From shabby to chic: upgrade your home with ease!

April Kennedy April Kennedy
Dream Bathroom, Sculleries of Stockbridge Sculleries of Stockbridge Modern bathroom
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It's easy for a lovely home to get a little shabby and forlorn when life gets in the way. Temporary storage areas become cluttered, random objects tend to make their way into the living room and before you know it, your home has lost its mojo!

But the truth is that every home, no matter how stylish, will go through a transitional stage. A real home with chic style and a personal touch is built over time. A shabby home may just be a chic home in disguise. All you need to do is sift through the layers and find the magic beneath all that mess.

So, come with us for a few tips on how to give your home an easy upgrade—and create a home with truly chic style!

Declutter and embrace negative space

We will explore some tips on storing, organising and adding new elements a little later. But to start, it's always best to identify unnecessary objects and think about how to simplify the decor. Blank spaces have incredible power and really allow us to feel free and new in a space. They can also be used to draw attention to the furniture and objects you really do love. So do a serious de-clutter and be brutal about clearing out unwanted items.

Create clever storage

дизайн студии в скандинавском стиле, sreda sreda Scandinavian style bedroom

The simplest little row of storage units like this can make a radical difference to the home. Measure up the spaces under cupboards, beds, corners and even open shelves. Then invest in some cheap and attractive baskets to tuck all those little distracting items out of sight. Your home will instantly feel like new again!

Reorganise furniture to create focus

Now that there's a little room to breathe in the home, decide on a focal point. It could be a favourite painting, architectural feature or piece of ornate furniture. A focal point will create a sense of cohesion in the space and the eye will use it as a place to rest.

Once you have decided on your focal point, experiment with reorganising the furniture to suit. In this lavish living room the focal point is the wall of pictures. Naturally, the sofa, side lamps and coffee tables have been arranged in a strong geometric layout to support this view.

Add some natural organic elements

Houseplants and organic elements will instantly add life to your home. Many home interiors can look a little too dominated by straight lines and sharp edges, so the soft undulating curves of plant leaves or wood grain can add a vital boost to the decor. If you already have enough plants, consider the possibility that they deserve more prominent positions, hanging hooks or new garden pots. Just look at this wild houseplant for a little inspiration.

Add bright cushions and floor ottomans

Buy cheap cushion covers or dye your old ones a fresh new colour. Cushions are small and create a particularly good opportunity to introduce fresh colour into a drab decor. If you have a fairly bland decor or lots of white walls, go wild and experiment a little. The busy patterns and colours will be offset by the neutral backgrounds. Don't forget that texture is an important element in making a home cosy, so look for materials with as much variety as possible. 

Add that personal touch

An apartment isn't a home without a personal touch. So consider indulging in a little DIY homemaking. You might create a collection of your favourite personal objects or photos and make a wall feature. Perhaps you could even dress up some old cartons with a fresh coat of paint. Check out this cute little two-toned table for inspiration. The chair legs can be bought easily online from Pretty Pegs and the crate itself is available quite cheaply in lots of furniture outlets.

Consider switching up the light shades

Finally, consider upgrading your light shades. This might sound a little intensive, but it's actually quite easy. These days there are plenty of cool and quirky lamp-shades available online—many are just made from paper and will rarely break the budget!

Now, bathroom makeovers are a whole other subject, so check out Unbeatable Tips for Your Tiny Bathroom.

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