Whether right after you’ve closed on your beautiful new home, or years after settling in, it’s wonderful to be able to personalize your home to display the things your family values and adores! A home is like a small gallery for individual families, where the things you each love should have a space and option for being shown off! What kind of changes do standard homes need after you’ve moved in? What little touches and changes can make a house a beautiful home?
Many prebuilt homes come with standard, serviceable things. This isn’t bad, by any means, but it does mean that your appliances might be a bit bland. Current trends are towards stainless steel, and, surprisingly, some of the fun colors that used to be seen in the sixties and seventies. Lower drawers on refrigerator freezer combos are on trend as well. Clean lines are always on trend, and functional technology!
Choosing a color palette in your home seems tricky but can be simple and work smoothly. Find a piece of art or a photograph which you want to incorporate into your space. The chances are that that image holds a variety of colors! Take those with you when choosing paint colors, not just for one space, but your whole home. This makes it possible to have smooth transitions between all rooms, and makes the colors you’re using more personalized to what you know you already love.
Many families think of wallpaper as a relic of the past, but nothing could be further from the truth! Modern décor gives you options which were not available decades ago. Wallpapers are available which are both beautiful and temporary—you can use them in an apartment setting, or in your home without feeling tied to one thing. Artists are capable of using just about any color palette and design to create their own customer wallpapers, and this gives you the freedom to make bold choices! Wallpapers can be used as accent walls, or even on the back walls of bookcases, and add accent color.
Family name signs go with any design that you may create in your home. This doesn’t mean you need a boring sign, or some vinyl creation in any old font. Thankfully, creating an alphabet to create your individualized sign can be as personalized as you want it to be! Whether your children pose dolls to create letters, or you use architectural or garden elements from around your town, many visuals are available with digital photography. Embroidery, crossstitch, and other craft creations are very on trend as well.
Standard (and boring) faucets come with your home when you purchase. It’s inexpensive to swap those out for ones which function more effectively, and which also look beautiful! Long neck faucets in the kitchen can change even a rather average sink into one that is more fun to use, and a lot easier on the eyes. The same can be true of sink and even bath and shower faucets! It’s not terribly difficult to follow the simple installation instructions, or a handyperson can help you customize plumbing choices.
As a family, or as an individual, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all of the bits and pieces of daily life, and soon to get swamped by piles of stuff. These “doom piles” of things to do later, things to handle later, half finished projects, and items you want to enjoy…but where? Walk around your individual room and consider what the room itself is to be used for doing. Is it primarily an office, or a children’s bedroom? Is it for guests and gathering, or is it a project area? Consider moving things which do not meet the functionality of the room away from that space. Get rid of things which are no longer serving your family.
Light fixtures can quickly date a home, especially if they are standard contractor fixtures. When redoing a room, consider the lighting which is available. Natural lighting, from clean windows unencumbered by heavy curtains, is best. In some regions, having ceiling fans is important for helping with heating and cooling, but look towards modern styles which can look aesthetically beautiful while being functional. The same is true for lighting over tables and workspaces in the kitchen. Find lights which both serve to give great shine, while also making it possible to show off your personalized design.
Stair risers can be an ignored space and customizing them is a modern trend which can show texture, color and design preference without causing clutter in the hallway. While your hallway needs to be kept clear of debris, being able to add in those designs can create a space which is both unexpected and beautiful. From tiles, to paints, to removable wallpaper, personalizing your spaces is a modern trend which can help you feel like a space is finished and designed, without being overwhelming or cluttered.
There are so many different ways of creating a home which reflects your own personal aesthetic and design choices! It can be overwhelming to start. Take baby steps to begin! Switch out features and fixtures, from lighting to plumbing, to bring hardware design elements into rooms in order to ground your overall design. Upgrade small spaces like stair risers or the backs of bookcases to pull texture and color into a room without adding clutter. Customize to match what your individual family needs. Remember your personal style and aesthetic is always better, and will have a more authentic feel, than what someone else can do, even if you copy their color choices perfectly. Add personalized touches of family signs, family slogans, or other words which are important to you. These sorts of mantras can help center a home and bring positive energy to both your family and each guest who can see what it is you truly value.
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