With the new and unusual situation we’re faced with globally this year with the Covid-19 pandemics, we found ourselves spending more time at home than ever before. This made it clear why interior decor is so important: what you surround yourself with affects not only your emotions and mood but your general well-being too!
Having this in mind, can you honestly say you’d feel your best self being confined in a home for hours and days on end that you don’t even like? So, it may be smart to use this opportunity to your advantage and add some changes in your abode by shopping from a home improvement store with a remarkable selection of sophisticated furnishings that would help make a difference in the interior.
Splurge on Comfort
When you go into a hotel room with comfortable homewares that make the ambience cosy, you feel relaxed, right? This is exactly why you need to invest in comfortable furniture and accessories in your own living space too.
To achieve this, softness is a characteristic you should be after. So, opt for home fixtures like deep-seated upholstered sofas and armchairs that would feel comfy for kicking back watching your favourite shows, as much as for short refreshing naps and entertaining. In case your sofa and armchairs don’t need replacement, you could buy pieces like elegant ottomans or poufs that would double as side tables when needed or even as coffee tables if you don’t have them.
Don’t forget the role of cushions either! If you want to elevate the level of cosiness of the furniture pieces even more, feel free to throw more cushions in a hue that’s similar to the sofa and armchairs or in a contrasting colour to add a bit of drama to the overall look. Also, you can count on soft fabrics like bamboo in the form of throws to increase the warmth and cosiness of the interior, and finish off with a floor covering.
It could be a rug or a carpet depending on the coverage you want. You may prefer a minimalist appeal with bare flooring, especially if you love the look of your floor, however, it’s a fact such coverings add texture and depth. Plus, they come in handy with dampening the noise. Besides, you’re going to love the soft feel beneath your feet, particularly in the cold days – more so if you buy a timeless piece like a sheepskin rug!
The ingredients of comfort I talked of can be used both in the living room and the bedroom. But if you’re looking for that one detail from your chosen home improvement store that would benefit your sleep oasis specifically, it would have to be an upholstered headboard. Given that the bed is the main piece in the room, the headboard would serve to increase the focal point feel.
Add a Pop of Colour
If you want to make your home more inviting not only for guests but for you too, the secret lies in adding colour. You don’t have to make the interior so colourful that it makes for visual clutter, but rather play with small decorative details. This can be something like cleverly curated artwork like wall art, mirrors and clocks.
You can be your own curator with a set of colourful abstract art paintings – they’re great for adding more depth to the decor! The best thing is you can choose them in a wide range of colours, even if you don’t have them specifically in your abode for contrast, or you can choose them in a mixture of the colours you do have to complement the furnishings.
As for the sizes, feel free to pick an oversized one for the gallery wall art outcome or choose smaller if you want to have fun with the layout from time to time. In case you aren’t a fan of abstract art, a home emporium with a range of homewares should provide you with a set of stylish prints with different motifs and patterns that stand out from the ordinary to make your walls more interesting.
If you want to make it livelier, choosing wildlife is a nice option. Got some of your own photographs you’d love to see embellish the walls? You can benefit your interior design vision choosing some of the photographs you’re most proud of, adding your stamp on the decor.
Furthermore, the frames of the paintings, prints and mirrors are handy accessories that would also be of help. So, don’t underestimate their role in the decor either – these pieces offer flexibility. If you ever grow tired of them, you can repaint them yourself to upgrade their look instead of replacing them.
Invite More Light
Take it from the Scandinavians who know what it takes to make a home feel homely – make it bright and airy. As the light fittings are key ingredients, be more considerate when choosing them from the home improvement store.
Don’t make the mistake of choosing lights that are too bright; otherwise you risk getting headaches and eye strain. After all, lighting has its effect on your mood so it’s best to go for soft, natural-like lighting. In addition, make as much room for actual natural light as you can. If there aren’t enough windows, you can play with mirror reflections of the windows, as well as include more light fixtures.
Your work isn’t over when it comes to making your home bright unless you’ve also paid attention to your furniture. Having in mind bright colours make for an airy layout as opposed to dark ones which visually diminish the size of the interior, such improvement calls for investing in bright furniture. If, however, you don’t feel like you can afford to swap your existing pieces, you can simply have them repainted and reupholstered.
Lastly, don’t forget to get rid of all the clutter you don’t need because it prevents the space from feeling airy. Not to mention, it could also be a reason you’re feeling stressed at home without even being aware of it. Take this as the perfect chance to make a difference in someone’s life and donate items you no longer use.
Improve Air Quality
Often, we focus on the pollution outside to the point of forgetting our abodes can be polluted too. If you want to have the quality air indoors that makes for a healthier and happier you, the first step is to turn your home into a non-smoking zone.
Since VOCs are also the main culprits of pollution, you can reduce your exposure by improving the ventilation of your home, and if possible, get rid of the sources. For example, nowadays there are options of low VOC furniture paints and cleaning products you can choose instead of the conventional ones, so it’s easy to make the switch.
In case your indoor humidity is lower than 40%, you can use a humidifier. Such addition to your living space is useful for reducing risks of infections of airborne viruses and improving sleep. Some plants like the peace lily are known to be of help with this as well, just remember they’re dangerous for pets.
