Most of us know how to furnish a room, but not how to decorate. There is a world of difference between the two – and the difference is style. You don’t have to be rich, and every day is an opportunity for a fresh start. It will transform every aspect of your life and change how youlive in your house. Learn to get things right first time, have the confidence to make grand gestures and how colour can completely alter a space. Here are the five basics of good decorating. Hint: they’re very practical and all super-easy to pull off!
DEFINE YOUR PALETTE
(Materials and colours) and stick to it. You can always extend it, but do so consistently. In other words, if you decide that you’re going to use both brass and chrome in your home, don’t then suddenly throw in copper, unless you do it in more than one room.
WHEN USING COLOUR, USE IT IN PLANES
When using colour, use it in planes (ie paint entire walls from architrave to skirtings). Don’t pick out the detailing in contrasting colours. It looks (and feels) old-fashioned.
MAKE AT LEAST ONE SPECTACULAR CHANGE
We think the biggest bang for the buck is to open up a ceiling. If you have an attic or a pitched roof, it’s likely that you can open it up. It’s not cheap, but it’s life changing.
SPEND AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AFFORD ON YOUR FLOOR
Spend as much as you can afford on your floor. You can sit on a box on a beautiful floor and be happy, but nothing will ever improve a cheap floor. Flooring underpins everything, and is not easy to change. It has thebiggest impact on aesthetics, practicality and budget. What does your house need
INVEST ON DOOR HARDWARE, LIGHTFIXTURES AND FAUCETS
Invest on door hardware, lightfixtures, and faucets. Details that get used daily need to be not only good-looking but durable. And you shouldnever skimp on things you notice or touch every day. PS. Have no qualms about instantly firing bad tradesmen. They will only cost you more money in the long run, as you will more than likely have to get everything they did badly re-done. There is always another plumber, electrician, carpenter to be found. Always. And you’re the client. Most seem to forget this: they’re there to serve you, not the other way round.
