Transform your living space

The New year is just around the corner and this is a time when many people seek a fresh beginning in order to set off the year on a good note. However identifying a starting point may be overwhelming and knowing where to begin can seem to be a challenge on its own. Let me take you back to a time when you treated yourself to something special, it may be a pair of shoes, a laptop, a fashion accessory or even a good meal. Do you remember how good you felt? Our homes are a safe haven, where it all begins. Home is a place where we start our days, and retreat to at the end of each day. We need to pay as much attention to our homes as we do to ourselves. You’ll be surprised how doing this will give you a sense of emotional and mental peace. Giving your home a makeover can be as simple and economical as you like. Instead of re-designing it, you can re-decorate it. Understanding interior decoration There is clear distinction between interior design and interior decoration. While interior design is the art of strategically locating basic or core elements of furnishing, interior decoration is the final enhancement or if you like, the icing on the cake. It allows us to involve our personal touch and creative flow. Artist and interior designer, Van Truex, defined the difference between designing and decorating by using the analogy of preparing roast beef. Design, he said, “is the preparation and cooking; decorating is the final seasoning and the savoring.” Re-decorating any given space is far more cost effective than re-designing it because rather than starting from scratch you already have a base to work with. If you’re looking to spend as little money as possible, it will not be practical to work on every room in the house all at once. However, the room where you spend most of your time is a great starting point. The other rooms can follow at the right time. Start by considering a source of inspiration for your decoration, for example, a specific group of flowers, from which you can derive a colour scheme. This is a very important step to take before you invest money because it will discipline you into maintaining a focused line of thinking. De -clutter your house Living clutter-free is a mindset and a choice, unfortunately, too often we find ourselves living in the midst of clutter within our own homes. Sometimes we avoid getting rid of clutter because we simply don’t see the need to, or because the task seems too tedious. However, we fail to realise that the more we keep putting it off, the more the clutter will build up and get in the way. If you’re in a situation where you are holding onto something that has no relevance to you, ask yourself the following questions; how much do I like this item? Does it make my life better or easier? Do I honestly see myself using it again? If you own something that you haven’t used for years, consider disposing it off or give it away to someone who will need it. Selling it can be a bonus. Living in a clutter free environment brings order and clarity of mind. As a result your house will look neat and I can guarantee you that you won’t believe how liberating this will feel! Next, you can move onto the part which I find most exciting, re-decorating your chosen room. If you chose to begin in the living room, artifacts are a great way to make use of the space. In addition, you may want to consider accessorizing your sofa set with a series of cushion covers, or throws. Don’t be shy of those walls. Making use of walls is a fantastic way of bringing the room together. Unfortunately many of us tend to shy away from them; as a result we leave them looking isolated, and blank. When dealing with walls keep your colour scheme in mind. With consideration and delicacy make every attempt not to overdo it. There are several ways to be inventive with your walls, for example you can paint one or a few stripes across a wall, or you may decide to coat an entire side of a wall with a bold colour, while maintaining subtle colours on the joining walls. Another effective approach is to alternate between two colours i.e. green and earthy orange. You can even go as far as asking an artist to paint an interesting image or texture over one wall. This will be a great way to create a main point of focus in the room, also known as the ‘focal point’. Putting up wall hangings, paintings and family pictures are also simple ways of making your house feel like a home. Be mindful that the frame should be in proportion with the width of the wall. When re-doing your home, in an attempt to satisfying your visual appetite, remember to make your decorations comfortable and practical. With this in mind, I guarantee you that you will reap from your décor. Happy New Year! The author is specializing in interiors and fashion. ms.efuahagan@gmail.com