We find ourselves almost a year out from the first Covid-19 lockdown. In that time life as we know it has changed. For all of the upsetting and disheartening changes, we also have learned much about ourselves and how we live. Our homes have been reimagined as offices, school rooms, bakeries, gyms, salons and every interpretation our Covid weary minds have desired.
Having a better understanding of how we want to live has created a situation in the design industry that is almost unbelievable. Manufacturers and design firms are overwhelmed with requests from clients for everything from new kitchens and bathrooms, to new furniture, décor, landscaping and more.
I have always traveled a great deal for my work and my clients. In fact, I have not stayed home for this long in the last 30 years. At first it was a welcome respite from a very busy schedule, it slowly but surely has become suffocating. Like many of you I have turned my extra time and income (not being spent on travel, eating out, entertainment, etc.) to upgrades for my home.
In response to the unprecedented demand for design and products, I thought it might be helpful to give you some ideas for smaller or quicker changes that offer major impact on your life and lifestyle. I can assure you they work because all of these ideas I have actually executed in my own home. So, let’s get started…
· Easy Upgrades:
Paint & Wallpaper. It is easy and is the best way to personalize your home. You don’t have to repaint your entire house. Why not start with your family room or bedroom? If you want the effort to make a big impact without a lot of fuss, try painting or papering a feature wall that will help to ground that bed or sofa. The feature wall is most often the wall opposite from where you enter a room.
Wallpaper Sourcing. Finding wallpaper is hard during the pandemic but, don’t worry. One of the best sources is one you can use from home. Try www.wallpaperdirect.com. They have a huge selection of papers in every style, color and price point.
Bed Makeover. This is one of my favorites! Buy a fresh mattress pad, add a memory foam topper and buy some new bedding. You do not have to get rid of everything you have, try mixing in new and interesting or contrasting patterns and colors to your bed ensemble to create a totally new look.
Cleaning. If you are like many who love all white beds, I offer you the best way to whiten and brighter those sheets and bedding without chlorine bleach. Simply add a half-cup of baking soda to the washing machine drum and white vinegar to the softener dispenser.
Together these two items only make a messy paste. But when added to your wash cycle at different intervals with the water, they will brighten all your whites to like-new.
· Medium Effort Upgrades:
New Front Door. This is one way of completely transforming the look of your home from inside and out. Update the style of the door. Add some glass if you have none. The light streaming into your entry will change your life! You can add frosted or reeded glass for privacy.
New Door Hardware. Even if you don’t want to change out your existing front door, try new hardware. A fresh handle and knob in a new style and finish is surprisingly satisfying. If you change the hardware don’t forget to match the hinges to your new finish. The hinges are like having the perfect accessories for a new outfit, it finishes the look.
Landscape Lighting. There are many ways of adding using this beautiful lighting to upgrade your front and back landscape. With all of the time we are spending at home, including at night, a beautiful landscape lighting plan can enhance your entire property and will be enjoyed from inside and outside your home. There are many available styles and pricing options for fixtures and transformers available. Try www.lowes.com and www.homedepot.com for a large selection of box sets that include the fixtures, transformer and wiring for the most cost-effective installations. I suggest you stay away from plastic fixtures or the solar powered lighting choices. The fixtures are flimsy and the solar power is often quite dim.
These are just a few things that you can do to modernize and upgrade your home, your style and your life. If you have become a master baker or gourmet chef during this time at home, adding new gadgets or upgraded appliances might be a game changer for your new lifestyle. If you have become a master of Zoom presentation for work, workouts or family gatherings, adding a professional grade microphone or lighting can make you the star of any video conference.
So, you see it just takes a bit of imagination. Thinking outside the box is more easily achieved when we have spent months at home staring at the walls and reinventing how we experience our homes, how we work and what recreation means to each of us. Get busy cooking, gardening, painting, wallpapering, washing, baking, exercising. Our homes are our refuge and our place of business, they have truly become the center of our lives. Why not make them everything we ever wanted and needed them to be?
Live Well!
Dann
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