If you look around your home and sigh ‘ahumph’, then it might be time to inject new life into your furnishings. While our innate reaction is to replace everything old with new when we redecorate, sometimes the solutions are not so extreme. A few simple, and often inexpensive, changes can really transform a space.
So here are some of my favourite trends in 2015, which you can put to good use in your home to instantly refresh your overall look, without the need to remortgage…
1. Mix up your wall art
Add character and warmth to your walls by intermingling classic family photos with various other mediums such as drawings, paintings and artefacts. Think groups of prints with asymmetrical details, which can be really interesting, or a collection of similar artefacts such as the butterflies featured here.
Photography: courtesy of Boyd Blue.
2. Balance the surface finishes
If you have over-specified high-gloss finishes (such as leather, chrome, polyurethane, marble and polished floors) your room is probably feeling clinical and uninviting. For every three items with a smooth, shiny finish, introduce something naturally textured such as timber, fabric, faux fur or cowhide. A great example is to have a modern dining table with classic-style chairs, or vice versa.
Photography: courtesy of Uniqwa Furniture.
If a new dining table is not in the reno budget, a side table or stool can have a similar impact.
Photography: courtesy of Uniqwa Furniture.
3. Create visual ‘wow’ with patterned cushions
In the same way people are fusing woods and metals this year, pattern mash-ups are equally popular. New cushions are a quick and easy way to add new visual impact to your space. Prints and patterns are back in full force in 2015, particularly in bright, bold colours. For coordinates, consider strong geometric designs and zigzags which are on-trend, rather than conventional stripes.
The key to mixing all of the various elements is to play with scale. Consider three different scales: small, medium and large. When mixing prints, try not to choose more than one of the same scale size.
Photography: courtesy of Rapee.
If you’re not a pattern lover, then you can always experiment with a new colour. Blues are out in full force this year – from deep indigo to cobalt blue – and, personally, I think they’re perfectly in tune with our outdoorsy Sydney lifestyle!
4. ‘Style’ your shelves
A library of books can be a wonderful feature, but if your space feels dark, cramped or messy, then cluttered shelves will further suck the light out of the room and exacerbate that feeling of disorder and pokiness. If this is the case, it’s time to sort through your library, donate your reject pile and then put on your styling hat! There are no hard and fast rules for styling a bookshelf, but try to limit the ratio of books to fewer than two thirds of the total shelf space. You could also sort the titles into colour schemes or arrange them in both horizontal and vertical configurations for greater visual impact.
Photography: The Room in Design.
5. Experiment with organic elements
Cut branches are a quick, accessible and inexpensive way to breathe new life into a room. ut I love them most of all because they introduce a natural sculptural element in to a space which can be breathtakingly beautiful, particularly when contrasted by clean modern lines. If you want something that will last forever use tortured willow, Monstera palms and Japanese cherry blossoms in tall glass vases. Otherwise experiment with anything you can find in your backyard (just be weary of branches that create extra house work by dropping leaves and berries!).
Photography: courtesy of Zepel Fabrics (left) and The Room in Design (right).
If you’re still stuck for ideas it might be time to call in some professional help. Most decorators have an hourly rate for in-home consultations, the cost of which you’ll make back straightaway just by saving time, stress and energy. Some fresh eyes on your everyday space will no doubt bring to light new ideas you would never have considered otherwise, and you can move forward with confidence while leveraging off a decorator’s knowledge of planning and execution.
If you have any other instant makeover tips, we’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.
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