5 Interior Design Tips to Transform Your Home

For most of us our home is our very own little sanctuary – a safe and secure place where we can enjoy our very own private space and relax, sleep, cook, work and spend time with loved ones.

A person’s home is an extension of themselves and its décor and furnishings are a great way to express your personality and to create the type of atmosphere and environment that you want to live in.

But making the most of your home isn’t always so obvious with so much choice when it comes to colours, textures, styles and materials – the prospect of decorating or even trying to revamp an existing space can be overwhelming.

Here are 5 simple tips for transforming your home.

• Don’t be afraid of Colour

When considering colours for a room, try to think about the type of atmosphere you’re hoping to create – the colour of a room has the ability to completely transform the feeling of it. Try narrowing down to a specific colour palette first instead of rushing into buying tons of paint and new furniture without properly thinking it through.  Try creating a simple mood board with cut outs from magazines or printed photos from your phone of things you like. Try paint testers and fabric swatches to help piece together your vision until you have it clear in your mind what it is you want and how it will look.

Also be smart with how you use colour. Maybe you want to opt for white or light coloured walls? A blank canvas can give you free reign to add colourful artwork on the walls, plush vibrant chairs and bold, textured soft furnishings to create a chic and stylish look in any room.

• Bring the outdoors in

Often overlooked in favour of things like furniture, cushions and wall art – plants are a massively underutilised tool when it comes to making the most of any room. Using mixtures of plants, flowers, greenery, cacti and succulents can really make an impact and can turn a sterile, lifeless space into a colourful paradise.

To cut down on maintenance, you can mix real plants with high quality artificial foliage such as draping ivy – popular for high kitchen shelves or quirky hanging terrarium globes. Large indoor potted plants such as Yucca or bamboo are easy to care for and can be placed on the floor near feature chairs or cosy corners and book shelves to brighten up the space.

• Make the most of your furniture

The correct furniture choices can be essential when trying to make a house a home. Finding pieces that will work best for you and your style is key – whether it’s a bed you can’t wait to crawl into at night, a sofa to cosy up and watch TV on or a dining table to enjoy meals with the family.

You can mix and match your furniture with higher end, more expensive investment pieces that will last for years to come with quirky, less expensive items that aren’t used as often or don’t need to be as hard wearing.

A popular trend nowadays is to upcycle to create individual pieces of rustic furniture UK. Update and renovate that musky brown wooden chest of drawers you were going to throw out or even hunt around and grab a bargain second hand. Sand it down, prime it and paint with some beautiful antique white paint then add some snazzy handles. Instead of spending hundreds, you’ve got a unique piece of furniture that cost next to nothing!

Storage is something that almost all households can relate to never having enough of, so choose your furniture wisely if you’re limited on space. Ottoman beds or beds with large pull out drawers are a great use of space. Utilise that space under the stairs with clever storage systems that can be a cost effective and stylish way to hide all the shoes and coats.

• Light it up

It’s important that any lighting you choose complements the room and the natural light from the windows, doors and skylights etc. Spot lights offer a clean and modern effect whilst feature ceiling lights are a cool and quirky way to add character to a room. Tall floor lamps and tripod lamps are great for statement pieces along with table lamps and wall lights.

Having a range of lighting sources in each main room is important to provide different options throughout the day and night. With the help of some clever lighting – adding mirrors to smaller, darker rooms can help give the illusion of extra space.

• Textiles and Accessories

Leather sofas, wooden floors, velvet cushions, fluffy rugs, metallic floor lamps and silk curtains – don’t be afraid to mix it up! Adding a range of plush textures to a room can add a real sense of luxury and create a sophisticated space that you will love.

With the addition of textures and accessories, a standard room can really transform and provides a great chance to showcase your personality with some quirky and fun pieces. Try some colourful throws and cushions or maybe opt for a big statement mirror to draw the eye. Artwork or photo frames can display anything from family pictures to your favourite works of art. A faux fur rug can add a real sense of cosiness to hardwood floors and never be afraid to mix styles such as rustic with modern to create that perfect balance for you.