Easy Updates and Working With What You Already Have
During this time of social isolation, staying home, and spending much more time looking at pesky “to-do” lists, everyone seems to be taking on new projects, moving their furniture around, and looking for ways to update their living spaces. In the past few weeks, we've seen everything from re-styling shelves, to full-on home makeovers.
However, we believe transformations don't always need to be drastic. Sometimes all you need is a plant here, a vase there, and a few new pillows to update an old sofa!
On today’s post, we want to show you how to work with what you’ve already got. That’s right, we’re going back to basics! We’re talking about paint, pillows, and a little ingenuity. Last week, we met with our lead designer Holly to see what kind of projects she has taken on since quarantine and hear her tips on updating living spaces.
When it comes to the details, Holly is an expert at creating beautiful spaces by reimagining and repurposing elements. One project she took on a few months ago was refreshing her living room fireplace to create a totally different aesthetic.
Where did you draw inspiration from for your fireplace makeover?
It originally started as a white fireplace on a white wall and was lacking every bit of charm. I've always loved black accents that make bold design statements within a room- I painted it black without any hesitation.
Tell us a bit about the process of redoing your fireplace.
It's quite simple really- paint is the easiest, most cost effective way to update a room, highlight an architectural element, or even transform furniture. The best advice I can give on painting any object is to research the type of paint you want to use, the material you are applying it to, and whether the application should be, brush, spray, or a special technique.
Another way Holly keeps things fresh in her home is by switching up her sofa pillows which she tells us are inevitably used as chew toys by her adorable little Corgi. Here are a few tips on textiles.
What pillows and decor do you look for when styling your own home?
I advise clients to have fun with pillows and small decor as they are the most versatile pieces in the whole house. From a financial standpoint pillows can be interchanged much more easily than furniture pieces or artwork. They are a supporting style to the investment you make in your large furniture pieces. Change your pillows out seasonally, as the trends evolve, or for a different color vibe in your space. Days of matchy-matchy are out. Mix it up with a variety of colors, textures from leather to velvet, and patterns in stripes, boho organics, or bold florals. Overwhelmed with what colors to start with? Pull inspiration from color pallets in your artwork or pictures.
My dog's name is Clarke. He loves mum's pillows too. So much, sometimes he destroyed them. He helps to keep the pillow schemes circulating.
Here are a few more tips for restyling:
Start fresh by clearing out the space you intend to re-style. Once everything is cleared out, take it one area at a time allowing yourself to step back and see each space as an empty canvas.
If you're re-styling a built-in or shelf, consider replacing books and objects in another area, perhaps re-purposing them in an entryway or coffee table.
The best part of clearing or organizing your things is re-discovering treasures you may have forgotten about. Perhaps it’s pretty bowl you find in a kitchen cabinet that could be styled on a console table or dining table.
You will be surprised how quickly you can transform a space by changing out your rugs! Rugs can create refreshing moments by bringing pops of color, texture, and patterns into play. You can find rugs from all price points, so it can be fairly inexpensive to update them.
You don’t have to completely repaint your walls to get a new look. Try removing everything off of the walls and start finding new ways to place your favorite pieces to bring a different element to the space. Try finding art pieces that bring you joy, perhaps a colorful abstract piece or a super textured tapestry.
As the weather warms up, getting outside can allow us to find more inspiration. Much like our homes, the changing of the seasons resembles how we re-style, re-discover, and re-imagine our homes to bring us more joy!. Don’t be afraid to try different things and take risks! Sometimes you can be surprised at what you discover.