It’s All In The Details When It Comes To Home Decor
Creating a beautiful home isn’t as easy as you might think. Those with a good-sized budget often engage professionals when it comes to painting and decorating their home. There is a good reason for this! A professional team has the experience and expertise to work quickly yet still keep their eyes on the detail. They have the tools and the training to make every edge perfect and every color match.
If you have a good eye for the details, then you too might be able to create a professional quality finish. You’ll need a few tools and some great suppliers. Most importantly, you need a lot of creativity to create the exact look and style you want. So where can you start?
Outside
It’s worth starting with the outside of the property. After all, this is what most people are going to see most often. It’s not always easy to maintain an immaculate property. The weather is often against you! But if you take care to choose the right accessories and the best quality materials, you can enjoy a good look for longer.
Start with the perimeters of your property. You might have fencing or railing. Some people enjoy the fresh style of border planting, shrubs, and hedges. Fencing is often the easiest to maintain. If you choose real wood, you will have to sand and paint annually to keep it looking its best. You should choose your decorative posts carefully. Suppliers like Atlanta Post Caps offer a broad range so you can start there for ideas. If you choose a powder coated cap, you will have less to do to maintain the color and finish.
Railings require cleaning to reduce the buildup of moss and algae. Even pre-painted options will need another dip after a few years. Make sure the posts are fully concreted in. As these railings are often made of metal, they can be valuable and attractive to thieves. Of course, they’re less vulnerable to turbulent weather and look very attractive. They won’t stop animals coming onto your property though.
Hedges and lawns need weekly attention to stay looking their best, especially over the summer months. Watering is essential for lawns, but the real challenge is mowing. You might hire a gardener to help you here. Alternatively, make a schedule for tending your lawn. Flower beds will also need weekly weeding to stay looking immaculately presented.
Paths can be swept, windows can be cleaned, and the render or weatherboards on your house can be painted each year. This will keep everything looking clean and fresh. And it even gives you an opportunity to make some changes. Finally, keep the front door polished and lights clean. This provides the very best welcome possible when guests approach your property.
Inside
The entry hallway suffers knocks, scuffs, and weathering far more than any other part of your interior. Boots, heels, raincoats, and even pets can make a mess of your reception area in moments. Choose durable paints for this area. The walls can take a lot of knocks, so you may find you have to make several repairs each year. The flooring can also scuff. Choose a durable flooring surface like tiles or engineered wood.
Cleaning is really important so pick materials that offer the quickest and easiest cleaning solutions. Carpets may feel warm and luxurious but it only takes one spill, and the whole thing is ruined. They quickly lose their depth and softness. Stick with rugs that are easier to clean and replace. Engineered wooden floors offer tough quality without the expense of natural wood. And tiles are easy to wipe clean, keep hygienic, and polish up to a shine.
Around the edges of each room, you can find kickboards and skirting boards. These collect a lot of dust, scuffs, and grime. Choose a really tough wood paint for these so they can wipe clean more easily and damage less often. The same goes for your wooden window sills. You’ll be surprised how much dirt comes in from the window.
As for the walls? Pick something quite neutral. Most neutral colors, including my favorite white, fit really well with either blue tones or pink tones. If you know which way you want to go, you can pick a neutral paint more easily. Just take something with a vibrant shade with you along to the store when you choose. Soft furnishings, rugs and wall art are very cheap and easy to swap out as the seasons change. It saves you from having to paint too often.
Interior Details
Interior details are often more specific than outdoors. You might look for patterns that translate to all of the rooms in your house. Browse some property listings. The ones that stand out the most are the ones where there is a clear style that fits the living area as well as each of the bedrooms. You might call it a theme. Patterns make brilliant theme focus points. They work well with any color meaning each room is unique, but connected by this single detail.
There are other things you might choose to match for each room too. Pay attention to the little details like door handles, light switches, and radiators. These are the things that can make a room look tatty without you realizing it. Swap each of them out for a style that suits the room. Try to think about the flow or continuity between each room. The little details are the things that do this best.
Try to make it easier to swap things in and out as the seasons change so you can keep your style fresh. Don’t forget the furniture! Square rooms are perfect for moving furniture around. This offers a new view from your chair and a fresh new look for the room. Use large wall art canvas paintings to bring a new splash of color or pattern to the room. Easy to change on a whim!
It’s hard to see the little things when you live in the room all day every day. Sometimes you have to go and look for the scuff marks! Why not set up a schedule to help you make decor refreshment more routine in your house?