A home is way more than just the four walls and a roof.
It’s all about the people who live there, the things they do and share there and the way it looks and feels.
Having a home that reflects who you are and what you like is a key part of making any house (or apartment or unit) an actual home.
This is why your place should be one that you love to come home to.
It’s also a reason why you need to have something special about it that means something to you and can be a constant source of inspiration.
The personal look over the fashion of the day
It can be tempting to follow a home fashion trend and include that in your own home. Often that can seem like a nice way to refresh your space, but it’s important to ask yourself a simple question.
What does this change say about me and my home?
There was a time when a featured wall was all the rage, and people were adding one to their favourite room as a simple home improvement. While that fashion has all but faded away these days, it is interesting to know that many homeowners were simply following a trend and not really expressing themselves.
Not everyone is an interior designer or has the necessary flair for putting those special touches to their place. One thing for certain is that nearly everyone knows what they do and don’t like. That is the guiding principle behind your choices of home furnishings and decorations (outside of any budgetary constraints).
Adding a touch of inspiration
There are many ways you can add a touch of your own and make it a touch of sophistication.
You may love the look of timber as an example.
Maybe you’ve gone out of the box with your choice of wood and have a special grey timber decking that shows off your outdoor entertainment area.
It could be that you have a special shade of quality interior furniture stain that highlights the décor and colour scheme throughout your home.
That can all be part of the bigger picture or a showcase of your sense of style.
You may not be able to afford the life of a Hollywood star with the best in Cuban cigars and a high-grade cigar humidor to keep them at their best, but you can feel your own sense of luxury.
There are simple ways you can make sense of sophistication all your own.
Simple sophistication
There is no point overthinking the many ways you can refresh and rejuvenate your home. Having a look at what is important to you and the things that suit your style will make any change a rewarding one.
It’s a great idea to make a list of what you would love to have and then narrow that list down by what is possible in your current situation.
Some of the simplest touches can make a huge difference to your home, such as:
– A change of colour scheme
– Adding a new feature such as a sculpture, artwork or key furniture piece
– Restoring older items
– Rearranging the furniture
– Changing one room for another – e.g. the lounge and the dining room
It’s not dissimilar to changing your crockery for a different colour or replacing your cutlery set.
Having made a change to items that you use every day can make it feel as if you have made a drastic and lasting move to a new chapter in your life.
If you’re not sure how much of an impact a change will make, then the test is an easy one.
Emptying and then refilling your space
One of the most fundamental changes in your home can be with the way you have used the layout of the room.
It is not uncommon for people to have many of their rooms decorated and furnished in the same way as when they first moved in.
We are often creatures of habit, and that can be both good and bad in this instance.
If you feel like your home is tired, dull and uninspiring, then it is probably because you haven’t made any changes or improvements to the way things are.
Test yourself and your home by taking one particular room and emptying it of all the furniture and décor.
The first thing you will notice is how dirty it is because you haven’t moved things around much in order to clean them, and there are forgotten corners and recesses that need to be addressed.
The next thing you will see is just how big or small that space is.
By taking away a large piece of furniture, such as a sofa, cabinet or TV unit, you can get a proper understanding of the dimensions of the room.
After thoroughly cleaning the space, now make a plan to put the furniture back BUT in a new way.
It’s often fruitful to use a paper cut-out version that fits to scale of the room and the furniture so you can move things around without the need for heavy lifting.
The changes that you will love
Another list that is more than helpful and can even be insightful is to note down your ideal home.
It is best to do this imaginative task away from your own home as you won’t be so heavily drawn to what is actually around you. Remember, you have a full and clean slate to work from.
Maybe you have always wanted to use a particular theme throughout your home, like all Australian native timbers and furniture.
Maybe you want to unlock your own artistic flair and put up a picture or large-scale photograph that you or one of the family have taken.
It is this personal touch that can bring out a new side to your home and has the ability to inspire you.
If you need help, there is always the rest of the family to help you, and it can be another source of inspiration, all of their own.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to use trusted friends as a sounding board for what you want to do. They will often have clever suggestions or know things to avoid because they have been through a similar process.
Asking what people think of your home is another way to see if it suits your sense of style and taste because it should be not just a home but your own slice of heaven.