After spending over a month confined within our home, our once cosy spaces can easily start to feel more like a prison than a place of safety. For homeowners who are looking for ways to keep motivated within these challenging circumstances, a change in environment can help boost morale and make a space feel like new.
Below, RE/MAX of Southern Africa suggests 5 things homeowners can do to reinvigorate their livings spaces during lockdown.
1. Get organised
A space can feel incredibly different simply by decluttering and re-organising. To start, go through all drawers and create piles for the things that will be kept, donated (e.g. old clothing, blankets, or shoes), or thrown away. After decluttering, homeowners can regain some sense of control by organising the storage spaces in the home. To make wardrobes feel more spacious, swap out summer clothing for winter clothing. To organise the knick-knacks that fill any drawers, cut up empty cereal boxes to create different compartments in which to store items.
2. Redecorate and rearrange
A simple way to reinvent a space is to change the décor of each room. For those low on cash, try swapping items like curtains, rugs, scatter cushions from one room into the other. Rearrange your furniture to give the home a new layout. Something as small as placing the bed against a different wall can make all the difference to a room’s energy. To avoid moving heavy furniture back and forth, draw up a floor plan on which to play around before moving any furniture.
3. Stop staring at the same walls
Try a fresh coat of paint or give wallpaper a try. For the more adventurous, try an accent wall or just paint the door. The simple addition of wall art, whether it be a gallery wall of family photos, a piece of minimalist art, or even some useful shelving, can really reinvigorate the space.
4. Switch out your light bulbs
Especially now that Winter is approaching, the right lighting can do wonders to lift the mood of a home. Soft white bulbs give off a warm, yellow light that makes a space feel cozy feeling and are well suited for living rooms and bedrooms. Warm white bulbs give off a more yellowish-white glow and work well in kitchens and bathrooms. Bright white bulbs are between white and blue tones and are best suited for a home office or garage. Daylight bulbs have a more bluish tone that will maximize contrast, making it the best option for spaces in which you do a lot of reading or applying makeup.
5. Plant some purpose
Now that outdoor activities are so restricted, adding a splash of greenery is an affordable way to bring the outside in. House plants also add an extra bit of life to the space. The responsibility of having to take care of the plants and make sure they stay alive can give homeowners a small sense of purpose, which can be helpful for those who are struggling to cope with the lockdown.
“You don’t have to spend a fortune to revamp your space. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference. However, being trapped in your home for this long can also highlight those small irritations that you’ve been ignoring for so long. If you find yourself in the financial positions to do so, it may just be time to start the search for your new home,” suggests Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of REMAX of Southern Africa.