Renovating the look of your home is never easy. From packing to unraveling the accessories, moving the furniture to choosing the right wall colors, it all takes so much work. We understand the exhaustion, fatigue and confusion at times when going through the whole process. With so much work to be done, the work needs to be done several steps at a time. Thus, we have simplified the process of renovating to make it easier for you.
Here are the steps to take for a home renovation:
DECLUTTER (KonMari Method)
The first step to renovating your home’s look is to declutter your items. You will need a clean canvas to paint your personality and colors at your home. KonMari method is one of the effective ways to declutter items while giving you a peace of mind at the same time.
The process goes as follows: gauge your level of interest for it, divide the items into two categories, and proceed to remove the items based on the category it is placed at. First, choose the things you like/have mild interest at. These are the items that will bring you joy and will continue to bring you joy even 10 years ahead.
Second, divide your items into two piles of items including things you keep and things you donate. The difference between the things you keep or donate is how much it gauges your interest or how much you like it. If it sparks your interest, then do put it in the ‘keep’ pile. However, if you do not like it or it no longer serves you any use, then you can proceed to donate or sell the pile of clutter.
The final stage to this process is to remove the items you don’t need and keep the ones you like. If you don’t like most things in your house, you can give your items a second chance. Pick out the big pieces and some that you like in moderation. Once you get rid of items you really dislike, you might like those items in the space for now. Other than that, rearranging the items in another room or pairing it with other furniture may reignite your interest in it again.
CLEAN
The next step you should take is to deep clean your home. Once you clean your house and put everything in its place, you will realize how nice everything looks. A clean house is a beautiful home!
As much as you would like to clean your home to make it look more beautiful, overdoing it is not a good thing either. You need to keep a balance between both, and allow for a little mess once in a while. Give yourself some breathing space and spare the mess in your home, although a tidy home is comforting and beautiful.
One technique you can do is to create a system whenever you clean up. This involves cleaning the room in order one by one, starting and finishing in the same spot. You will become more efficient in cleaning and save time by not wasting time moving to other locations. It will work as long as you remain consistent, making it a routine rather than a rushed process.
Another is to keep your tools at arm’s length. This will shorten your time from going back and forth towards the cabinet beneath the sink. We would even recommend putting on an apron or a carpenter’s tool belt and fill in the pockets with your needs. You won’t need to carry large spray bottles, but instead carry smaller spray bottles. Keep your supplies in a caddy or bucket to stay organized and save time.
To many people, cleaning can feel like a chore. Unfortunately, cleaning up is something that you cannot avoid in order to stay hygienic. You can make cleaning a much more fun experience by occupying yourself while cleaning, such as listening to your favorite podcast or listening to music. Remember to use wireless Bluetooth headphones so that you have more freedom to move around the house.
Another things that you can do is make cleaning a much different experience by making it into an interior decorating project. This makes cleaning a feast for the eyes rather than just a chore. Separate all your clothes into categories (dresses, jeans, sweaters, tops), then color code each category. You will love the way it looks and how easy it is to find things by using this method.
STYLE YOUR HOME
After all that cleaning and decluttering, the fun part of interior decorating is finally here. In this part, you can loosen up and choose the pieces that spark joy. But before that, you will need to have a vision of what your home will look like.
Create a vision of your home
Before even looking at the furniture, you will have to set your mind on what you want your home to be. Do you want it to be cozy and inviting for entertaining? Do you want to create a separate place for an office or a playroom or an exercise area? Think of every area you’d like to have in your home and list it out the possibilities. At times, you might even find that you have under-utilized rooms in your home that can be transformed into something else. You can change it all according to your needs and preferences!
Find your Inspiration
The second step would be to choose the furniture you want at your home. For home and living inspiration, Pinterest and Instagram is a great place to start. Create a board with all the rooms you love and you’ll soon start to notice a pattern. You can save photos in Instagram by tapping the bookmark image on the bottom right corner. The temptation is there to pin and get all the furniture that you like, however that is not the purpose here. The process here is to just look at what you love and then narrow it down to what you could put in your current home!
Know Your Measurements
After finding your inspiration and setting your vision, the next step would be to fully understand the measurements of your home. Some of the most crucial things you need to do include measuring the length and width of each room you intend to decorate, along with the ceiling height and items that could get in the way – stairs, columns, radiators and other obstructions. On top of that, you will also need to be aware of window openings, along with the wall space below, above and to the sides of each one, to get ready for window coverings. Making the wrong measurement could lead you to furniture that do not fit in the room, do not fit through the doorway or even items that are too small and more. Carefully measuring your space can help avoid such problems.
Develop a Budget
Another thing you should watch out for is the budget. If you splurge on an unexpectedly expensive chair, you’ll have less money available for the rest of the home. When it comes to budgeting, there is no going around it: you need to be strategic about how you spend your money. A budget gives you a roadmap for how to divide the costs of things between rooms. You can still make an exception if you find a one-of-a-kind dining table, but that would mean you have be thoughtful about where else you can cut back.
Add your dose of personality
If you are still confused on what items to get, then why not inject a bit of your personality to liven up the area? We promise you that the room will feel cozier and you will feel more at home with these items. Even interior designers will start by getting to know you, what you like and then help you to display this throughout your home. You can include noticeable snippets of your personality like some artwork, a family heirloom or an upcycled piece of furniture.
Otherwise, there are numerous other ways to display your personality and make the room look dashing. Some of the tips we can give include accessorizing, by building a collection of staple pieces, such as peculiar trinkets and vases. What’s great about these accessories is that you can change it depending on the seasons and there are so many affordable homeware retailers you can buy these from.
Mixing textures should also be another option, for it creates depth and contrast. For example, using materials like wood against metallics can be easily done on a budget and look fantastic. Use wallpaper to bring in new textures and finishes– elegant geometric prints, in understated neutral hues and monochromes, really help bring a space to life and add that designer touch.
Love a little bling? Using this technique in interior decorating is a good choice, since glitters and metallic add a little bling and work well in smaller rooms as features will reflect off them, giving the illusion of a bigger space. It can also add a touch of luxury and gives off that designer look.
If you seek to add a bit of mystery and intrigue to your home, using dark wallpapers in small areas of the house can create a dramatic and glamorous look. It gives it a boudoir feel like no other house on the street!
You can also add colour to achieve that high-end look. Choose a color you like (e.g., magenta) and use that color as an accent on various places on your home. However, it’s important to keep it at a minimum lest you overwhelm the whole look.
Do you have any other tip on decluttering, cleaning or interior decorating? Share your answer in the comment section below!
