You know how it is – you move into a new place and your immediate focus has to be on unpacking and making it liveable so that you can get on with your day-to-day life.
You keep meaning to get around to making changes, but in the meantime you’re living with somebody else’s décor or in the bland environment of a new build. By the time you’re ready to make a change, you’re so used to it that it’s hard to know where to begin. How can you start introducing your own personality and really make the place feel like yours? These ideas can help.
Introduce your own colours
Few things change the character of a room as dramatically as introducing a major colour element, whether in carpet, rugs, curtains, paint or wallpaper. It’s a great way to liven up a neutral-toned house or extinguish the lingering sense of a stranger’s presence. Once you’ve made a statement with a colour like this, you’ll find that you’re able to relate to a room in a new way and add further design elements more easily.
Get creative with windows and doors
Repainting or varnishing the doors in your home is a simple job and can really change the way that it looks. You can do something similar with windows by adding stylish, durable shutters, which can be made in any shape or size and painted in any colour. There are lots of different traditional styles to choose from, and shutter experts can work with you to create bespoke ones that provide a unique look. Shutters have the additional benefits of enhancing security and providing great insulation.
Make room for memories
Personal pictures always help to make a place feel like yours. They don’t have to be limited to frames on the mantelpiece. Photo specialists can blow them up to giant size for you and apply a variety of finishes, from matte to metallic, that really make an impression. You can create your own artistic works this way or make it personal by filling up a wall with lots of smaller pictures of your family, pets or favourite places you’ve visited.
Go treasure hunting
Adding a few pieces of unusual furniture to your home helps to give it individuality. You don’t need to be able to afford high-end designer work to do this. Go browsing in your local antique shops, or go online to find independent furniture makers who are doing something different. Don’t limit yourself to Western styles – there are some very good manufacturers of traditional Chinese and Indian furniture in the UK, among others.
As each piece of your new home falls into place, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you need to complete the picture. From original paintings to glass lanterns, embroidered cushions or craft items you’ve made yourself, there’s a wealth of options to explore, and soon you’ll succeed in assembling something that’s uniquely yours – then you’ll have a home that you can fall in love with.
