Interiors Upgrade; small ways to make big changes

22/06/23

Our 6 key considerations for home renovations

1. Wall treatment – colour

First things first is colour. A simple way to start it to think about the amount of natural light the space will have or lack thereof.

We usually suggest that if you’re working with a really small space with no natural light coming in, rather than trying to brighten it all up, work with it and use rich tones complimented with layered lighting to create a cosy and welcoming space. It’s all about cohesive qualities.

Work with the fabric of the building and built environment as opposed to pushing against it.

Add contrasting tones to the woodwork. Ensure the spaces flow together.

Use different colours to create different zones. Think about what activities you will be doing in the space, what kind of atmosphere you want to create.

Think about what colours you are naturally drawn too. Do you have any memories linked to a certain colour?

Play with different finishes, gloss, matt, limewash, the list goes on, to create a beautifully layered space with a lovely energy in it.

Go bold with spaces that you’re not likely to spend vast amounts of time in such as a downstairs WC, be a bit adventurous, put in some bright colour, some wallpaper.

2. Wall treatment – details

(Great for those who don’t want a big spend)

A great way to bring in a bit of visual interest into a room is to include a wallpaper border, allowing you to still have a neutral envelope of the room whilst highlighting areas of colour. A wallpaper boarder is an inexpensive way of allowing you to explore and play with these elements without committing to a full wallpapered room.

Painting woodwork a really bold vibrant colour or gloss finish can be another way to add a playful element to a space.

A keynote to remember; don’t be scared to experiment, you can always paint over it!

3. Paint effects

An alternative option is to use your floors as the canvas. This is a simple yet effective way to transform a space and truly make it your own.

Create a beautiful feature floor by painting pattens such as checkerboard or stripes. For something more grounding, complement your décor by painting your floor a similar colour to your walls and woodwork.

Another top tip is to add pops of colour to joinery doors or contrasting paint effects such a gloss, which will reflect the light and bounce it around the room.

4. Styling and decoration – repurposing

Something that is important to us as interior designers, is to avoid adding to landfill wherever possible.

We find it really interesting to take salvaged items and find new ways to display these items. For example, on a recent project our client had a beautiful quilt that was made by her grandmother which we framed to make a beautiful piece of art that is now hanging in her dining room and adds a really emotive quality to the space. This could also be done with any sort of tapestry or even a beautiful piece of fabric you may have collected over the years.

Crockery can also be used to create an interesting wall display. Think plates, bowels and little things like that.

Someone who has been on our radar for some time is Nest Design run by Lucy Bathhurst, who creates window treatments out of vintage materials and salvaged textiles - to beautiful effect!

If you’re a crafty type and you’ve got a sewing machine and some really nice scraps of fabric lying around, rather than chucking them out, try turning them into a pair of curtains, a blind or even a bedspread, which will again add this very personal quality to your home.

Once again, this should be a fun and playful process, no stress about perfectionism over here!

5. Storage – joinery and nooks

Often smaller cottages have a lack of storage which is a key consideration when looking at the function of how we live.

Finding little pockets of empty space in corners to use as an opportunity to build something that’s practical is a great idea. Adding a lick of paint to enhance the area, can also create an interesting feature instantly.

This is not a huge investment yet will to do a lot to enhance the room.

The benefit of working with an interior/architectural designer – when looking at renovation, is the ability to discuss where you can find these little pockets of space to add more storage. An example of this is by making a window reveal slightly deeper to accommodate some little shelves, creating a really lovely little architectural detail whilst adding a practical pocket for storage.

Place objects that show off your personality and things that you like to be surrounded by to enhance the visual interest.

An example of being clever with space is using a thoroughfare non-space between one room and another, such as the intersection from an old part of a house into the new. Adding a curtain here to create a separate room instantly creates a space that could be used as a spare bedroom.

6. Simple joinery details

A really lovely touch to add to your interiors is to enhance your cupboard doors adding some visual detail to create a standout piece of joinery.

Consider having open floating shelves in your kitchen space to act as a display area, curating your kitchen whilst keeping things visually interesting and inspiring.

Filling an empty wall space with shelving units, painted to match the walls or in a bold contrasting colour is another way to add visual interest as well as adding extra storage options.

7. Have fun!

Our final tip is to just have fun with it!

Enjoy the experimentation and reap the pleasurable rewards from enhancing your creativity.