Looking for a no-fuss refresh? Try these easy – and affordable – decor updates.
Create a focal point
This is the area the eye naturally ‘lands’ on when entering a room. With the maximalism trend here to stay, 2019 is the year to experiment with bold block colours in innovative ways.
Five fast refreshers
1. Highlight the best feature in a room – such as the fireplace, window or angled wall – with a bold paint colour, or by creating a seating area around it.
2. Revamp one wall with a mural or painting. This works well in smaller areas as it gives the illusion of more space.
3. When a room has two practical uses such as a kitchen/dining area, turn your attention to the part you use the most, such as the kitchen island, and either paint it in a new colour or select a statement surface.
4. Think about shapes. Consider a curved headboard for your bed or a console table and make that the star of the room.
5. Give a painted feature wall more depth by placing a piece of furniture painted in the same shade in front of it.
Give your ceiling a lift
Why should your walls have all the fun? The ceiling is a blank canvas for you to showcase creative ideas. Here bold lines have been painted on to the ceiling using a stencil to add depth and a point of interest to an otherwise neutral space.
The hues to choose now
Bed, £2,098, Bethan Gray for Anthropologie, anthropologie.com
Rug (170cm x 240cm), £519, heals.com
Side tables, £99 for three, made.com
Pendant light, £155, madeindesign.co.uk
Play to your gallery
No time to dip into the paint pot? For an even quicker update, invest in a couple of framed posters or prints. Alternatively, simply rearrange your existing artwork or move it from one room to another.
Make your walls work harder
1. Revamp your artwork by reframing it in different colours or styles. For example, pair a vintage frame with a modern piece for a fresh approach.
2. Not all art needs to be hung – add personalised pieces and other mementos to your collection or lean prints against a wall.
3. For unique and original pieces that are also relatively affordable, go to art fairs. Events such as Frieze and London Original Print Fair showcase emerging talent at reasonable prices.
4. If you have fallen out of love with a piece of art, don’t be afraid to put it away for a while. You may change your mind over time and re-home it in a different room.
5. Think carefully about colour choices – what will work in your room over time as your tastes change? Monochrome-inspired gallery walls tend to age better and go with most palettes.
A masterpiece for less
Art doesn’t need to cost a fortune. Here are a few picks from our favourite affordable brands…
Abstract, (A3), £30, notanotherbill.com
Love love love love, (50cm x 70cm), £45, habitat.co.uk
Monochrome,(A3), £45, made.com
Shapes (21cm x 30cm), £6.95, in black frame, £8.95, desenio.co.uk
Have fun with faux foliage
Is your garden looking less than lush? No outdoor space? Then say hello to plants that you can neglect.
Faux jungle plant, £36, rockettstgeorge.co.uk with pot on stand, £18, anartfullife.co.uk
Faux monstera plant, £39.59, maisonsdumonde.com with blue pot, £31, amara.com
Faux cactus, £26, debenhams.com with gold pot, £29.99, hm.com
Don’t have the width? Scale up
Don’t worry if your garden is more a box – simply incorporate planters that have been specifically designed to help you create a hothouse vibe at home.
Plant box, around £161, fermliving.com
Planter shelf unit, £69, laredoute.co.uk
Three-tier planter, £29, made.com
Plant stand, £30, ikea.com
Compiled by Charlotte Page
