It could be that you have a family to think about, so interior design takes a back seat next to practicality and function when decorating your home. Or instead, are you in rental accommodation, unable to make drastic changes to your living space, but it’s otherwise rather dull and uninviting? Here’s a handful of quick and easy ways to freshen it up…
Add a touch of colour
One of the fastest and most cost-effective ways of giving your living environment a boost is to pick up some soft furnishings in your favourite colours. It will take your eye away from pale walls and make it feel more like your own if you’re in a rental property. If you have kids, tidy away their toys into colourful storage boxes, and at the end of the day, bring out the long-pile rugs and luxurious cushions in vibrant colours, as a way of taking back your space. If you’re into mood colouring, use blue for the bathroom or purple for living areas.
Photo by J. Rhodes Interior Design, Inc. – More eclectic living room ideas
The power of three
When adding accessories to your home, always place them in groups of three, and try to introduce different heights. For example, put a photoframe alongside a tall vase of flowers, and a small trinket or souvenir from your travels. When putting up pictures on those bare walls, use three complementary images, and stagger them at different heights. The brain processes things in threes, so they will instantly seem more aesthetically pleasing.
Photo by Alvhem Mäkleri & Interiör – More Scandinavian living room photos
Use your hobby
Are you an avid gardener, a secret painter, or a talented seamstress? Whatever your passion is, use it throughout your home as a way of personalising it. Hang your own paintings, frame your embroidery or show-off your up-cycling skills by re-upholstering your own armchair or dressing table chair. Create stunning floral displays that change with the seasons, so every time your friends come around, they’ll have another talking point about your incredible interior design skills.
Photo by GEREMIA DESIGN – Look for eclectic living room design inspiration
Create something unique
Although there are many beautiful pieces of furniture in high street shops, you’ll find most of them in thousands of other houses across the country. A great way of personalising your space it to turn one of these pieces into something unique. Buy a standard coffee table and cover the top with postcards from your travels or photographs of friends and family. Pick up a vintage sideboard and re-paint it to fit in with your décor.
Photo by DIY Network – More eclectic living room ideas
Bring the outdoors, indoors
Bringing more natural materials into your living space will make it feel calmer and more like the oasis you’re trying to create. Hunt for wooden pieces of furniture that fit in with your individual taste, and add flowers and other plantlife for a brighter, cleaner space. This is tricky to do in smaller spaces like the bathroom, but adding your favourite floral scent in the form of a reed diffuser, as well as dark wood accessories, like vases, figurines, or even changing your toilet seats can make all the difference.
Photo by Lisette Voute Designs – Discover traditional bathroom design inspiration
Do you have any more tips for adding personal touches?