Redesigning or redecorating your home can be a fun and incredibly rewarding experience – and from choosing a new colour scheme to laying down the flooring, there are some big decisions to be made when it comes to style and functionality.
But as every luxury lover knows, the devil is in the detail, and paying attention to the small extras that can add interest and accentuate your space will make all the difference to the overall effect.
Whether you’re looking to brighten up a blank canvas and add an extra dose of style and sophistication, or you’re starting over completely, there are some easy ways to add style and flair, putting a personal stamp on your living space, just remember attention to detail is key.
From gorgeous rugs to stunning accent walls, small changes and updates can completely change an aesthetic for the better, so here are some easy ways to start.
Feature walls
If you’ve spent too much time staring at your painted walls during lockdown and feel like something is missing, adding a feature wall to a room could be just what is needed to freshen things up. Choosing one wall – for example, where your chimney breast is in your living room – to make a statement with and painting it in a contrasting block colour or hanging some pretty wallpaper can make all the difference to the overall aesthetic, while opting for texture like exposed brick or wooden panels can make the effect even more interesting.
An accent colour can really brighten up a room, but be careful not to choose anything too overpowering or that clashes with other features in your room. If you’re decorating the room from scratch, then it’s wise to start with your feature wall when choosing the overall theme and design of the room and building out from there, allowing it to attract people’s gaze as they enter and make a lasting impression.
Brilliant lighting ideas
A well-lit room might seem like one of the easiest bits when it comes to decorating your home, but your choice can easily make or break the overall aesthetic, so take some extra time to carefully consider styles and placements to create the desired effect.
Lighting plays a central role in creating mood and atmosphere, and a glaring overhead light is one of the fastest ways to ruin a cosy look and feel. On the other side of the coin, failing to add lamps to dark rooms can make for a gloomy and unappealing feel, so consider combining a selection of solutions for the best results.
Ideally, for the daytime, you’ll have maximum natural light flooding into the space, negating the need for harsh or overly-bright lighting. In the evenings or in the darker months of the year, as well as in homes that simply don’t get enough natural light, you may consider smart lighting so that you can change the brightness and colour according to current conditions – and better yet, programme them to make the necessary adjustments alone.
You’ll also want to consider the placement of your lights very carefully. Placing lamps in functional areas, such as close to your favourite armchair, or even adding floor spotlights to highlight accent walls and corridors, can instantly make a room feel more atmospheric – and if you really want to go that extra mile with elegance, consider a show-stopping chandelier that suits your overall theme.
Doorways and windows
Often overlooked, your choice of doors and windows can completely change up the appearance of a room thanks to their ability to control light flow and their overall aesthetic impact. Your doors can be as subtle or as vibrant as you like, but just ensure that you’re choosing a style that complements the rest of the room. It’s important to consider that a door will be a feature of two rooms, not just one – whether the second is simply a hallway or another room altogether – so bear this in mind when selecting your doors and try to avoid compensating by painting one side to match another room. Your best bet, and one that will be far more appealing, is to choose neutral colours and styles that will work with any theme.
If a room doesn’t get much natural light, you could consider a windowed door to allow for more light to pass between both areas. Having large windows and skylights can also allow more light into the room, negating your need for excessive daytime lighting, and will also help to let in more fresh air from outside.
Windows come in a huge number of different styles, from bays and bows to Georgian variants and more. If you want to go all out, an entire wall could be made up of large windows to better bridge the gap between home and nature.
Rugs and runners
No matter what kind of flooring you’ve chosen, most living rooms and corridors will benefit from the addition of a beautiful rug. Choosing a neutral floor for your room is a great idea as it will make it easier to redecorate and revamp the room in the future without necessarily needing to rip everything up and start again. Rugs are a versatile solution that can be changed up from time to time with ease to alter the aesthetic – or to really switch things up and add an extra special feature to your hallways, consider laying down a runner. There are a plethora of exquisite designs to choose from, to really give a sense of rolling out the red carpet, ensuring you’ll feel like royalty each time you walk in the door.
And why stop with the corridors? Liven up your bare wooden stairs by investing in stair runners, which help to not only break up the monotony of your hallway with the addition of gorgeous patterns and designs, but also offer functionality in protecting your stairs from wear and tear and adding traction to slippery surfaces.
When it comes to your rugs of choice, you’ll want to opt for something that lends itself to the décor of the rest of the room. Match your rug to your colour scheme, particularly any accent colours in the room, and watch as it makes the entire space pop with character.
Photos and artwork
Displaying professional artwork, or even your own designs and photographs, is a great way of adding a touch of personality to a room. Avoid neglecting your choice of frames, too, as these can enhance the appeal of the pieces you wish to present and can work very well as individual features to hang on your walls.
Adding a painting, complete with lighting to highlight the piece, can give an art gallery-like feel to the room, and makes for a really nice choice for a dining room. You could also take a selection of smaller framed pieces and compile them into a stunning gallery wall – something that would work incredibly well on a feature wall to add some extra interest. Take care not to choose frames or art styles that clash with each other however, as this could entirely detract from the luxurious style you’re striving to create.
