Mini makeover tips for a big change
/Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • February 6, 2016
Is your home feeling, well, a little boring?
It happens the first couple of months of every new year. The sparkle has all gone and here we are, back to the same old house. And a few cloudy, rainy days that we have had lately are enough to make us spoiled Southwest Florida residents screaming for something to brighten things up a bit.
Your home needs, well, a new vibe. Some color. Some wow.
Claire Scarf print bedding from Pottery Barn makes a colorful splash in this bedroom along with Lara chandelier made of handblown glass on an iron frame. The Zimmer trunk is a nice accent piece with a mahogany frame accented with hand-hammered aluminum edging and leather handles. Photo: Pottery Barn.
Some of my favorite makeover tricks that I use for my clients might be exactly what you need to take it from the same old house to a happy, refreshed home. Here are a few changes that result in a big impact:
New color palette
Many of my clients are painting their interiors in whites and neutrals. So, reimagine a new color palette in your home. A splash here and there to give it a little wow factor. New sofa pillows in a springy color. And this is a great time to replace your master bedroom linens. Vibrant new comforter or duvet, sheets, rugs. It changes everything. Maybe even how you sleep!
Rearrange a room
Is a living room or a den bothering you? Take everything out of the room. Seriously. Give it a deep cleaning. Put everything back with a few changes. Declutter. Maybe you arrange the furniture so that the flow and conversation area works better. Add a green tree or plant in a forgotten corner and string some white, twinkly lights (you know you are missing these from the holidays).
Add some contrast
Pick a new color palette! Bold and beautiful patterns have been used to create bedding, pillows and more from Pottery Barn for this first collection of it's kind. Photo: Pottery Barn.
If wow is what you are looking for, this is my favorite, inexpensive trick. Paint the baseboards and trim a contrasting color. It will make your walls pop and it gives the room a completely new look.
Shed some light on your rooms
Evaluate lighting. It's amazing but 80% of the homes I visit do not have enough light. Two lamps in each room. That's not enough! Most rooms need six sources of light. This one is really easy. And while you are at it, increase the bulb strength.
Need some drama?
When was the last time you purchased new lamp shades? I thought so. And try something different. Like black. Seriously, they are beautiful. And dramatic.
Rotate your artwork
Instead of putting it all out at once and creating visual overload, rotate it seasonally. Think about different ways to rearrange it. For example, on a fireplace mantle, leanpieces against the wall instead of hanging.
Style a bookcase
Paint or wallpaper the back wall of the bookcase. Rearrange books in combination with pottery, favorite collectibles to add visual interest.
Just try one small makeover for your home and see what a difference it makes!
And speaking of makeovers, it was time for me to practice what I tell my clients and do my own. As a Fort Myers interior designer, my mantra is to let go of what no longer works to make space for something better and more beautiful. It takes courage to embark on a makeover. We all want an amazing, blissful and beautiful space. It means that you have to be fearless. Whether designing a room in your home or a new website. And that's what I did. You be the judge. Visit spectacularspaces.com and tell me what you think of my site makeover.
Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator. Home Inspirations appears the first Saturday of each month. Visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog
