How to refresh home decor: transform every room in your house

This is the perfect time to learn how to refresh home decor and welcome in a new look!

Refreshing the décor in your house isn’t just about following the latest trends. It can bring energy and transform your private space into something that is exciting and stimulating. And that’s just what you need at the start of a brand new season or in January, the beginning of the year.

We’ve put together some creative room décor ideas to help you on your way…

How to refresh home decor and make your house feel like new

Make a fresh start with a few changes to your environment and feel the difference. You don’t need to reinvent your homes; just move things around a little. When you change something, you can reap plenty of rewards.

One of the most important things to remember when decorating your home is to be aware that colour affects our emotions. For this reason, you need to choose colours that will make one feel good about being in a particular setting. For instance, a dining room will benefit from using the colour red, which makes people feel hungry! And using soft, serene colours are more calming, so choosing blue or green in soft shades are great bed room décor ideas.

For more information on how colours affect our feelings, read our blog Colours, Fabrics and Emotions.

Make steps towards being more sustainable 

Becoming more sustainable in your own home is a great way to start the year. Embrace going green by refurbishing, recycling and repainting. There's no need to buy anything new; use what you have and make it shine!

Here's how to refresh home décor easily: transform old pieces or give picture frames a lick of paint. Make a new piece of artwork to decorate a wall or create a few to make a galleryl.

Or why not paint kitchen cabinets or those in a living area a cheerful colour for a whole new look? Recycling old pieces and making them new again is an excellent way of being sustainable.

Another part of being sustainable is to throw out what you don’t want. So if you have items you can’t or don’t want to recycle, give them away to charity. Getting rid of clutter is just one of the simple ways of refresh decorating your home and creating more space.

Another very important way of being more sustainable is by choosing sustainable fabrics and printers who print on fabrics sustainably. We’ve compiled a go-to guide on Sustainable fabric printing in the UK which will give you lots of inspiration and information.

If you own a small business, it’s vital that you read our guide, Why should my business be sustainable?

Refreshing home décor ideas: add a touch of green

Let’s continue with the sustainability theme by adding some gorgeous greenery to your interior design when you work out how to refresh home decorating. Winter can be a dismal time of year, so freshen up the atmosphere and your décor look – all it takes is plenty of green plants.

They not only brighten up a room, but house plants add atmosphere and natural beauty, too. And they add a touch of serenity.

If you’re unsure of the best house plants to buy, enquire at a nursery. Find out how to care for your indoor plants so they survive indoors. Indoor plants usually prefer lots of light, and are often placed near a window.

Ask the nursery how much to water the plant, but don’t over-water it. Also, check whether you need to feed the plant some plant food.

And remember: a lot of indoor plants don’t grow much in winter. So, it’s important to find out how much to feed and water them.

Change it up

You can change the atmosphere of a space just by moving things around. That's one of the best ways we know of how to refresh home decorating.

The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui has been a popular topic. The principle involves rearranging objects and space in a particular environment to create harmony and balance. 

According to Taoist tradition, Feng Shui incorporates 5 different elements: earth, fire, metal, water and wood. These elements all work together. So, use Feng Shui in your home décor by balancing these elements. 

Add Feng Shui elements to your house – here's how

·      Move furniture (such as your bed) to a particular spot.

·      Incorporate soothing colours in your décor.

·      Make use of natural light and air.

·      Add indoor plants to bring positive energy into an area.

·      Place everything in pairs.

Sometimes all you need to alter the atmosphere and freshen a space is to take time and rearrange furnishings. It gives any space a new perspective – and that’s what a new effect is all about.

Buy or make something new 

One needs some new energy in a space to completely reinvent it. If you recover sofas and throw pillows with gorgeous fabrics and patterns, that's recycling, too.

Swap dark colours for crisp white, a solid bright or patterns in a choice of shades…

maake can assist with your fabrics and patterns. We offer an inspiring collection of base fabrics for you to choose from – and we also have a magnificent Design Library for you to select inspiring patterns and designs.

These are created by independent artists, many of whom live in the UK. When you independently choose a pattern, the artist gets paid!

If you’d prefer to create your own pattern, we can print it on fabric for you. Just upload your design and start making magic!

It takes just one piece...

Alternatively, find one unique piece of furniture or item that will transform a space and create a whole new look. Choose something new, whether it’s brightly coloured or soft and subtle. That one item can make all the difference to a living room, kitchen, even a bedroom.

Other great items to invest in to change up décor ideas is a carpet or rug. It can change the overall look of any space.

Be selective when you buy an area rug – think about its texture, thickness and durability. This item can get a lot of foot traffic, so it needs to be good quality and hard wearing.

Whatever single item you choose, it can drastically alter feel of any space. You’ll be amazed at how much decoration ideas can create a brand new look.

Decorating tips for refreshing a room

To inspire you, we’ve put together a selection of tips and tricks to change up your interior, from your living room to a bedroom and everything in between. Take a look…

Play with light by using a mirror

Depending on where you place the mirror in a room, you can add lots of natural light. The secret is to put the mirror exactly where the sun shines in, as the mirror will bounce the light around. Mirrors also add an element of extra space.

Brighten up design ideas with wall colour

Paint or  paper a wall a cheerful colour and/or pattern that will bring a touch of summer in.

Check out our fabulous selection of wallpapers to give you some ideas! If you’d like to repaint a room, go for soft tones of yellow and blue. Or choose a bright green hue for an invigorating effect.

Recycle furniture by using a special paint finish 

You’ll be amazed at how different a shelf/diningroom table/TV cabinet/dresser/coffee table/dressing table can look just by changing its colour and texture. You can make it worthy of an Instagram picture in no time!

Special paints and textures can create visual interest. These can also transform an item into something new and beautiful. They will also give the piece a second life. That's better than having to spend a fortune when you buy a piece.

Reinvent a space

Corners, empty spaces or tiny rooms can become renewed by reinventing them. Make a study area, home office, gym, games room or TV room. And if you have no space in the house, use the garage!

A little bit of innovation can go a long way, and can find an easy way to refresh your house! Often all it takes is thinking out of the box.

If it’s the wrong season for a spring clean

If it's winter, you'll have to call it something else – and get started!  Start the year or season off with home decor ideas that sparkle and you’ll notice the difference!

Dust it, mop it, vacuum it, sweep it, wash it. After a big clean-up, you'll notice how different the space feels! It's actually a good idea to clean your house before you start redecorating.

Find out what's new and on trend in décor and design

1. Kitchen confidential

There are 3 very popular colours for kitchens at the moment –  white, blue and grey. Blue is the latest trend, especially when combined with a neutral colour scheme. Play with shades of blue to see what would work for you.

2. Bathroom bliss

Turn a bathroom into an experience instead of just a spot to bath or shower. This involves choosing serene shades for tiles, blinds and accessories, as well as up-to-date bathing accessories (think shower heads that do extra work, such as a misting or deep massage effect).

Using natural materials in the bathroom is also popular – choose wooden cupboards, for instance, or natural stone for sinks and counters.

3. Use colour everywhere

You can choose soft, tranquil hues or try bold and bright shades, which are becoming increasingly sought-after as an open alternative to neutrals. Use bold colours or adventurous images or patterns on fabric or a wall to transform a space into a more dramatic version of its former self.
Don’t forget about texture

4. Layered textures

Nothing is more exciting than layering textures to create an exciting, individual atmosphere. Fabrics in various textures offer lots of visual excitement – and you can feel the difference, too!

5. Curves are all the rage

This year, we haven’t seen the use of as many linear and angular shapes. Instead, designers are choosing softer, more fluid shapes, especially curves, for pieces and patterns. This is a stark contrast from previous streamlined décor items and offers a more voluptuous take on furniture, especially couches and chairs as well as arches for doors and windows. Think of how you can use curves in patterns and home accessories to create a harmonious effect.

6. Virtually vintage

Look online and you’ll find a re-emergence of old-fashioned pieces. These items remind us of that we can recycle what we already have and transform it into something that withstands the test of time. That’s sustainability at its very best, a chance to embrace much-loved pieces and use them in refreshing and innovative ways. Add something old and much-loved to your modern environment and don’t forget to take a picture for Instagram! Give it a twist – perhaps brightly coloured upholstery. And see how it makes a dramatic accent.

To help you...

To save you time, we have various tools you can use to choose and create fabrics with your own or specific room design ideas. Take a look:

• View and shop our exceptional selection of base fabrics
• Create and print your own fabric design
• Once you’ve chosen your fabric, make sure you shop for our innovative Sample Book, which will show what each of our fabric and wallpaper collections look like when they have been printed on.

If you’d like to shop for something readymade; something that is customised with the fabric of your own choice, maakeHome can assist.

• Print your own homeware         
• Review and choose from maakehome's designer collection