1. Don’t add, take away or replace
Rethink an arrangement of furniture or change up a vignette you have in place now. We love having our favourite things nearby, as well as useful things. Streamline areas and shake things up by rotating a few items to freshen up the look – a different water glass by your bedside, together with a lamp stolen from the living room or office, perhaps. Pop a flower or potted herb on your kitchen bench or window sill and stack a pile of favourite cookbooks for inspiration nearby. Change the bowl you’re using for fruit.
2. Reinvent a favourite piece
If your favourite chair only gets clothes dumped on it in the bedroom, take it into the living room or kitchen. Set up a spot for repose in one of your living spaces where you can enjoy it when not relaxing in it. Use a single bed as a day bed piled high with cushions. Declutter your bedside by moving a bookshelf into your bedroom to relieve the pile building up.
3. Get out your favourites and enjoy them
Rather than languishing in your linen press or stacked in the back of your cupboard, give favourite items pride of place as a vignette or display. Push your best linen into service on a daily basis, shine up your silver or hang a stunning textile piece on your wall to be enjoyed.
4. Change your lampshades
Rather than replacing the whole lamp, simply recover or change the shade for a completely different look. Affordable shades can be bought from big retailers in every colour in the rainbow, or spend a little time on Youtube learning how to do it yourself with that favourite piece of fabric you’ve had for so long.
5. Rearrange your furniture
Who doesn’t love to do this? It can make a world of difference to both how you use and view a space. Check your current configuration for what works and what doesn’t. Ask a friend to help and get a different perspective.
Use pieces in alternate places or group furniture together to create different zones. Re-orient your dining table, move your sofa away from the wall and put a console behind it. Bring a living room rug into the dining room… the possibilities are endless!
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9 signs you need to rethink your living room layout
