Home Decoration Tips For a Livable and Luxurious Life
The interior design team at Broadleaf Residential has compiled a list of tips and tricks that are sure to help make the life of a new homeowner a little more luxurious and a little more livable all at the same time. If you have any questions about the following information, or if you want more information on how to get started crafting your dream home with Broadleaf Residential, reach out to us today!
1. EXPANDING INTERIOR SPACE
When designing a custom home, large and open interiors can significantly enhance functionality and give personality to a space. Here are three effective ways to visually expand the size of a room:
A. GIVE DRAPERIES THE FLOOR TO CEILING TREATMENT
To lengthen the look of a window and make your interiors feel taller, consider implementing drapery rods that are installed just below the crown molding – rather than above the window trim. Make sure that the curtains sweep the floor, but don’t let them pool. Heavy, pooling curtains trap dust and can actually weigh down the room visually. If you fit them correctly, it can really help to improve the overall look and space of a room. If you don’t like curtains, then you may decide that window blinds of a specific style and length may work better in your room instead. They will still have the same effect as curtains; it’s all about choosing the option that fits best in your chosen spaces.
B. SIZE UP THE AREA RUG
A rug or carpet does a wonderful job of defining an open space. However, an improperly sized rug can make a seating arrangement feel cramped. To make sure that a seating area doesn’t look clipped and to visually increase the size of that space, measure your seating area first, and then purchase the rug. If you buy a rug that is 2-3 feet wider and 2-3 feet longer than needed, it should fit perfectly.
C. MIRRORS, MIRRORS ON THE WALL
A mirror can double the visual size of a space. It can also bounce light from one surface to another. Adding mirrors to your room will expand the walls outward as well as brighten it up. Just be careful not to create glare.
2. FAKE A LITTLE FANCY
You’ve just built a new house – now it’s time to furnish it, and those prices can add up quickly! If you’re feeling a bit “stretched,” consider saving the purchase of your dining room set for sometime in the future. For a table, all you really need are four legs and a surface. Snap up an inexpensive table at a yard sale and cover it with nice(ish) linens, for a lovely, short term alternative to that heirloom table you’ve been dreaming about.
3. USE OIL PAINT FOR YOUR SHELVES
It has a strong odor and isn’t very environmentally friendly, so use it sparingly. However, because it provides a smoother, harder, and more durable finish, it’s best to use oil-based paint on painted shelves and on door trim in high-traffic areas like utility rooms and family entryways.
4. SHOWER CURTAINS
The shower of our dreams is some kind of endless, beautifully-tiled space with frameless shower doors and huge his and hers waterfall shower heads, but realistically you have to learn how to make budget-friendly adjustments to the space you have. When you don’t want to spend the money on a custom shower curtain for example, but want something longer and more elegant than the off-the-shelf shower curtain options, look for ready-made curtains. Yes, actual window curtains. Hang two tension rods with the inside rod holding the shower curtain liner and have the outside rod hold any rod-pocket drapery.
5. HIDE UGLY TECH PANELS
You need easy access to things like electrical panels and alarm boxes, but you probably don’t want to have to look at them all the time. Canvas art mounted with an operable hinge will hide your tech panels but will help you maintain easy access to them.
6. DITCH THE DETERGENT DISPENSER
Is your brightly-colored detergent bottle with the screamy, exclamation point laden marketing copy totally wrecking the zen vibe in your washroom? One day the people who design detergent packaging will put their product in a less offensive bottle. Until then, consider putting your detergent in a drink dispenser for a more polished and cohesive look.
7. TWIST AND SCOOT
Potted house plants are heavily featured in almost every home we design. A focus on bringing the outside in is a great way to liven things up. However, a plant with a weird and unwieldy habit (a habit is its general appearance, growth form, or architecture of a plant) can be a distraction. Most plants naturally gravitate toward sunlight, so if they aren’t turned regularly, they’ll grow in a funky shape. To make turning and moving plants easier on floors (and your back), try putting furniture feet on the bottoms of your pots – and then just scoot them around the house!
8. COLLECT YOUR COLORS. ALL OF THEM!
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it bears repeating: save some paint! You’ll want it for touch ups. Even with the swatch and the color formula and all of the details, the guys at the paint store aren’t likely to give you the EXACT same color ever again. Especially if it’s a dark or super-saturated color. However, don’t save it in the paint can because unless the can is full, there will be too much air and your paint will turn. So always try and save it in a smaller, air tight canning jar.
9. SANDAL STORAGE
This is another one of those hacks that seems to have made its way around the internet and back again, but it’s a good one. If you don’t have storage dedicated to flip flops and ballet flats, use a letter keeper!
Broadleaf Residential delivers custom homes and livable luxury to homeowners throughout the greater Chattanooga and the northwest Georgia area. If you’re interested in working with Broadleaf Residential, call us today. We’d be honored to work with you.
