Your Mum Was Right, It Is The Little Things In Life

When you were a kid, you were no doubt on the receiving end of the phrase, “it’s the small things in life that make the biggest differences,” which was something your mum used to say to you when you were flicking through the Argos catalogue at Christmas and putting a circle around all the biggest toys you could find. But your mum was right. Maybe not in that context, but certainly when it comes to decorating your home because the smallest design elements tend to make the biggest statements, and that is best done by adding a little bit of personality to each space.

We all get along with people who don’t take themselves too seriously, or have a little ‘spunk’, so why should it be any different with your rooms? Obviously, that was rhetorical because it shouldn’t. That is why we have done the decent thing and pulled together a list of tips, tricks and bits of advice that will help you make your home that much more of a talking point, in a good way (just so you know, we fully expect to be celebrated as martyrs for this good deed).

1. Bathrooms Were Not Made To Be Boring

Why is it that we all think our bathrooms have to be these sterile, utilitarian spaces where the majority of the room is bare and only a small amount of features get to have a say. It’s like we have been brainwashed to associate the word bathroom with the word boring and that in itself is boring. So, to escape the clutches of this way of life, get your paintbrush out and start adding some colour to the walls and the bathtub itself. That’s right. Paint the bathtub. Next up, lay a nice colourful rug down because a) this will fill that gaping hole called the floor and b) it will stop you have to hot-step it across the freezing cold tiles when you wake up in the night for a pee.

2. Create A Sense Of Scale, Man

The most astounding rooms you have probably been in all have one common denominator and that is scale. Sometimes it is subtly added, other times it is thrown in your face. Either way, that sense of scale is a little decor trick that always makes a big difference. It could be an oversized lampshade, or it could be a ginormous sofa that seems to reach both ends of a room, or it could be a fake tree in the corner of a room that is so imposing it feels like another person is in the room, but someone you like. There is a bunch of ways you can create more of a scale in your space, usually without even having to buy anything. You could just pop a few books under your side table lamp to raise it six inches, something that may change your room entirely. It’s just about having a play around.

3. Frame Your Kids Artwork

We all have that drawer full of our children’s artwork we have been saving because a) we promised we would one day hang it up and b) we didn’t want to seem like bad parents. Well, a great way to make your home seem way more like a home, you should hang these on the walls. It doesn’t even have to be kids artwork. It could be old newspaper clippings, or that college of Rolling Stone Magazine covers you kept. Simply dig them out, pop them into an inexpensive frame from Ikea.com or somewhere and hang them on that empty wall you have in your home. Not only will this make a home feel homier, it will feel more you too. It’s cool.

4. Create A New Focal Point

Every room has a focal point that we sort of chose subconsciously, by default, and that’s because society does it. But that doesn’t mean you have to do it. Take your living room for example, instead of arranging your sofas so they congregate around your (probably oversized) television, try creating a new focal point, such as one of those modern furnaces you can get from ultimatefires.com.au. Of course, it doesn’t have to be just your living room you do this too. You could do it to your kitchen by painting the stools at your breakfast bar a lovely shade of yellow cake, or you could simply add a couple of chairs and a piece of wire art to the bottom of your stairs. There are so many ways you can draw the eyes elsewhere and that will make your home different and without even doing much, It’s amazing and yet weird. It’s like stepping into a crowded lift and facing the back. For some reason, people will notice even though you are completely still.

5. Green Is A Pick Me Up

Before anyone misinterprets that in any way, we’re talking about houseplants. That kind of greenery can really add something special to a room, which is why it has to be celebrated and revered as one of the simplest ways to make a “nothing room” a “something room”. It just projects peace and tranquility and that is kind of awesome. Don’t worry, you don’t need to get white orchids delivered to your house every month and pay by direct debit, you just need to pop out and buy some of those stupidly realistic fake ones; you’ll achieve the same look. A couple of branches in a nice vase on a table, an entire tree in the corner of the room, some hanging baskets in the bathroom – all of these have a way of adding a breath of fresh air into a space (even if it is impossible for them to photosynthesise).

See, we weren’t lying or telling fibs; it is the little things in your home that tend to have the biggest difference. The little things that we often overlook or keep pushing down our to-do lists. Now, we know the Christmas period is a busy one, but if you get time to do one or two of these then do. As good as I’m A Celebrity is, these tips are far more rewarding.