Home makeover ideas – simple ways to transform your home
- 1/13
4. GIVE YOUR HEADBOARD A NEW LOOK
You can create a focal point in your bedroom by re-covering your existing headboard with some fabric. Be it a beautiful plain velvet, abstract print or a blousy floral, it’s a weekend job that will transform your bedroom.
Rapture & Wright at The Fabric Collective - 2/13
1. GET CREATIVE WITH CRAFT
Why not take the time to get your creative hat on and make the most of the supplies you have laying around your house? Whether it’s a DIY spring wreath, like the one above, using old birthday and celebration cards, wall paper samples, cotton, ribbon or leftover fabric – you’ll be amazed at what you can create to help give your home a makeover and have some fun in the process.
Why not create a fun piece of wall art and frame it to display in your home or use spare fabric to create DIY cushion covers? Not only will the items you create look great on display, but they’ll also be completely unique and personal to you. You can also get the children involved to keep them entertained.
Dan Duchars/Future - 3/13
2. BRING THE OUTDOORS INDOORS
Nature can be a really simplistic but beautiful way to transform your home. If you have a garden that’s starting to bloom in the spring sunshine, why not bring a selection of flowers or a smaller plant indoors? They can make beautiful centrepieces for your dining room table and will add instant brightness in your living room.
If you’re going on a daily walk and pass some wild flowers growing, pick the petals and let them dry out. You can then use them to create natural homemade pot pourri that will make a wonderful addition to any room. Not only do plants and flowers instantly make your space look more beautiful, they can also boost our wellbeing and make us feel uplifted – making them the perfect addition to any home.
Sofa.com - 4/13
3. REORGANIZE AND DECLUTTER
If the rooms in your house have looked the same since you moved in, now might be the time to have a rethink. Simply changing the position of the furniture in your home can be a really effective but easy way to give it a makeover. You could move items around to give you optimal space or shake up some of your décor by rearranging bookshelves or ornaments.
As well as transforming your home, removing any clutter and unwanted items can also be really beneficial for your mood, providing a positive, uplifting energy into your home.
Future - 5/13
5. GO FLORAL IN A WHITE KITCHEN
White kitchens are essentially a blank canvas and allow you to get creative when you want to add in a decorative aspect – this is where wallpaper comes in. It could be one wall or an alcove yet it could transform the overall feel of your room.
Farrow & Ball - 6/13
6. ADD A TRIM TO A LAMPSHADE OR TWO
Colorful lampshades are big news right now, so why not add a trim to your existing shades like Penny Morrison has here? Choose a contrasting color for impact - there’s plenty of trims to choose from – pom poms, beading or fringing to name but a few.
Penny Morrison - 7/13
7. ADD CHARACTER TO PLAIN WALLS AND FURNITURE
The beauty of this kind of decoration is that the looser you work, the better it will look. These panels and sideboard were influenced by the Charleston House, home of the Bloomsbury Group in Sussex, England, and painted by the fabulous Annie Sloan. She shares the beauty of this style below;
‘These designs were all painted freehand but I am not averse to using a few household items such as plates, mugs, and bowls to create shapes – the beauty of freehand, of course, is you get these fabulous charming wibbly lines.
'Remember that wobbly lines are a part of the charm of this type of design, and you’ll make life easier for yourself if you’re working on a textured “imperfect” surface rather than a freshly plastered wall.’
Annie Sloan - 8/13
8. TURN YOUR SHOWER INTO A WORK OF ART
Does your bathroom need a revamp? Wall&decò’s waterproof wallpaper can be applied over existing tiles, Kirsten Wain, designer at West One Bathrooms explains:
''Wall&decò's waterproof wallpaper can be installed directly inside the shower providing a seamless surface that's low maintenance, easy to clean and perfect for making a bold statement.'
We think it looks stunning, too.
Wall&decò - 9/13
9. MAKE A FRILLY CURTAIN TO HIDE CLUTTER
Time to dust off the Bernina and source some pretty florals or ginghams to hide all those unsightly pieces under our sinks. It’s a trend from the past that we feel is sneaking back as interior designer, Carlos Garcia explains:
’I love a skirted basin in a bathroom and kitchen. It’s the perfect way to soften edges, adds warmth, allows you to indulge in your favourite fabric and it hides a multitude of sins.’
Christopher Drake for Carlos Garcia Interiors - 10/13
10. USE THE RULE OF SYMMETRY
Sometimes a reshuffle can be all that’s needed to give a space a new lease of life and symmetry can be your organizational friend, as New Orleans interior designer, Maureen Stevens explains:
‘Symmetry is what makes a space beautiful – to designers, all we need is balance, things don't have to be matchy-matchy. In this vignette, a bold wallpaper called for the other items to be in perfect symmetry, such as the table lamps and X-benches.’
Maureen Stevens - 11/13
11. GET CREATIVE WITH CHINA
It’s time to stop hiding away those favorite plates and hang them on your walls instead, as Ana Moisin, Head Interior Designer at OKA explains.
‘I like to display china in a geometric pattern, and for a more contemporary angle, incorporate plain white pieces alongside intricate patterns in the wall design. The most important thing is to position them in a place where they can take center stage and you can really appreciate the craftsmanship – above a console, for example.’
Adam Lippes X OKA - 12/13
12. PAINT OR WALLPAPER A CEILING IN A COLOR
This trend has been with us for a while, but we predict it’s going to gather pace this year, partly spurred on by this project by Joanna Gaines.
It’s certainly a design feature that takes a certain boldness, but you can use a pale shade for added, but subtle, interest.
Artist, designer and owner of Home Ec, Natalie Papier has embraced colorful ceilings to great effect in her home – it works particularly well in rooms that have high ceilings, so if your space feels a bit cavernous and you desire a more cozy feel, it is worth experimenting with.
Magnolia Network - 13/13
13. DECLUTTER YOUR PANTRY
We realise this may not sound like the most exciting activity to do on a weekend, but you will be very pleased with yourself when you can find your favorite spices at the first attempt the next day.
One of our favorite pantry organization ideas comes from interior designer, Katharine Pooley, who says, 'It might sound simple, but make sure the taller items go towards the back; it’s easy to put things at the front when you’ve just used them, but that will lead to smaller items getting forgotten about at the back, plus a general untidy feel.'
Humphrey Munson