1. Renting needn't mean you can't decorate
If you rent your home, you may be in the same boat as many other private tenants in that your landlord, for the sake of the upkeep of the property, does not want nails being driven into the walls of the property that will require plastering over. This can sometimes seem like a harsh and restrictive measure for the tenant as having walls made out of bounds for photos and hung furnishings limits the scope for putting that oh so important personal touch into a home. The key to solving this problem is to look at the rest of the space around you and see where pictures and paintings can be placed for similar effect. Sometimes simply propping a picture up on a mantlepiece can be as effective as hanging it over the mantlepiece. Look at the space around from a different angle and you will find plenty of possibilities for adding photos and pictures to your home without the need for a single wall to hang them on.
2. if you can’t afford to redecorate, who not rearrange!
Times being what they are, many of us are feeling the financial squeeze of high mortgage rates and hefty loan repayments. While the desire to add a fresh touch to a home may be bubbling under the surface, the money might not be there to cover the cost of the new furnishings and decorations that have caught the eye in the latest furniture catalogues. Nethertheless, with a bit of lateral thinking, one can recreate a living space with ease by simply looking at what's already around the home and rearranging it for a fresher effect. Furniture, lighting, pictures and storage can all be moved to offer a new perspective on an old living space.
3. If you have children or pets remember to buy practical AND gorgeous!
Imagine the scenario, you've just spent £750 on an exquisite french style Versaille settee when you're cat decides to use it as a scratching post. Some of you may be able to relate to the alternative scenario of your usually adorable 3 year old child deciding the same settee requires a new paint job with chocolate cake. While many might laugh at the thought of these events happening, for some they are a real possibility and when you're looking to spend so much on a certain piece, it's worth considering worst case scenarios if you have small children or pets in the home. Be sure to choose your furniture according to the environment it is going to live in. Can that Versailles sette can wait until the kids have grown a bit or the cat is housetrained?
4. Have two sets of hanging hooks
Such is the hectic pace of modern day life with people online and bombarded by information and stimuli from all angles, that it's the small things in life that are sometimes overlooked. Small things such as where you last left the car keys. You're sure you left them hanging on the hooks where the coats and bags are but they aren't there. A familiar and stressful scenario, I'm sure you'll agree. A simple solution is available though - two sets of hooks. Have one set of hooks for less important or bulkier objects such as coats, dog leads and bags and then have a set of hooks for much more important items such as car keys and door keys. Small changes such as this can make life so much easier.
5. Use rugs and furniture to divide large rooms into cosy zones
Large rooms such as frontrooms and large bedrooms can seem somewhat cavernous and it can seem like a daunting task to make such a space seem like one cohesive area. The trick is to look at the room as different areas and then furnish those areas accordingly. Maybe with a frontroom you can having an area for viewing the TV and then in another area you might have a table and chairs for reading. Ensure these areas have their own boundaries in the room as a whole by using rugs and furniture to create invisible walls and break down the monotiny of a large room.
This article was written with advice from Velvet Furniture and Accessories.
John Horace is a freelance writer living in Newark, UK
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