Revitalising Your Home with Simple Tips

To revitalise is to regenerate, renew, or “to impart new life and vigor.”  Many homeowners feel bringing their homes back to life inevitably involves major renovation projects.  But there are simple things you can do to add a little fresh sparkle to your old homestead.

Few things offer the regenerative qualities of the appropriate use of color.  Although repainting can be a relatively simple task, there are other ways to add color to your home without painting.  Let’s look at some of these first.

First, remember that the decorating theme of your home makes a statement about the kind of people who live within.  Whatever your color preferences are, they should be consistent throughout your home.  This doesn’t mean the same colour everywhere; merely that colours and colour accent items be coordinated.  Each room should reflect basic color elements of every other room.

For example, decorating with plants is a simple, though not always inexpensive, way to rejuvenate your home.  For rooms with high ceilings there are tall and dramatic palm plants.  Smaller varieties of floor plants are readily available at local garden and home improvement centers.  For bay windows there are hanging plants and for tables there are potted plants.

With all of these the color possibilities are extended beyond the green of the plant to the pot which holds in.  Terra cotta plants have a rich and warm hue.  Plastic pots offer a wider variety of colors.  But remember the consistency principle.  It is jarring to have one room resemble the Amazon rain forest while the next looks like a barren wasteland.

Fabric is another simple way to add color.  If you have draw drapes they are simple to replace, provided you use the same hardware.  Tablecloths in dining rooms and throw pillows in lounge rooms are additional possibilities.  Today colorful picture frames are available and a wall with a collage arrangement of attractive photos or reproduction of works of art not only adds color, but they also serve as focal points of interests for your guests.

Now let’s get to the paint.  The first impression people get of your home is the view from the street.  In most homes that view is dominated by the front door entranceway.  Repainting the front door and window lights that might surround it is a great way to start your revitalisation campaign.  And how about changing your entrance lighting?  If you plan ahead you can find sale and clearance discount exterior light fixtures at substantial savings.  Installing new light fixtures can be a very simple task.  Make sure the power is off, remove the old fixtures paying particular attention to how the wires within are connected, and then attach the new wires in the same way.

Once inside look for furniture and furniture accent pieces that could be rejuvenated with a simple coat of paint.  All it takes is a few cans of spray paint from your local paint outlet and a protected area in which to paint, like the garage or a corner of the basement.

Finally, the best way to use color to revitalize your home is to repaint the molding trim around the doors and windows.  In many ways, this is easier than painting entire walls and ceilings.  Many homes feature neutral colors on the molding trim which can be changed to rich darker shades which can have a dramatic effect.  The high gloss paint of yesteryear is no longer necessary for your molding.  Gloss paint reflects light and shows all imperfections on the woodwork.  Today eggshell finish and even satin finish paints offer a low luster sheen that is more than durable enough to stand up to repeated washings.