Then there is a plan. A common mistake is not to have a budget or a plan. Write
yourself a brief and set a budget for each room. For your brief, the key questions
you need to ask yourself are:
1.
What tasks do I/we need to perform. Some rooms may need to be multi-
functional, for example, kids may need to do homework on the dining table;
or a spare bedroom needs to also be a home office.
2.
Are there any special requirements, for example, the room needs extra
lighting.
3.
What do I love in the existing room or are there any existing furniture and
accessories I want to keep as is, or even upcycle?
4. What style or colours do I like?
5. Create a list of items you need or thinking of.
Then you can get on to space planning by cutting out to scale pieces of paper
representing furniture items and move them around to get the right positioning and
flow.
Before you start buying anything, create a mood board of what styles and look you
like. Use Pinterest, Instagram or magazine tear outs to collect your inspiration.
Using natural materials, vintage, recycled and upcycled objects and materials, with
eco-paint and wallpaper, still provides a variety of styles like Coastal, Rustic,
Industrial, Island-style, Modern Vintage, Scandi and Retro.
There is a trend at the moment, that anything goes. This is good because styling with
sustainable, eco-friendly, natural and low-toxic pieces means that you can buy new,
old, upcycled and mix them together.
2. Colour
Probably one of the most common mistakes is shying away from the use of colour.
Not being confident with it, and the result can be quite beige. To pull off a successful
neutral toned scheme is actually quite difficult.
You may want to keep walls neutral for re-sale, however, colour can be used to
create advantage. For example, rich colours can create a ‘trick of the eye’ to increase
the visual width of a room. Rich colours such as ink blues, charcoal and emeralds also
partner nicely with rustic timbers and earth tones.
A well-known renovation for profit tip is to use colour inside and outside a home to
lift the perceived value of a property. Creating a sense of harmony between colours
viewed from a window or door with inside, will be very appealing to the eye for the
occupant or potential buyer down the track.
There are other emotional impacts colours have on us. They can make us feel
happier, or even calmer. Think about colours you wear and how they affect your
mood.
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