If you ask anyone how would they like their homes to be, the chances are the vast majority of answers would be stylish and functional.
But, why aren’t they such at the current moment?
Well, the same people will say it’s due to the lack of space and funds.
We say free room and money have nothing to do with it.
The only thing that prevents your home from becoming the cozy haven you’ve always wanted is the lack of good ideas.
Let’s take a look then at some of the amazing upgrade suggestions that will make your home both functional and chic, without breaking your budget.
Replace the massive furniture pieces
Yeah, it’s that simple – simply replacing the massive and clunky furniture pieces with some affordable, streamlined, and preferably wall-mounted pieces can go a long way in making your space open and much more functional.
If you want to reinforce this clean, tidy look, all of the new elements should feature a streamlined shape and light colours.
Of course, multipurpose items that feature at least some degree of built-in storage are always a plus.
Play with colors
Repainting the walls was always one of the easiest and the most affordable ways to overhaul the look of a room.
The good news is that the same logic can be applied to wooden furniture as well.
As for the seating pieces, the colour issue can be addressed with nothing more than a couple of stylish covers.
Keeping all this in mind, the possibilities in front of you are limitless.
Your boring living room can be easily turned into a monochromatic wonder sprinkled with a couple of bright and punchy accent cushions.
Layer the lighting
What this simple upgrade will ultimately do is turn your boring flat lighting into a two-layer setup that splits the fixtures into two groups – the ones that set the mood and those that serve a specific purpose and put the focus on important items.
Keep in mind that this concept requires a bit of rewiring.
But, if we take a look at Australia where this trend is gaining much traction, we can see that a professional electrician from Inner West can easily perform this kind of upgrade so there’s no need to worry.
Create focal points
Focal points are nothing but the items you want to put in focus.
They can come in the form of TV screens, art pieces, and even interesting wallpapers.
But, if you lay the furniture around those items instead of keeping them in the background, the entire room will get a sense of purpose and internal dynamic.
Note that this setup works the best when combined with the layered lighting that puts an even stronger focus on the intended focal points.
Add indoor plants
Indoor plants are well-known for their numerous benefits.
They lift the mood of the occupants, purify the air, and even lend some help in fighting the flu and colds.
Speaking in strict design terms, all these species do a tremendous job of elevating the space they occupy.
Move them in, and even the rooms like bathrooms that are pretty impervious to various design approaches will instantly become livelier and more stylish.
Placing them in the least obvious locations will only make a stronger impression.
Break the space into zones
As of recently, the predominant trend in interior design has been turning the rooms into one cohesive, open floor space.
That, however, doesn’t have to mean that the space should be devoid of any sense of purpose.
On the contrary, breaking it into different functional zones (reading zone, productivity zone, social hub, etc.) can only make the room more interesting and functional.
These imaginary boundaries can be easily drawn with different rugs, wallpapers, textures, and similar details.
Display your hobbies
Although keeping the clutter at the bare minimum is highly prescribed (both for the visual and the maintenance purpose), you still need to find some room to display your hobbies.
The benefits are twofold.
First, things like cameras, paintings, comic books, and vinyl records always make a strong visual impression.
Second – by doing this, you will always keep the items you hold dear at your reach.
So, there you have it – style and functionality in one neat package.
We hope these few ideas showed you that a stylish and functional home doesn’t have to cost you tons of money.
On the contrary, some of the upgrades we covered take nothing more than rearranging your furniture pieces.
All you have to do now is roll up your sleeves and give your home the makeover it has long deserved.
