Home improvement 101: Giving your home a new look

When looking at ways to improve your home, it can be tricky to decide whether you want to develop your living space for yourself to enjoy or to add more value in the hope of selling it on. Whatever your reasons to improve your home, it would be wise to invest sensibly and focus on what your home really needs. Are you fed up of your living room carpet? Do you need more storage space? Is your kitchen crying out for a makeover?

Be honest with your own living space and make it worth your while to embrace the changes you can make. Here we look at some ideas on how you can your new look is not just a change, but an improvement on your home:

1. Lighting is everything

Whilst it is safe to stay comfortable with a standard room lamp, a sconce lamp is a great way to spotlight a feature in your home. It is not even necessary to hire an electrician, as your new lighting can add a new effect to an old room. Additionally, it gives you the option of setting your room up for a cosy evening or for adding more ambiance when entertaining guests.

2. Solving your kitchen storage problems

One of the biggest problems homeowners face is storage. For the kitchen, particularly, keeping note of which utensils you use on a weekly basis can help you declutter the space.

An under-counter corner cupboard, along with a carousel, can help solve your kitchen storage issues and, by seeing which utensils you tend to use more, it could help you decide which ones you could throw away.

3. Do not disregard the garden

It is so easy for the garden to be neglected and many people only think of it in the summer months, but it is important to keep your garden as impressive as you can. After all, it is a part of your home and is perhaps one of the first things your guests see. With aluminium bi-fold doors leading out into the garden, you can really help you make a statement and give your home some added character.

4. Improving your bathroom

Consider what aspect of your bathroom could be improved. Again, is the lighting letting you down? If so, make sure you have lit the room up to its full effect. Have your taps and showerhead seen better days? By replacing them, you may not only improve the look of your bathroom, but may also enhance the water-flow from both outlets. Do your towels sit on the floor or hang off a radiator? Replace this system with a heated towel bar, ensuring your towels, as well as your bathroom, maintain their freshness.

5. Making your bedroom your own

Rather than simply keep a standard bedroom set-up, consider how you can put a little more of yourself in your own space. A print or a photograph collage to hang from the wall, or maybe a houseplant to add a natural look to your interior.

6. Reusing architectural elements as decorative displays

Us your garage or basement crowded with doors shutters and old windows? Think about how you could reorganize them creatively around the house. You can try getting some photographs on the window panels or even fastening them around a base to make a unique table. In place of the headboard, use shutters and doors and to hold up floating shelves, use old brackets.

7. Dressing up your walls with dishes

Bring out that pile of pretty dishes hidden in your dark cupboard. Depending on how you would want them to appear, create a wall display. To anchor the arrangement, incorporate one larger platter at the center.

8. Give that old twin bed new life

You could transform that twin old bed languishing at the basement into a chic daybed by adding a pretty coverlet and a few pillows. If you want it to look sofa-like, cover the mattress with a unique fabric that you would not normally find on a bed. Some heavy linen coverlet or that vintage Moroccan wedding blanket would make a pretty good cover.

We hope you have found these tips useful. Remember, even small changes can make a big difference to your home.