Renovating a home is a complicated affair that demands plenty of creativity and time. However, some parts of the process can be simplified. Here’s how to leverage on a couple of straightforward and smart renovation hacks that will help you attain your dream home in the most efficient manner possible.
Keep it simple
If you think of your home as a personal sanctuary, it is best to keep things simple. Rather than overhauling your living room with elaborate architectural features or overloading it with furniture pieces, go light on the decor for a lightweight appearance and a quicker renovation. If you are a fan of Scandinavian-style interiors, the ever-effective combination of white walls, light wood and subtle details works well too.
Image credit: Space Define
Give old hardware a new look
Updating your kitchen’s look does not always translate into a need to rip out every existing piece of cabinetry. A more cost-effective (and time-saving) method of giving old hardware a brand-new look would be to simply replace scuffed knobs and pulls with stylish, high-end options such as leather straps or porcelain handles.
Image credit: TM Design Studio
Sometimes less is more
Adopting a “less is more” approach to renovation can go a long way in achieving a neater looking abode. If you are keen on making over your kitchen completely, consider pairing sleek handle-less cabinetry with clean-looking surfaces, such as flowing countertops and tables, for an effortlessly fluent look.
Image credit: Dekton
Mirrors can create the illusion of more space
Having a large mirror might be an oft-mentioned trick that will make a tight space seem larger than it is, but this reno hack serves a practical purpose as well. Building one into a headboard or along the inside of a wardrobe’s door can help save precious floor space, while providing a convenient way to check yourself on the way out.
Image credit: Project File
Divide spaces with soft furnishings
Open-concept floor plans do create a seamless flow in a home, but they definitely offer less privacy due to the lack of physical barriers between spaces. An elegant solution to this conundrum would be to install roller blinds that enable personal spaces, such as a bedroom, to be zoned off temporarily for some peace and quiet.
Image credit: Space Atelier
Laying over existing tiles can save time and money
If your bathroom’s walls and floors are in good condition, redoing them completely is not the way to go. This is the case as overlaying these surfaces is a much more preferable way of giving your loo a new look, since no hacking is required with this approach. While you are at it, feel free to mix things up with a combination of different tiles to inject extra appeal and charm into these otherwise utilitarian chambers.
Image credit: Hue Concept
Consider multipurpose built-ins to save space
Making over a small bathroom often means working around tight spaces as well as finding the most efficient fitting placement and layout. And while it is possible to squeeze everything together, there’s a high chance that you will find yourself with a tightly-packed and uncomfortable space. One solution would be to opt for multipurpose built-ins, such as a sink vanity that incorporates storage cabinets and even a toilet roll holder
Image credit: Richfield Integrated
This was adapted from an article originally published in the September 2017 issue of SquareRooms
