns.

2)  Re-upholstery
Sick of your sofa? Before you dump it why don’t you think of re-covering it? Looking for a new sofa can be difficult. You tend to search for something similar to what you already have. If you’re happy with the shape and size of the furniture why don’t you update it with changing the fabric. It will look like a brand new sofa. Also, you can replace the cushion fillers with a better filler to increase comfort.

3)  Flooring
Look into the alternative options for your flooring. If it is wooden would you consider putting a carpet down? This will make the room cosy and inviting. Or alternatively, if you have a carpet why not take it up and put down wooden floors – can create a more contemporary look. Add a rug for texture and warmth. If you have concrete flooring you could seal it for a stylish industrial New York loft style look. You can paint your wooden floors also for added colour.

4)  Window dressing
There’s a massive amount of options to update your window dressings for types of budgets.
With a smaller budget you could invest in roller blinds but pick a beautiful fabric to have laminated on it so it won’t be your typical, purely functional roller blind. For more depth and texture go for a roman blind. Curtains will add the most warmth and are a great way to bring a little bit of luxury and style to the room. Fabulous curtains will always be noticed.

5) Shelving
Do you need more storage in the room? Think of adding bookshelves and presses. Books can add colour and personality to a room. Alternatively, you can use the shelves to display your favourite collection on display. The shelves can show off photos, figurines, candles and books. This functional design element will also break up a long wall and in the same time make you more organised.

6) Lighting
Examine the lighting in the room, is it suitable for the task at hand? You need to have more than just a hanging pendant. A table or floor lamp in each corner will give a warm glow to the room.

7) Layout
Have you had the same layout for years? Try and look at the room as if you were a stranger to it. Move the furniture around in your room trying out different layouts. Live with them for two weeks to give the new layout a proper trial.

8 ) Accessorise
Adding accessories to a room will make the room your own, taking away the ‘functional hotel look’ and can really finish off the room properly. Scatter cushions are an easy way for adding colour and/or pattern. Throws, candles, rugs, figurines, flowers, and picture frames all add a bit of your own unique taste to the room. Accessories are usually picked up over time but it’s great to have an underlying theme throughout the room so when you’re out shopping items in that range will jump out at you.

9) Woodwork
Look at changing your woodwork in your room. For smaller rooms I suggest going with white skirting, doors and window frames. But in larger rooms you could go for a deeper shade in the woodwork. This will make the room seem lighter and brighter.  You could also add moulding to  your room if you don’t already have it.

10) Artwork
Moving your artwork around can be a simple step to change your room. Take down all your artwork and try out different arrangements on the floor before re-hanging.