If you don’t have money for a new house, Interior Designer, Emma Carson can show you how you can make changes to your home and rediscover the love for where you live!
The current economic recession has meant that many people have changed their minds about moving home. If you are stuck in a house which you have fallen out of love with, how can you fall in love with your home again?
By spending some time and money on your home you will not only make it a place you love spending time in but it will also be in a good marketable condition when you do eventually come to sell.
Two key factors in why people decide they want to sell up are that they run out of space, and that their tastes change. Tackling these common gripes is the key!
Sort your clutter
Everybody wants their home to be a sanctuary where they feel comfortable. Surroundings can really alter your mood and sense of well being.
One of the biggest problems most people have, especially with families, is lack of storage. Clutter builds up and can make your home feel chaotic and messy. If you long for an organised and calm beautiful interior the first place to start is to have a really good clear out.
• Get rid of things that you don’t use any more, then group the things you want to organise into categories, for instance by family member or function.
• Create a place for everything, store similar things together and store them close to where you will use them.
• If you have children it is important that your living room doesn’t constantly look like a crèche and that equipment such as high chairs and push chairs have designated storage.
• If space is at a premium, adopt storage solutions that enable you to free up floor space such as sliding doors, shelving units, under bed storage. Many stores, like IKEA have several great storage solutions in all kinds of shapes and sizes.
For more ideas, check out Savvy storage: books, CDs, DVDs and toys; Savvy storage: clothes and bedding, and Savvy storage: lounge options.
Be creative with room use
Think outside the space rather than overloading one room, consider moving some activities to other areas of the home. Unconventional thinking sometimes helps you find a better solution.
For example, if you work from home think about being able to hide away home office storage. Think about on/off solutions. If you do not have a designated home office think about using an alcove with sliding doors or maybe another room could be multi-functional. Make sure you can close the space off when you are not working so that you can switch off in the evenings or at weekends, if you are constantly reminded of work it is hard to relax. For stylish contemporary room dividers, sliding doors and wardrobes check out www.spaceslide.co.uk
Every space or room deserves equal attention, whether it is a ‘public’ space for dining or socialising, or a private one for sleeping or personal care.
Change a room’s ‘outfit’
• Paint and new flooring are simple ways to transform a tired looking interior. It is often best to keep walls and flooring neutral and then introduce colour, pattern and texture with textiles, lighting and objects.
• Rugs, curtains and cushions are easy to change and you can make seasonal changes by adding or taking away pattern and colour. Create a more interesting atmosphere by contrasting colours, patterns, shapes, sizes and texture. For example add soft round objects to hard, square ones, combine patterns with solid blocks of colour or break up hard materials such as stainless steel by introducing a bit of softening fabric.
Make sure you get a ‘welcome home’
Think about the exterior of your home, make sure your home has kerb appeal.
Whether it is a new front door or the addition of bay trees either side of your front door, make sure your home ‘smiles’ at you before you even walk through the front door!
About Emma Carson
Emma Carson has her own Interior Design Consultancy company called Fusion Interior Design. She has also worked as head of Interior Design for IKEA, UK. Check out her inspirational website, www.fusion-interior-design.org.uk.