As time passes, we will always at some point find an itch to want to change and revitalize our surroundings. It is easy to get bored looking at the same interior setting throughout the year. So a little change would add immense value to how we appreciate our living space. It is important to remember that life is a journey, and therefore our aspirations will change over time, as will our perceptions on life.
When we set out to build or renovate our homes, it is best start with the key essential elements such as wiring works, walls and architectural features, which if done later would create an inconvenience to our daily lives. Leave all the frills and thrills for later, depending on your budget and mood. Once you have settled in, you can start to dabble into minor additions to add value, so here are some quick tips to renovate your home.
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Making Use of the Outdoors
Try to make use of the peripheral areas around the home which may otherwise be wasted. For example, if we have an open rooftop deck, introduce a simple pergola, which acts not only as a sun shading device, but also transforms the area into a covered entertainment area. The key is to convert redundant areas around the house into useable space, which in this case, can be achieved by converting a viewing platform into a lounging area. How we define usable space is determined by the time we spend and the comfort level. So look around the house and identify areas which could be improved to enhance our living experience.
Try to make use of the peripheral areas around the home which may otherwise be wasted. For example, if we have an open rooftop deck, introduce a simple pergola, which acts not only as a sun shading device, but also transforms the area into a covered entertainment area. The key is to convert redundant areas around the house into useable space, which in this case, can be achieved by converting a viewing platform into a lounging area. How we define usable space is determined by the time we spend and the comfort level. So look around the house and identify areas which could be improved to enhance our living experience.
Outdoor PatiosOutdoor patios offer a great arena for entertaining large groups of people, but how do we setup a scenario that offers the amenities of the home and also the pleasure of the outdoors? Think of your landscape as an extension of the home. We know how to bring the outdoors into the home, but how do we bring the indoors out? Look at a reverse design by creating an outdoor lanai effect but designed such that it is a true extension of the internal living areas. By doing so, we are able to live with our amenities of the home yet outside, as if living in a room without walls. This literally pulls and extends your living space to what would otherwise be just scenery in the garden.
SkylightsI have always stressed the beauty of light, and how we manipulate and play with it would draw out different qualities in the room. So a quick and easy tip to change the mood of the room is to introduce a skylight. This simple task would not only create a change but will invite in this holistic light source, thereby instantly transforming how we experience the space. In this scenario, the introduction of natural light would change how we bathe, as the feeling of bathing within a confined space to bathing under the stars and sky are two totally different experiences.
Creating TonesAnother easy task to creating change with your interiors is to play around with the materials. Over time, materials are worn down, so sooner or later, we will be faced with the decision to change our interiors. We can both repaint and spring clean to give the place a breath of fresh air or we can take bolder steps by creating contrast in our lives.In this bedroom feature, the secret is to break away from a totally monotone effect, as it creates a visual boredom in the room, thereby inviting a lack of energy and creativity. So introduce a series of tonal effects, which in this case is highlighted by the two walls – white and beige. By creating the two-tone wall effect, it sets up the backdrop for the bed, which is anchored by dark walnut colours to pull the colours of the room together.
Use of ColoursFor an instant change in our work environment, introduce colours through the furniture to create a vibrant setting that is not only fun but filled with excitement and creativity. As to which colours to select, look at the few fundamental colours – blues, reds, greens and oranges. On where the pieces should be located, we can either display them based on the direction each office corner resides in or based on what is needed based on the Flying Star chart, or both.Every year we are faced with the task of determining which sectors are ideal for renovation and which sectors are to be avoided. Therefore, every year, we will find new opportunities to work on different areas of the home. And depending on our experiences and what we have seen, it would have an effect on what we want to do at that point of time.
Playing with Depth
Another simple trick to change the feel of a room is to create the perception of depth. Use the existing cabinets within the home and add backlit lights, which can be easily done through the use of LEDs or T5 lights. This creates a bright backdrop to extract out the bookcase, as if to give it the illusion of weightlessness. But what it essentially does it to turn a two-layer backdrop into a 3-layer backdrop. Initially, the study would be weighted by the study table at the front and the bookcase behind, but by introducing lights, it pulls the bookcase forward, thereby placing the bookcase in between the table and lighted backdrop to create a floating effect.This effect can be taken a step further by introducing reflective surfaces and additional lights to create more layers, which then pulls the depth of the room even further apart. The secret is to pull a number of layers in relation to the size of the room, as too many layers in a space too small would create a haphazard effect, while a large room with no visual layers would feel too empty.
Another simple trick to change the feel of a room is to create the perception of depth. Use the existing cabinets within the home and add backlit lights, which can be easily done through the use of LEDs or T5 lights. This creates a bright backdrop to extract out the bookcase, as if to give it the illusion of weightlessness. But what it essentially does it to turn a two-layer backdrop into a 3-layer backdrop. Initially, the study would be weighted by the study table at the front and the bookcase behind, but by introducing lights, it pulls the bookcase forward, thereby placing the bookcase in between the table and lighted backdrop to create a floating effect.This effect can be taken a step further by introducing reflective surfaces and additional lights to create more layers, which then pulls the depth of the room even further apart. The secret is to pull a number of layers in relation to the size of the room, as too many layers in a space too small would create a haphazard effect, while a large room with no visual layers would feel too empty.
For Interior Design services and consultancy, contact Chris Yeo at chris@eminentbuilders.com
