With a new season comes change. Rose Morrison’s article, 10 Small Changes that Can Make a Big Impact to Your Home, gives some easy-to-achieve tips on making small changes that benefit you and your home this fall season.
Many thanks to Rose for her guest post for Slipcovers for Your Walls, casartblog for Casart Coverings, removable wallpaper and decor. Be sure to read Rose’s bio at the end.
– – – – – – – – – – – –
When you want to change up your living space, there’s no need to dig through your savings for a major renovation. A handful of smaller interior design adjustments can take a room from dull to eye catching in minutes. Here are 10 minor decor switches that make a big impact in your home.
[Reference link to Casart’s Design Portfolio]
1. Try a New Furniture Layout
Rearranging your living room furniture is the most straightforward change you can make without buying anything new. You could incorporate a variety of aesthetics depending on the room’s size and your personal preferences. The only universal requirement is that you space things out and provide enough walking room for guests.
Vintage, industrial and minimalistic furniture layouts are trending decor styles right now, but you don’t have to settle on a singular style. The nice thing about rearranging furniture is the endless experimentation. Keep shifting things around until you find a layout that works for your living space.
2. Bring in More Plant Life
Plants are excellent indoor decorations for several reasons. First and most importantly, they’re nature’s own air purifiers that filter out carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals. Greenery has also shown to boost people’s moods and productivity because more natural elements surround them.
In visual terms, plants can add some much-needed colors and layers to a dull space. Green is a versatile color that fits with any interior design and flowers add even more color. Different plant species can also provide smooth, rough, waxy or pitted textures.
3. Add Door & Window Upgrades
Making a few small changes to your doors and windows can go a long way. For starters, weatherstripping them will improve your home’s energy efficiency and climate control. New screens, air filters and darker tints for extra privacy will benefit your windows. Some great door upgrades include door sweeps, acoustic foam panels and simple hanging decorations.
Some of these changes are must-haves if you work from home. According to a survey of over 1,500 remote workers, about 46.6% of distracting noises came from indoor sources like roommates and pets. Soundproofing your doors will block out those distractions and help you concentrate.
4. Switch Your Light Fixtures
Light and color temperature are crucial aspects of interior design. If your current light fixtures are starting to look dull and uninspiring, switch them out for something bolder. Hanging pendant lights are trending right now, along with small recessed lights and customizable LED light strips.
Another great way to brighten your living space is by adding light art prints that complement the wall’s paint color. There’s a reason why sunrise and sunset artwork is so popular — it makes you feel like you’re staring into the print, which adds a whole new dimension to the room.
5. Choose Unorthodox Paint Colors
Speaking of paint, switching to an unorthodox shade could completely transform your home’s atmosphere. Neutral colors might be safer picks that match various decor styles, but bold colors will give your home a distinct personality. You have numerous reds, greens, yellows and oranges to choose from.
You can also add high-temperature colors around the house in other ways, such as textile decorations and creative artwork. These accessories are large enough to attract your attention but small enough to avoid overpowering the other decor.
6. Fill Up Empty Wall Space
Empty wall space is literally a blank canvas to unleash your creativity on. You can add artwork, shelving, plants, scenic wallpaper murals and much more. Even when it feels like too much, it still might not be enough. Getting the most out of your empty wall space will make your home feel much bigger and multidimensional. > change to ORANGE
Some of the most popular wall decorations today are large mandala-style tapestries and removable wallpaper sheets that often stretch from floor to ceiling. Just one of these tapestries or wallpapers can have the same effect as a handful of smaller decorations. You can easily take them down if you ever want to transition to another decor style.
7. Decorate Your Coffee Table
Your coffee table is the centerpiece of your living room, so it needs to live up to expectations. A stack of books and magazines will simultaneously provide reading materials for guests and make the table look more sophisticated. Small plants, candles, coasters and placemats are also great accessories.
You could even upgrade to a patterned coffee table design instead of a typical monochromatic one. Coffee tables are usually simplistic, so a multi-colored one immediately stands out and becomes a talking point.
[Reference link to Casart Gustavian Panel Coffee Table / Desk all Coffee Tables]
8. Lay Down an Area Rug
After you fill up the empty wall space, you need to do the same with the floor. The perfect tools for the job are lightweight area rugs with an array of sizes and patterns. They can be the perfect final touch to your living room, dining room and bedroom. You can’t go wrong with a classic Persian, coastal, chevron or floral rug design.
Area rugs also serve a practical purpose, especially if you have expensive hardwood floors. Rather than letting your furniture sit directly on the surface and slide around, you can use area rugs to keep it stable and protect the materials underneath. One rug can last up to 15 years with average foot traffic.
Here are two examples:
[Reference link to Casart Rugs Collection, China Black & White, China Colored]
9. Swap Out Your Curtains
Swapping out your curtains for heavier, more colorful alternatives is another small but impactful change. For starters, they’ll create a thicker barrier between your home and the outside, which stifles noise and prevents cold air from seeping in. Plus, curtains are great accessories to include in your overall decor style.
The best curtain design is floor-to-ceiling drapes because they fill the room with more color and provide great thermal insulation. The insulation will protect your floors from warping and help control your home’s climate. Additionally, floor-to-ceiling drapes are so tall that they fill up maximum wall space, making the room look much bigger.
10. Hang More Mirrors
Finally, if you’re ever in doubt about your next decoration project, just hang another mirror. You can’t go wrong with extra mirrors — they reflect light, make the room feel brighter and warmer, and make it appear much bigger. Small businesses often put full-length mirrors on their walls so customers feel like they’re in a larger building.
Vintage mirrors with elaborate shapes and frames are ideal, but any mirror will do. You just need to keep the glass clean and prevent smudges from building up. As long as the mirrors are blemish free, they will be extremely effective at opening up your living space and giving people something to look at.
Transform Your Living Space One Detail At a Time
Homeowners often feel compelled to make sweeping changes to their living spaces, but extensive renovations usually aren’t necessary. You can transform your living space on a low budget by changing one small detail at a time. Start with these 10 simple changes and see how much your home’s atmosphere evolves
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Additional posts & resources:
- Wrapping Up Summer’s End to Get Ready for Fall Inside
- Give Your Home a Little Love with 10 Ideas to Transform Your Space
- Decor Ideas to Make You Feel Happier in Your Space
Many thanks to Rose for this inspirational article in how to find your interior design style.
About the author:
Rose Morrison is a home improvement and design writer.
She is also the managing editor of Renovated. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.
Leave a Reply