It’s nearly the end of July and as we steadily move into the second half of 2020, we thought that it’s the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on all the things that have happened over the last couple of months. Admittedly, 2020 was filled with a whirlwind of events. From the devastating Australian bush-fires to the worldwide lockdown due to the spread of the Covid-19 virus. With all that’s happened, we can conclude a few things, namely:

• No matter how much you plan and prepare, things can still go wrong.
• The most important thing in life – more than money and prestige – will always be health and family.
• Some things need to be seen to be believed.

With that in mind, we want you to do a little exercise (it’ll only take a minute). Take a look at your home. 

• Are you satisfied with how it looks? 
• Are your walls bare? 
• Does your living space bring you joy? 
• Is there anything in the house to indicate that your family (or yourself) occupy the space? Or can just anybody come in and no one would be the wiser? 

If you find that your space seems to be lacking something, then it’s probably time for you to restyle your home to reset your year. Read on for some helpful steps on how to start. 

Clear Your Space

Before you start restyling your home, you must first declutter your space. How many of you are guilty of saving every little thing – from old receipts to empty Prego jars, and filling your homes with meaningless items? 

While there’s no shame in being thrifty and repurposing items, having too much clutter and excess stuff can have a really negative impact on both your mental health and physical well being. Among other things, a cluttered home can cause anxiety, reduce your focus and even mess with your sleep schedule. 

“We dream of having a clean house — but who dreams of actually doing the cleaning?” – Marcus Buckingham

If you find yourself stressed, cleaning up your physical space can help reduce your anxiety and oftentimes results in you feeling so much better. Not only will you finally have room to breathe and move about, but you’ll definitely feel more at ease – which makes cleaning your home a perfect way to reset yourself to face the coming days.

Fun Fact: Organising your living space can improve your digestion! When your stress levels decrease, it triggers your ‘gut-brain’ connection and results in the disappearance of symptoms like bloating, reflux, poor digestion, and inflammation.

Repurpose Household Items

Earlier on we mentioned that there was no shame in repurposing old things – just as long as they do serve a purpose! Once you’ve sorted through all the things you wish to keep, donate or throw away, be on the lookout for items that can be seamlessly incorporated into your home decor.

For example, break up a row of books on a shelf with interesting objects – such as little knick-knacks found around your home that hold a special memory or photo displays. Repurposing old items is also a budget-friendly way to refresh your home. Instead of buying all new items, simply re-arranging all the items you already have can give your room a whole new look!

Take, for example, your home decor items.  Smaller things like wall art, throw pillows and photo books can be artfully arranged by size, amount and colour depending on what ‘mood’ or ‘aesthetic’ you want to create. You can even play around with the idea of moving and rearranging your furniture as well – just to give your room more depth or to make full use of a small space. 

Pro-Tip: If you love the idea of having a wall gallery in your home, try our photo tiles. They come with a special adhesive on the back and require no holes or drilling to be put up. What’s even better is that they’re also reusable and re-stickable – so you can rearrange them as many times as you want without worry!

Upgrade Your Home Fixtures

When it comes to resetting your home, you can’t simply rely on home decor. Think of it like a cake. No matter how pretty the frosting, the most important part is the cake itself. Have a look around your home and make a note on what items need to be upgraded or replaced. We’re talking about:

• Doorknobs
• Hinges
• Showerheads
• Walls
• Kitchen faucets
• Light fixtures

The type of things you don’t give a second thought to for years because it’s ‘always been like that’. Making small changes to these items can change the ambience in your home and turn it from traditional to modern, contemporary or even rustic.

Pro-Tip: You don’t have to spend a fortune upgrading your home fixtures. Sometimes a coat of fresh paint is all you need to bring new life to items like hinges and doorknobs. As for lighting, if you have the technical know how, you can try out some of these DIY Light Fixtures to brighten up your home. 

Jazz Up Your Wall

Give your room a decorative focal point by installing a statement wall. An excellent way to give any room a fresh feel, a statement wall can reinvigorate the style of your home without the cost of having to redecorate a whole room. Another big plus is that you can have a statement wall in any room, including the:

• Bedroom 
• Kitchen
• Living room
• Bathroom
• Study

Some rules of thumb to follow when creating a statement wall is to ensure that whatever colour or pattern you choose to incorporate, matches and complements the rest of the room. Choosing a bright or bold colour – like blue, red or yellow – can be a great idea, but only if it fits in with the rest of the room. Additionally, if you’re the type of person who likes to change things up quite frequently, decorating your walls with items that are easy to swap out – like canvas lite prints, photo tiles or hanging canvases – are your best bet! 

As for some helpful tips on how to select a wall to turn it into a statement wall, there are a few things to consider. First off, you might not want to add a statement wall into a small room as it holds the risk of making the room look smaller. Additionally, try not to add a statement wall into a room that is overcrowded with things. For a statement wall to really give an impact, you need to give it some room to breathe.

Pro-Tip: One of the best places to jazz up your walls is where the mantle sits or where your TV is. For the bedroom, the wall behind the headboard of your bed is also an ideal spot to create a statement wall.

Decorate With Photo Books

Despite modern conveniences like cell phones and social media platforms, nothing can truly beat the feeling of holding a physical copy of your photos in your hands. Photo Books are a great way of making your memories tangible and having a collection of them to decorate your home will not only add an interesting visual element into your room, but they can also serve as a reminder of all the amazing things that have occurred in your life. 

Depending on your sense of aesthetics and the number of photo books you have on hand, you can use compartmentalising shelving to incorporate your books and art pieces together to create visually arresting space. For a more personalised touch, try mixing in photo displays like a standing metal print, a photo print display or even a collection of photo mugs among your book collection to break up the space. This tactic works amazingly if you want to add a little bit of ‘pop’ to a more traditionally styled room.

Pro-Tip: If you don’t have enough photo books to fill a shelf, try utilising other methods of display; like placing your photo books in wicker baskets. If your space is more rustic and contemporary, try placing your photo books in a repurposed wooden crate or even in a chic metal basket. The possibilities are endless.

Introduce Texture Into Spaces

If you’re a fan of interior design and love home décor in general, then you’ll definitely have heard the time-old advice from professional stylists – which is to add texture to your space. You need a good blend of different textures to make the room feel right. Like the Block Judge Darren Palmer says textural elements, “[When] layered together correctly, will play like a symphony.”  

You can add texture through doormats, throw pillows, baskets, and natural wood prints. Not only are these items fairly decorative, but they serve a specific, functional purpose too! Adding things like a patterned doormat will add tactility on the floor, while photo pillows can soften a room and bring another layer into the mix. 

Adding wooden prints into your home can also add a subtle richness into any room. With its warm undertones and natural wood grains, it will definitely help give your space a rustic feel – especially when you pair them with floating shelves that will give you a spot to play around with an ever-changing display of books and knick-knacks.

Incorporate Natural Elements

Every home (and every room) can benefit from having a refreshing green plant installed in the space. Indoor plants like the ‘Swiss Cheese Plant’ and ‘Mass Cane’ are popular choices for their stunning looks and hardy nature. They do best when placed in indirect bright lights and are rather easy to keep alive – making them perfect for people who have little gardening experiences. 

If you’re not keen on adding a real plant into your home, you can also add natural elements into a room by incorporating some wooden art pieces or any other natural accessories into your home. 

Pro-Tip: Besides plants and wooden prints, you can also incorporate natural elements by adding a vase with a bouquet of flowers into a room for an added pop of colour. Additionally, marble countertops, wooden flooring and throwing open the windows to let natural light stream are some other alternative ways to add natural elements into a space.

In summary, home is a safe haven. It’s a place for you to relax, feel safe and recharge after a tiring day. If you’ve been feeling like you’re in need of a little boost, we hope these 7 tips on how to restyle your home and reset your year comes in useful. If you just so happen to be looking for something interesting to fill up your home, visit our website to create your own personalised home decor items.