Give Your Home a Makeover

Give Your Home a Makeover

 

6 easy ways to revitalize your space and boost your mood

There are simple and inexpensive ways to transform your home into a fresh and stimulating environment. Give your home some TLC with these six tips from interior decorators, feng shui experts, and design enthusiasts.

Experiment with color

Painting the walls is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to immediately invigorate any home. For a classic look that will hold up against almost any decor, opt for cool neutrals; if you prefer something more dramatic, consider adding a pop of color to a feature wall. Feng shui experts and interior designers recommend greens and blues: they are most associated with health, calm and well-being. If you’re not ready to commit to painting, it is suggested to use accessories like throw pillows, an area rug, curtains, or artwork to bring color into your space.

Streamline and declutter

There’s no better way to create spatial harmony than decluttering: it works a powerful magic in that it gets your entire space up to speed with you.  Experts recommend starting small with a contained space like a bathroom, which will give you a quick feeling of accomplishment and encourage you to do the next space. The benefits of a tidy space extend beyond aesthetics; research has found that clearing clutter can lower stress levels.

Do a digital detox

The digital detox movement is not new, but it’s worth revisiting in this climate of constant news and online chatter. Though it’s important to stay informed, it’s easy to slip from a healthy level of engagement to compulsive checking. To reduce screen dependence, set up manageable boundaries based on time or place. For example, designate dinnertime as phone-free, or remove mobile tech devices from your bedroom for a daily reset.

Invigorate with scents

Scent is a powerful vehicle for uplifting your mood. Use woody scents like cedar, palo santo, oud, copal and frankincense to feel grounded; rosemary for invigoration; and incense to focus and meditate. There are many ways to fill a room with scent, candles, oil diffusers, air mists and fresh flowers, to name a few. For a more subtle effect, crack open a window to balance out your chosen fragrance with fresh air.

Greenify and purify

There’s no better time than now to bring the outside world in. If there’s one thing that makes a space feel livable, it’s some elements of green. Not only do plants bring light and color, they also add oxygen to your home. Consider the level of care you want to give: you may find something less fussy to be easier to deal with, whereas others may want a more ‘high-maintenance’ plant that requires attention every day. Whichever plant you choose, the ritual of maintaining it can be very enjoyable.

Lighten up

To maximize your exposure to natural light, position your furniture near windows and keep drapes and shades open during the daytime. If you don’t have much natural light coming in, it is recommended to affix aluminum mini-blinds to your windows. You can direct or cut out light (and inquisitive neighbors across the street) as needed, and when the sun hits them just right, you can use them to throw light into the room without getting blinded. Adding reflective surfaces like a mirror, lacquered table, or chrome lamp enhances the light in dark rooms.