A Charmingly Crowded Home

Some people like empty-looking, minimalistic home décor. And why not? Such homes are certainly easier to clean, organize plus they can look beautifully refreshing.

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On the other hand, homes full of furniture and decorations charmingly filling almost every corner of each room can give their owners a feeling of warmth and safety.

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There are yay’s and nay’s for both types of approaches to home decoration. Whichever style you choose, you’ll be equally at risk of making wrong decisions and ending up with a not such a pleasant place to hang out.

Charmingly crowded homes: Problem No 1

As mentioned earlier, cleaning can be a great problem in a home with many dust-catching objects. Remember the word “cleaning” when you unleash yourself on yard sale objects. All those shelves, lamps, chairs, tables, unidentified objects formerly known as sofas, etc. will not magically stay shiny and clean all by themselves. Think about how many chairs you actually need in a home and don’t overdo it.

Obsession with certain objects can potentially work sometimes, but not often

If you have an idol or a hobby you love, like Spiderman (if you’re five years old) or boats (if you are an ex-captain), you might get away with crowding your room with objects connected to your fascination. There could be some charm to something like this:

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Though filled with boats and drawings of boats, this room emanates devotion and true joy at spending quality time with dear objects and ideas. But try pulling that trick with flowers or hearts (if you’re a fan of romance) and you might end up with a very dull and/or annoying room.

Colours aren’t always our friends:

Another way to go wrong when trying to create a warm, cosy place is to become too enthusiastic about mixing wall paint colours in a way that hurts the eyes. Though colour blocking is very IN these days, even this type of colour-matching adventure has rules that you should follow. So, definitely nay to extremely bold wall paint colours.

Choose every piece of your home lovingly

The key to a safe, happy place that feels like a bear hug is to choose and place objects in your home with care and attention.

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Don’t shy away from “crowding” your home with plants, photos, DIY vintage photo frames, candles, books, oriental rugs, flowers, paintings and even five lamps in one room (if that makes you happy), but do it with style, some common sense and an instinct for the aesthetic. Most importantly, do it with love. Without the love ingredient, you might struggle to create the effect you are hoping for.

That bright summer looking home decor

Summer has been a long time coming this year, and what better excuse to give your home a summer themed makeover? You may be surprised at how simple and affordable it is to revitalize your living space and breathe new life into an existing home.

Most of the suggestions in this article can be done with very little handyman skills, but don't let the man in your life get off that easily. Many hands make like work, so get everyone involved! The kids will love it, and if you don't have kids - your home is probably already spotless, so go and make a ham sandwich.

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To Paint or Not to Paint?

While Shakespeare probably didn't ask this question, it should be at the top of your list of things to consider. Let's be honest here, painting isn't much fun after the first few strokes of the brush. From our experience, it's a job that small humans enjoy - but the cleanup effort outweighs any benefit of getting them involved.

Having said that, a new lick of paint in the main living areas of your home can make a miraculous change to a houses atmosphere. It's also a great way to cover up any faded crayon masterpieces, scrapes, dings and everyday wear and tear.

Regardless of if you are going to repaint or not, take the opportunity to do a really thorough clean of the house. Vacuum under those cushions, clean out the window tracks and do our 3 box cleanup routine. One box is for stuff you MUST keep, the second box stores things that you can give away to charity and the third box is destined for the garbage. Be ruthless! It may be another year before you do another one of these super cleanups.

Don't do this alone. Sell the idea to your family and/or friends. Make it fun! Call it a working bee party.. or something.

Roll Up Those Sleeves

Curtains are often overlooked when revamping home decor, and this is a big mistake. They frame our windows and provide a great source of colour for a room. At the very least, take them down and give them a wash, which will revitalise the colour and remove any musty smells that have built up over the winter months. If your budget allows it, buy new curtains for your main living areas. Choose bright, summery colours to lift the atmosphere in the room and provide some much-needed colour. Try to match the colour with any new cushions, throws or table cloths that you use, which will give the room a sense of unity and harmony.

The key theme for a summer decor revamp should be flowers, bright colours, natural fibres and wood. Go to your local flea market and see what treasures you can find. A piece of driftwood or a raffia rug can transform your room into a beach themed area. Add some sand coloured curtains and a large sea shell full of fresh flowers, and you have a beautiful room fit for summer.

After you update your curtains, cushions, tablecloths and throws with some brighter colours, turn your attention to the wall decorations in the room. A summer themed art print can transform a room instantly, and become a focal point.

You may be surprised how cheap it is to get a favourite summer picture printed on canvas. Check your local print shops or a do an online search to compare the costs. For extra points, get a summer themed picture of the family printed onto canvas, and hang it in the room.

Fresh flowers can be expensive, but a simple outdoor project is to start your own flower bed. This is a sure-fire hit with kids, and they are so excited when the flowers start to appear. Pick fresh flowers and keep them in your home throughout summer. The flowers look wonderful, and the pretty scent is a natural room deodorizer.

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It's easy to revamp your decor for summer, and you may find that it becomes a yearly tradition. With some simple colour changes, and the addition of some key decorative items around the room, you can transform any living area into a summer oasis!