Upgrade Your Home ‘Changing Rooms’ Style

After a difficult past year, many people are looking at cost-effective ways to upgrade their home and make the most of their disposable income. So, we thought we’d share a few of our own Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen homestyle tips to hopefully inspire you (and not make you shudder!).

Paint it up

Changing the wall colour can make a MASSIVE difference to a room. And you don’t need to go crazy here (unless you really want to). If you want a calm and relaxing space, then opt for neutral colours, but you can always inject a bit of life into the room with a feature wall. You could try one of Laurence’s painting hacks to create a dark wood effect or the famous wall panel illusion. Or you could choose a colour or wallpaper that offsets your colour scheme.

Think coffee and caramel against a cream or beige wall. Sage green or dove blue against an intricate, detailed wallpaper. You could also switch up the colour temperature to bolder tones and reverse the colour psychology in the room. Always check how your existing furniture and furnishings will work within the space. You may decide to upgrade a couple of items to match the new colour scheme or add in a few objects and lighting to enhance the ambience.

Hide it away

Yep, we’re talking about clutter. But we know how hard it can be to keep your home tidy, especially when you have little ones running around, messy pets, or maybe just a really untidy partner! But you can get a bit creative here when it comes to your storage solutions. Think beyond cupboards and shelving, and get clever with your storage ideas.

Add a stylish neutral, velvet storage footstool to upgrade your lounge and hide away toys, games controllers and books at the same time! And this also gives you an extra seat within your living space when you have guests to visit, so it’s a win-win! Or spruce up your bedroom with a pretty-in-pink ottoman storage bench. Not only does this add a touch of glamour to your bedroom, but it’s the perfect place to stowaway makeup or spare bed linen.

Pick a chair

Comfort has to be at the forefront of your mind whenever you think about upgrading your home. So, along with refreshing your fixtures and furnishings, think about your chair or sofa. Your armchair may feel like an old faithful friend, but has it seen better days? If your fave chair was trending before social media was invented, then it’s probably time to change it. If it’s older than a decade, the upholstery may have faded, and the cushions may have sunk.

But where do you begin when it comes to finding a brand-new armchair? Start with your comfort and mobility levels. There are so many functions out there, you can pick and choose between recliners for living rooms, accent chairs for bedrooms, and even fancy office chairs for your home office. Need help getting in and out of a chair? Check out rise recliners! Carefully match your chair cover to your new colour scheme to avoid any nasty surprises.

Even a change in carpet from warm cream to cool ivory can suddenly make a seemingly neutral wall look more yellow than you intended. So, choose your colour palette wisely, get a few samples, and do a bit of research before you design your home upgrade. And if in doubt, check your ideas with friends and family to see what they think before you take the plunge!

Upgrade your home today with a brand-new armchair or sofa - see our vast range. If you need any advice, our friendly, expert customer service team are on hand to help - use our online web chat tool.