7 Quick And Easy Ideas To Elevate Your Home
Vitra Soft Modular Sofa Two Seater available via Nest
The most important objective of good interior design is to create a home that is inviting, cosy and visually appealing. But, just how do you turn a plain room into a pleasant area that you want to spend time in? The good news is that with just a few simple home decor tips, you can make your home a welcoming space and elevate it without much too much effort or expense.
Make Your Home Cosy
Create a cosy and relaxing home with a few simple accessories. Patterned bedspreads are great to give a bedroom that extra lift, while portable lights placed on shelving or window sills will provide a soft light in darker corners. I’m a big fan of lighting fragrant candles to fill the home with scent (even if it is daytime), while tapered candles look great when lined up and lit across a mantel. A roaring fire is the ultimate cosy fixture, but if you do not have a chimney or any venting this does not mean that you have to miss out; instead, install an electric fireplace which will give you a luxurious warm glow on a chilly evening.
Laurie Show-wood Bed from £649, M&S x Fired Earth Blenheim Side Table £249, Chloe Pendant Ceiling Light £49.50, Seville Carmona Cotton Stitched Bedspread from £89, Decorative Floral Bed set from £39.50, Seville Rosaleda Block Print Floral Jacquard Bed set from £69, Seville Carmona Cotton Tassel Bolster £35, Printed Velvet Classic Cushion £17.50. All Marks & Spencer.
Hang Art
Framed art on the walls keeps a room from feeling bland, while also adding personality that is reflective of the occupant’s own taste and style. Art does not have to be expensive - there are many retailers now selling affordable art prints and you can buy good quality, budget-friendly frames online. One of my biggest tips for creating inexpensive and personal art for your walls is to collect smaller-scale art prints featured on gift cards or postcards from galleries that you can frame at home - click here to see a video I created on this simple home decor idea!
To ensure that you do not damage your art or your walls, it’s important to hang your art correctly with the right equipment. Some art pieces are heavier than others, so you want to make sure your picture hooks or Torx drive screw and Rawl plug is strong enough to take the weight - you don’t want it to fall down and bring some of the wall down with it!
In a dead corner of my home I added display shelving for the vintage art I had collected over the years.
ADD TEXTURE
Textured and tactile interiors add depth to a home and provide it with a superior level of comfort. Use grasscloth wallpaper on the walls for a traditional and sophisticated way to add visual weight to a room using texture, while wood flooring has a natural depth and grain that sweeps texture throughout the room - try Flooring365 for a range of options.
For something less permanent, inject texture via the accessories - woven furniture or decorative objects made from stone or wood add an extra layer of interest within a design scheme.
This Lombok Rattan Table Lamp is a great way to bring texture into your home. Lamp Base (shade sold separately), £222, David Hunt Lighting.
Use Bold Pops Of Colour
Bold colours used sparingly draw the eye and create focal points within a room. Hang mirrors with frames in vibrant shades, or paint a cupboard or a wooden chair in a vivid hue to add character and charm.
This red wood-turned mirror and built-in cupboard in mint adds charm and personality to this guest room designed and owned by textile print designer Camilla Ruiz Ramirez.
Change The Hardware
If your kitchen cabinets, doors or cupboards have very plain, boring handles, a quick and easy way to elevate them is to change the hardware. All you’ll need is a screwdriver to swap out the old handles for ones that will instantly change the look and update existing units in your home!
I upgraded the hardware in my kitchen for a luxe look.
Add Plants And Flowers
Plants and cut flowers instantly lift any room - their natural beauty and colour add a boost to even the plainest of spaces. Fiddle Leaf trees are the popular houseplant choice of Instagram, while you can sign up for cut flower home delivery subscription services to regularly have fresh flowers delivered to your door.
A Lick Of Paint
If any area of your home is looking a little worn or tried, you’ll be amazed at how transformative a quick lick of paint can be! To save time and money, purchase paint finishes where primers are built-in and the same tin can be used on the walls, radiators and woodwork.
I colour drenched my sitting room in the same warm neutral using one tin of Paint & Paper Library Architects’ Matt.