First Impressions | Fragrance | Lighting | Less is More | The Joy is in the Detail | Adding Panels | Mirrors
One of my favourite things to do is to take a look at show homes. Not because I am looking to purchase, but because I love to see how they maximise space, and the latest ways of drawing us in, connecting to a lifestyle we yearn for. Sure, there are lots of design shows, Pinterest etc. but for tactile visuals you can't beat taking a look at things in the flesh. I recently visited a couple of the local estates, sometimes they can be too similar but one was particularly good. Here are a few things I discovered or revisited.
First Impressions
The reason show homes always have immaculate gardens is because it sets the tone for what is to come. You'll find a light above the door for those winter viewings, a nice quality house name and some simple architectural detail which captures the style of the house. You never see the bins, weeds, litter or anything which makes the house look less than perfect here.
Top tip: keep it simple, screen the ugly, keep the weeds at bay, and get a nice house name.
Fragrances
When you open the front door a quality fragrance generally hits you this can usually best be achieved with a plug in, or an automatic spray dispenser. I personally prefer the first option because the latter makes me jump a little when they go off and I've forgotten they are there. Choose something you like fragrance wise. We like the Febreze 3volution range which cycles through 3 different but connected fragrances. You can change the refill for something completely different next time which we found is usually in about a month's time.
New Home Style Lighting
Lighting a space well is so important for creating the atmosphere for a new home but if you are going to live there, it must be practical as well. There is a whole science behind lighting design but the more obvious things are:
Do have great work lighting in your kitchen? One of our favourites is Artika's Skylight integrated LED Flush Mount Light.
Do make sure that where you need good visibility for crafts, putting on make-up etc you get as close to natural light as possible. A daylight bulb really helps.
Don't think of lighting as just lighting, think of each piece as an art investment. A pretty practical light adds great impact to any space.
Less is More
New home designers cheat: A new home designer doesn't have to consider how much room there isn't for the kid's toys or where the dog food will go. Their goal is to create the atmosphere, suggest that there is room for your two bumbling big hounds and your children will love their tiny perfectly formed space. Even if they only have 5 things in there, and there is no wardrobe. That sadly doesn't work for real life.
Here are a few things which might:
Declutter every month and don't stock up. You'll feel better for having things organised and your wallet will too.
Use the ugly, unloved and impractical spaces to hide the things you don't use regularly or might swap out. We keep winter clothes in the loft in cases until needed and then the summer ones can go in the cases instead. Ikea's Drona boxes are a godsend. They are bigger than similar ones that other companies offer, and are practically indestructible. Also if you are really pressed for space it's worth considering getting a storage locker nearby in the short term.
Dedicate space to the things you love. If you have a hobby or interest which you aren't doing justice to because you haven't the time, make it easy to do. Create that cosy painting space in your kitchen because the light is just right. Put that fitness pole on the landing. Celebrate you. It's your space and so long as you don't break the law or create a problem with your building go for it!
Co-ordinate the space. Colour patterns and themes are often used in new homes to create the illusion of space. You can do the same. Pick a feature colour and run with it throughout, in different ways and shades. Using the same light coloured carpet helps you feel connected to the space as a whole too.
Important Note: We hugely admire the great job many new home stylists do, the jarring point is not their work, but that the needs of selling the properties in an appealing way is different to living in the space as your home.
The Joy is in the Detail
One of the reasons we often like a new house is the little touches, here are our new favourites:
A practical garden space
An expensive house sign?
This one certainly looks like it, but it's not or at least doesn't have to be. The lettering is simply laser cut. That's something we do in the studio at Find Bliss for a very low cost and the wood is actually a vinyl finish. If you have a piece of wood it's easy to add dark stain and the lettering. If not you could use an old piece of metal and wrap with the vinyl.
Unexpected paint effects
A scalloped effect adds an unusual but soft feature to this bedroom. It brings together otherwise quite random objects to a beautiful effect. You can experiment with other shapes and colour combinations. We'll share how to go about it in another post very soon.
Adding Panels
This is a much cheaper process than you might imagine for someone with even the slightest woodwork skill. The trick is getting the proportion of the room correct. The wood trim used here can be purchased quite cheaply from any DIY shop, we think the effect is stunning.
New Home Style: Mirrors
Nothing makes a space look bigger than a well placed mirror or a collection of mirrors. You'll see them littered through a new home and used in many creative ways. This is because a well placed mirror makes a space look much bigger, adding light and style. Sure we all baulk at the cost but they really do pay for themselves. Beware mirrors are heavy and difficult to fit alone, if you've not done it before get a handyman in and make sure you use the right fittings for your wall.
There is so much more we could add in the post, please add your own to our DIY forum space at FInd Bliss and comment there on anything you'd like us to talk about in future posts, especially hacks or creativity.
This post is reproduced with consent from findbliss.co.uk
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