Summer Home Makeover 101: Add Pops Of Colour Or Funky Fresh Prints
June is here and so is summer, so create happiness at home by swapping out minimalist decor with a monochromatic colour scheme for fun graphic paintings, fresh flowers and vibrant, intricate dishes for a quick summer home makeover. Not only does adding pops of colour or funky fresh prints such as florals make your home appear eye catching, aesthetically pleasing and fun, but it also adds dynamism to your home because it let’s visitors see a ‘piece of your personality’ personified in your home. For example, as I am a ‘colour-lover’ who loves florals, if I had my own home I would use gorgeous summery colours such as baby blue and sunshine yellow, to evoke a sense of summer in my home even when the weather outside is completely cray-cray. I could also use bright colours like reds, pinks and greens and incorporate floral prints through bedding, throws, cushions and framed prints to accentuate the bright walls. If I felt like being extra- which I often do- I would use a graffiti print, inspired by street art (see below) which would make my room unique to me.
For those of you who shy away from bright colours, you can still use colour to transform your home albeit with subdued tones, whether that be through cream coloured paint, a minimalist print, or a running colour scheme that is cohesive and sophisticated. For example let’s say your colour scheme is white and black. Two juxtaposing colours create contrast, which when applied to a home makeover creating striking results. Whether you choose colour that is bright or muted, dark or acidic or go for bold and beautiful prints, make sure that your makeover is personal to you.
If like me, you rent a room, don’t feel disheartened, because you can still give your room an insta-worthy makeover. While you can’t change the colour of the walls or make any drastic changes, make smaller changes through the use of fun colourful accessories, a colourful rug and flower crowns that were made for extra princesses like me. In my case some of the personable touches that I have made to my room, include using a rug with a graphic graffiti print design that I designed myself (see below), decorating my desk with flower crowns, hats, tiaras and headbands and quirky accessories such as a Cactus LED light.
Let A Little Light In To Make Your Summer Home Makeover A Success
Ah the beauty of natural light and it’s glorious golden moonshine in a bottle. There is nothing that is more satisfying than allowing light to come into your home, to naturally boost your endorphins and give you that coveted feel good energy. Now more than ever we need something to feel good about and even for those of us who live in dark rooms, there are many ways that you can make the most of the light that you do have and create a simulated lighter environment.For those of you who have your own home, an effective way to let a little light in is by installing a skylight, especially if you have a room which does not have many windows (i.e a converted room in the loft). Not only does this brighten up your home and boost your energy and mood, but it also shows you uses for toughened glass in the home, which is securer, more heat resistant, reduces sound and has more durability than regular glass. It’s worth bearing this in mind if you choose to add a window or skylight in your home.
If you have small windows these can be blocking your source of natural light.
If you want to let a little light in the natural way, there are a number of tricks to ‘simulate more light’ in your home. The first way is by working out how much natural light your home needs during its summer home makeover. Do a quick assessment of where your natural light is coming from and work out what is blocking it from entering your room. An example might be that you have dark walls or wooden floors in small spaces that naturally absorb light. Or it could be that you have small windows, which in my case I have. A great way to solve a lack of light is to change up the colour scheme to fresher, brighter colours, remove the items that make your home look darker (i.e. getting larger windows) or you can even decorate to create a mirror effect which reflects light back into the room. For example, I have a triple wardrobe that is mirrored, which when my blinds are open adds some much needed light and warmth into my otherwise dark room. My room has light walls, but the shape and structure of the room leaves for dimmer lighter in the room.
Repurpose A Space That Is No Longer In Use
If you own your own home, you might have a spare room that is no longer in use and in desperate need of a summer clean. So why not repurpose your room, to avoid it looking like a clutter free-for all dumping ground? Not only will this make your home look more functional but it will also mean that you have more space, can have a guest room if you please, or for rooms like disused closets, you can simply revamp that storage space to make it look more aesthetically pleasing. As an example a friend of mine shares a house with her brother and two parents, and they have a four bedroom home, with one room that has been transformed into a ‘guest room’. They had a loft conversion last year and needed an unoccupied room to sleep in, while the building works were going on, so chose to renovate the disused room. Today the room is beautiful, complete with souvenirs from their travels, photo frames, chairs and a fitted sliding door wardrobe with a TV, storage space and games and films. This shows how they truly made the most of the spare room and transformed it into a beautiful living space.
If like me you rent, then fear not because you can still repurpose the space that you are in. For example, I changed the layout of the room, added furniture like a desk, book shelf and chair and plenty of fun decorations, art and more to make it a room that felt like me.
Make The Most Of Summer By Embracing ‘Green Power’ In Your Home
One of the best ways to reinvent your home or rented room is by embracing green power in your home, whether that be through using plants like succulents to lend a ‘nature’ theme to your home, fruit bowls to make your kitchen bright and peppy or even by using tropical or plant-led prints and accessories. Decorating your home with plants is an effective way to embrace the ‘greenery’ in your home, and has a tonne of health benefits as well.For example did you know that plants can help you breathe better, as on a cellular level plants give the human body the oxygen it needs to create food, while humans exhale carbon dioxide, as in grubs for plants. Known as symbiosis, plants and flowers also has a proven calming effect on anxiety, whilst lowering stress levels. If you are a stress head like me, then your summer home makeover wouldn’t be complete without a plant or two.
After all, foliage is an essential part of design that promotes healthy living, or so the saying goes. Whether you choose flowers or plants, even if you live in rented accommodation like myself, greenery is an essential part of room design. In fact, by incorporating plants into your design strategy, it can create that visual, emotional and mental connection with nature, which is vital for boosting our mental health and happiness levels. By simulating an environment that evokes nature, we can create a visual, emotional, physical and mental connection, which represents biophilic design (design that reflects human desire to connect with nature). If you think about it qualities that we associate with a pleasing interior environment (i.e. being pleasing, stress-free and calm) is actually indicative of environments that emulate nature.
Declutter Your Home And Relinquish Your Inner Hoarder
As someone who is a self-confessed hoarder, letting go of things has never been my strong suit. But here’s the T, clutter can affect your state of mind, your productivity and how your home appears to your visitors. It can also make you less organized which means that you are unable to prioritize your time in an effective way, because you are unable to focus on the task at hand. I know that I myself find it easier to concentrate in a room that is clean and tidy, with everything organized as opposed to a room where there is stuff everywhere. Even though I have a lot of possessions and am not a minimalist by any means, I found that doing regular clear outs not only gave me a sense of purpose but it also allowed me to de-clutter my mind as well as my room. It’s like working on multiple things at once, which can be difficult to multi-task. When you focus on one thing at a time, or in this case organize your living space, it gives you the freedom to spend more time on what you need to achieve as opposed to bulk cleaning sessions. The more organized you are the easier it is.
By saying no to your inner hoarder you have less to clean, less to organize and feel less stressed as a result. It’s like staying the night in someone else’s room, there’s a sense of novelty in it of course, but there’s also this undeniable feeling of tranquility, productivity and finding your inner peace.
Spruce Up Your Garden By Bringing Furniture Outdoors
For those of you who are blessed with a garden, why not transform your home into a summer wonderland, by bringing your furniture outdoors? What I mean by that is creating another ‘communal space’ outside whether that be through including a table and chairs, creating a cozy reading nook or breakfast room when the weather is nice. For example, you might have a bold and colourful home and want this to translate in your garden too. You could bring a picnic bench outside, and create a fun picnic set up with a bright and peppy tablecloth, swathe the bench/chairs/ table with printed blankets and cushions, while placing centerpieces such as flowers, pretty tableware and plants to truly bring home and nature together again. Another idea could be to create a ‘camping ground’ when it’s nice weather so that you can camp out under the stars. Alongside the much needed sleeping bag and tent, outdoor furniture that you could include is an ‘outdoor stove’ to cook delicious campfire meals, a heater to warm you up when the temperature drops and a BBQ to keep em grilling.
If you want to create a reading nook, you can bring your bookshelves outside (make sure they are sturdy), and create a comfortable reading area with beanie bags, cushions, blankets and even a stereo to play relaxing music while you chill out.
Set Up A Bar At Home To Treat Yourself To A Well Deserved Drink
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