Our styles evolve and change throughout the years, but there are some timeless concepts that can make a huge impact. They don’t cost a lot of money and anyone can do them. Here are my five favorite, simple ideas to elevate and transform any home.
1. Reduce clutter
The first one is boring, I know. But we have to say it because it’s important. A cluttered home, unfortunately, rarely looks peaceful or elevated. I like to take a photo of the room I’m working on and examine it that way. Sometimes it’s easier to pull it apart to see what is working and what isn’t. Are there too many pieces of furniture? Too many colors? Do we need a storage solution because the same items keep getting dumped in the same spot. (It’s backpacks at my house! So many backpacks.)
Take it room by room and see what you are not using, what you do not love, what is no longer working for you. Be ruthless! It’s a peaceful feeling to live in a decluttered, organized home. Watch this video if you want my tips to declutter faster!
2. Color palette
Pick your color palette.
Ok, now that our space is more empty, let’s look at the color palette. Do you prefer warm and rich tones or cool blue and green hues? Personally, I love cool hues and I’ve chosen a simple color palette with white, greens, grays and a hit of peacock blue, above. For some reason my eyes feel at rest with this palette. When I try to pop red or other bright color in it always feels abrupt to me, like my eyes can’t stop scrolling past it. I really have tried! (Exhibit A)
Maybe you like a warmer Mediterranean or Boho color scheme like this palette by Benjamin Moore. Either way, if you’re looking to unify your space, sticking to a color palette makes all the difference. If you’re not sure where you land, start a Pinterest board and pin all your dream spaces in one folder. I bet you’ll see a common thread among all the photos when you see them together.
I started off each room in our home with a creamy white and then added color from there in accent walls, nooks, doors and moulding. Paint has always been my most powerful DIY tool because of it’s big impact and cost effectiveness.
Does your furniture fit in with your color palette?
But what if you’ve got a mix-matched rainbow of fabrics and furniture?
First, there are lots of affordable sofa and chair covers to choose from if you don’t think your furniture fits with your palette. They don’t all need to match, you can play with print and texture in your scheme. For example, this ottoman was neon pink and blue! I found a great cover on Amazon that blends in with the other furniture.
I found these soft pillow covers to replace my old ones for $13 a piece.
And most furniture can be painted. I’ve painted lots of furniture in my day to fit in with our house! I am boring and usually paint it white or use a faux bleached wood paint technique.
I painted this dresser we use as a buffet in the dining room. It was dark brown and I impulsively slapped some white paint on it without sanding or priming and just embrace the scratches and chipping that come with time. It’s cottage core, ok?
If you’re looking to tone down and unify, my advice would be to start simple and later you can add accent colors in that are easy to switch out later. Pillow covers, blankets, pots or simple art are affordable options to add in experimental colors.
3. Lighting
Lighting changes mood. I don’t love the harshness of overhead lighting and prefer a few lamps scattered about instead. Think about the magic Christmas lights bring. We can have the same effects with table and floor lamps, sconces, rope lighting, candles, even dimmer switches. They create that cozy feel that is especially welcome during winter months.
You can find affordable lighting at thrift stores or Home Goods. Add in a couple lamps and see what a difference it makes in the evening!
4. Plants
Nature is next on the list! Bringing the outdoors in adds life to a space. Not only are plants great for indoor air quality, but research even suggests “that active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress compared with mental work.” Also, they’re pretty.
I added a couple of these $17 monstera plants to our living space and I love how the green breaks up all the wood and cream tones. It makes them really stand out.
I keep a few orchid plants in front of the window in the dining room and am so excited to see them begin to bloom for spring! Plants are just so happy.
I prefer live plants, but there are some areas of my house that just don’t get as much light, like in the primary bathroom, so I added this faux banana tree.
5. Interest
I do try to build a somewhat neutral base and then add and layer to build interest as time goes on. It’s a great way to set the stage for a bigger interest point like large-scale art or wallpaper, like this heron mural. I actually painted the background green (that was once pink) to fit with my color palette and now it fits in so nicely with the rest of the home and adds a unique focal point.
Small art pieces have their charming value, most definitely, but it’s great to have some oversized pieces scattered throughout as well.
I thrifted these large pieces recently and love the scale they have within the entryway.
I like to play with different fabrics and textures, patterns in the same colors and different materials to add depth and interest. Here we have stripes with animal print and wood with metal. It gives it a more collected feel than showroom aesthetic.
In the hallway, the patterns of the birds and the stripes work together because they are of different scale, but color coordinate. The green repeats on the wallpaper, doors and moulding to tie them together. And the stripes mimic the color in the birds wings.
In a nutshell, in our home I try to achieve unity and calmness without being boring, haha! Those are my ideas for this week. I’ll see you next time. Take care.
