Home Decor Ideas

Making the decision to build your own home means dedicating at least a few months to the process. Some builds seem to go perfectly, while others have a few bumps along the way. The type of builder you choose could make all the difference. You’ll need to choose a builder depending on your timeline, budget and level of customization. Custom builders and production builders might seem similar, but they offer different pros and cons. Consider each and compare them to your wishlist before making your final decision. Here are some of the factors to think about.

Production Builders 

Production builders have semi-custom construction down to an art; they can build hundreds of homes a year. They know how much everything costs and structure the build for budget and efficiency. They’ll be able to offer your dream house – within reason, of course. Consider these factors to decide if a production builder makes sense for you.

A production builder uses a set catalog of plans. Image: BCD Homes

Pros:

• They offer fixed prices. Because production builders build the same homes over and over, they have a better idea of prices. A production builder can give you a near-exact cost, which means you can choose a home and plan more effectively.
• They negotiate the best deal with contractors. Production builders tend to use the same contractors for their homes. This allows them to negotiate stellar bulk deals on supplies and services, passing the savings onto you.
• They’re faster. Managing tight schedules and multiple contractors is a science for production builders. Barring any major snafus, production builders are faster and operate on tighter timelines than custom builders.
• They offer development amenities. Production builders usually create entire developments at one time. They typically develop amenities like parks, walking trails and even sports courts as a draw for potential homeowners. That means you’ll score major perks by choosing a builder’s development over buying your own lot.

Cons: 

• You’ll be restricted to existing plans. To keep costs low and predictable, production builders reuse a catalog of plans. Your home won’t be one-of-a-kind and there may be several others in your development with the same or a similar home.
• Your customizations are limited. Some production builders allow a little customization inside the home. You may be able to have a larger master bathroom or opt for a breakfast nook. But you won’t be able to change the size of the home and may be restricted on things like window sizes or moving walls. You’ll need to choose a plan that’s close enough to what you want, which could put a damper on building your “dream” house.
• Your fixture choices are limited. When choosing things like carpet, tile, counters and fixtures, you’ll pick from a set of pre-chosen options that the builder allows. Restricting choices keeps prices predictable but it could make you feel stuck with options you don’t really love.

A custom builder starts your plans from scratch. Image: McEwan Custom Homes

Custom Builders

Custom builders create your home, taking you all the way from a blank sheet of paper to a turnkey property. You’ll get exactly what you want, but it can also mean a less predictable process. Here are some of the major pros and cons of going custom.

Pros:

• You’ll get a truly unique product. Custom builders start every home from scratch. Whether you come with a plan you found online or you want to create something yourself, each home is unique and designed to your specifications.
• You can choose your own architect. A custom builder might have a preferred architect or designer, but you can bring your own, too. You aren’t limited to any set of plans and if you love an architect’s work, you can have your plans drawn before you start working with your builder.
• You’ll have more choices. Want all-gold fixtures? Done! Want a Game of Thrones mural in your game room? Go for it. Want an oversized deck and huge pantry? It’s yours. A custom builder isn’t restricted in any way, so you’ll get to make every choice to your tastes along the way.
• You’ll have more input. Custom home builders love collaboration, so expect to have more input along the way. Visiting the construction site and having more control over your build is par for the course. It’s a better choice for control freaks or those who truly want the full build experience.

Cons:

• Expect a longer build. Custom jobs take more time because there are more decisions to make and contractors are lined up on an as-needed basis. It takes time to send out for bids and hire contractors for your home. Expect a custom job to take longer than a production build.
• Less predictable costs. Custom builders usually use a cost plus model, which means the cost of goods and services plus a percentage for managing the build. It’s much harder for a custom builder to predict costs because each build is different. Your cost will depend on all of your options, contractor pricing and industry prices that fluctuate.
• No bulk pricing. Production builders negotiate bulk pricing from the same contractors, but it’s unlikely your custom builder gets the same preferential treatment as a production builder. Your end cost could be slightly higher based on that fact.
• Too many choices. A custom build can seem like too much of a good thing. Picking all of your fixtures, colors and options can definitely become overwhelming, especially if the sky’s the limit and there’s no way to really narrow down your options.

Production and custom builders each have their pros and cons, so it’s a personal choice. Would you rather have the home of your dreams, even if it’s a little more expensive? Or is price your true bottom line? By deciding which factors are most important to you, you can choose the type of builder that makes the most sense for you, your family and your build.

The post Production Builders vs. Custom Builders: Which is Right for You? appeared first on Freshome.com.

The new year is here, bringing with it all sorts of new interior design trends to fawn over. Today, however, we’re focusing exclusively on color. Each year, color giants like Behr and Sherwin-Williams release their top picks for which colors will soon be everywhere. From their wide selections, we picked the 2019 color trends that we think are most likely to take off and laid out how to use them. Read on below to get ahead of the curve.

A dark green shade called “Night Watch” is PPG’s 2019 Color of the Year. Image: Black Lacquer Design

Dark greens

Recently, a dark green shade called “Night Watch” was given the honor of being named PPG’s Color of the Year. According to a senior marketing manager with PPG, this color was chosen because “the restorative power of nature is important in society now more than ever. Night Watch is about bringing the healing power from the outdoors into your home through color.”

We couldn’t agree more. We’ve progressively been seeing nature-inspired decor take over our interiors. From incorporating live plants to embracing the jungle trend, we can’t get enough. That’s why we think dark green shades are set to be everywhere this year.

As for how to use this shade in your home, embracing dark greens is all about creating a bold look. Pair it with darker neutrals like black and brown or opt for an even more on-trend aesthetic and incorporate some jewel tones. Choose warm metals like copper or gold to create a sense of contrast.

Bye, Millennial Pink. Hello, Dusty Rose. Image: Nathan + Jac

Dusty pinks

For years, the cheekily-named Millennial Pink has graced us with its presence. It was nearly impossible to see a scandi-inspired interior without it. However, 2019 is all about change. These days, we’re seeing the bright, almost bubblegum hues of Millennial Pink being replaced with a more subdued, timeless version. It’s time to say hello to dusty pinks.

This year, as part of their Colormix Color Forecast, Sherwin-Williams released 42 trend-forward shades that spanned six unique color palettes. Dusty pink shades showed up on three of them. For us, that’s enough indication that this color will soon be everywhere.

This color is a wonderful accent shade. Use it in an accent wall, a piece of statement furniture or some throw pillows. You can bring out the color to its fullest by pairing it with plenty of white, which will give your design a sense of contrast. Alternatively, you can go a bit more playful and round out the look by incorporating plenty of richer reds or pale blues.

Warm creams are the new “it” neutral. Image: Jenni Leasia Interior Design

Warm creams

Since the era of gray-everything is finally coming to an end, it’s time to zero in on a new neutral to take its place. Enter warm creams. This group of colors is especially exciting because it offers the perfect middle ground. It’s less stark than the all-white interiors we’ve grown used to seeing in conjunction with modern aesthetics, yet it’s less expected than a traditional tan shade.

Benjamin Moore’s Color Trends for 2019 feature two distinct cream-inspired shades: “Cloud White” and “Balboa Mist.” With just 15 colors in total, that’s not a bad percentage. However, we suspect this is just the start of seeing warm creams crop up everywhere.

Using this color is all about adding a sense of warmth and serenity to the room. Think about pairing it with warm neutrals like browns and tans. Serene blues and grounding earth tones are also a good match. In this case, you’ll want to stay away from colors that feel harsh and opt for more muted versions.

“Blueprint” is Behr’s 2019 Color of the Year. Image: Jessica Buckley Interiors

Medium blues

Our final 2019 color trend alert is for medium blue shades. This one comes to us from Behr, who named a hue called “Blueprint” their 2019 Color of the Year. On the choice, Erika Woelfel, Vice President of Color and Creative Services at Behr, explained, “Much like the sketches builders rely on to bring an architectural design to life, Blueprint S470-5 lays a foundation for consumers to make their unique vision a reality. This universally appealing hue provides a steady stream of positivity and is poised to be an instant classic for years to come.”

We like “Blueprint” – and shades like it – because they’re incredibly versatile. On the one hand, like navy, a medium blue can be used as a neutral shade. It can stand up to bolder colors like vibrant reds and yellows. However, on the other, a medium blue shade can also be an accent color. It can be the pop of visual interest that livens up an otherwise neutral design.

The post These Are The 2019 Color Trends We’re Loving appeared first on Freshome.com.

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While it might not be as fun as choosing countertops or paint colors, planning your new home’s electrical outlets can impact your daily life more than you realize. After all, how often are you left searching for a place to plug in your charger or install a new light fixture? Your architect will include an electrical plan with your blueprints, so designing outlets will be part of the process. Don’t leave it to your architect to guess where you want outlets. Consider these factors and you’ll always have the power you need.

Tuck outlets under cabinets for quick access. Image: Gilmans Kitchen and Bath

Beyond the wall

Your architect will plan around city codes when it comes to placing outlets. Your city or county will dictate how far spaced your outlets must be. But you can still have input on where they go, or if you want outlets in specific places. Obviously, most outlets will be placed in your walls, but think beyond the wall to really make sure you’re covered. Imagining how you’ll use the home and live your daily life can help you visualize the best places for outlets. Here are some clever places to make sure you have power:

• In kitchen drawers and cabinets. Drawers and cabinets are a sneaky way to run more power through your kitchen. Whether you need to charge a phone, run a hand mixer or even plug in a small light, having power tucked away in your drawers gives you easy access that doesn’t disrupt your decor. You can also use cabinet outlets to light some of the darker corners of your cupboards.
• Under cabinets. Under-cabinet lighting is a cool feature, but it can be expensive. What’s more, you might find yourself changing out pricey specialty bulbs, or just leaving them burned out. Plugs underneath the cabinets let you choose less expensive lighting and serve up space to plug in electronics and kitchen gadgets without taking up counter space.
• In the island. If you have a kitchen island, consider running power up and into your island with an outlet on the side. Even if you have other counter space, you’ll likely use your island for prep work. It’s annoying to have to move food to another workspace in order to plug in a mixer, blender or food processor. The island is also the perfect place to serve up pancakes hot off the electric griddle.
• In the entryway. Why add outlets to the entryway? It’s just a place to take off coats and shoes, right? Well, think about how many times you plug your phone into an outlet in the house, only to forget it? Or how many times have you guests who need a charger? Adding plugs to your entryway gives you a convenient out-of-the-way place to charge phones and electronics so they’re always ready when you are.
• Living room floors. Don’t want to trip over cords and plugs? Putting outlets in your living room floor means you can plug lighting exactly where you need to, hiding the cords under furniture instead of causing a constant trip hazard.
• Bathrooms. Your architect will definitely plan for plugs in the bathroom, but you can design their placement so they’re more functional. Think about how you use bathroom electronics like shavers or hair dryers. Remember that it’s unsafe to string cords over sinks so plan accordingly. Addicted to quiet baths and reality TV? Your architect can also help you find a safe place to put an outlet for a TV in the bathroom.

Add outlets in the floor to reduce trip hazards. Image: The Orpin Group

Smart outlets 

Old, outdated plugs might do the trick, but new smart outlets make life so much easier. Check out some of the new smart outlet options to see if they’re an upgrade you want to make.

• USB outlets. Why worry about USB converters at all? If you’re placing outlets where you know you’ll want to charge your phone, just install a USB outlet and you can plug directly into the wall.
• Bluetooth outlets. Make your house a smarthome on the cheap by using smart outlets and plugs to control your electronics from your phone. They use Bluetooth to connect with your electronics, so you don’t have to get out of bed just because you forgot to turn off the a lamp downstairs.
• WiFi outlet. Wondering how much power it takes to run your home? WiFi outlets can send information about your power usage and even cut off certain appliances or electronics when they meet a quota. This can save you major money in the long run.

They might not be the most visible part of your home, but plugs might be some of the most important. They are a small thing that make a big difference in your daily life. Slowing down the design process to choose and place them properly means you’ll love your home that much more.

The post Things to Consider When Installing Outlets appeared first on Freshome.com.

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It’s going to be a long, cold winter this year, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. Editor Peter Geiger explains, “The real teeth-chattering arrives mid-February, especially in the following zones:  Northeast/New England, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Midwest and Southeast.”

It’s time to set up and hunker down for winter. We’ve got five easy ways you can make your home warmer and cozier.

When temperatures drop outside, it’s time to start layering your rooms with plenty of cozy blankets and rugs. Image: Elle Decoration UK

The following five tips don’t require a big time or money investment but will go a long way to make your home warmer this winter. And the best part is you’ll not only feel more comfortable in your home, you’ll also save money on your heating bill.

1. Load Up On The Right Winter Textiles

Chunky throws, an area rug and lots of throw pillows can warm up and “cozify” a space. Image: Etsy

Blankets, rugs, throws and curtains all insulate a room for a cozier and warmer space. Here are some ideas on how to use the right winter textiles to make your home warmer this winter:

• A small runner next to your bed, large area rug in the living room or bath mat in front of your bathroom sink will keep you (and your feet) away from the cold floor.
• Swap your sateen or percale sheets for flannel or microfiber. They’ll feel warmer to the touch and insulate better.
• A down (or down alternative) comforter will hold your body heat in best.
• Hang heavier insulating curtains that keep the cold air out and the warm air in.

2. Deal With Drafts

Hang heavy curtains to close up large open areas and create a warmer, cozier environment. Image: Colour and Design

Doors, windows and cracks can leak cold air into your home. To keep your house as warm as possible, you’ll need to isolate the gaps that let the cold air in. Here’s how to find the drafts and fix them, stat:

• The most common drafty culprits are windows, doors and wiring holes. Start there.
• To find other drafts, wait for a windy day, close all windows and doors and light a stick of incense. Hold it in places you suspect drafts are originating. If the incense smoke looks unsteady or wavering or gets blown into the room or sucked out, you’ve found a drafty spot.
• Keep doors closed to all your rooms.
• Keep the fireplace flue closed when not in use.
• Have an entry that opens up to the living room? Hang a curtain rod and a heavy curtain to keep cold air out of the living room when you open the front door.
• Use caulk or expanding foam to seal up wiring holes or a leaky window.
• Stick self-adhesive weatherstripping in windows or doors that have a noticeable gap to seal them.
• Place a “draft snake” or rolled up towel at the base of your door to keep a draft out.

3. Use Smart Heating & Cooling Wisely

A smart thermostat works as your home’s comfort-on-command center. Image: Trane

Smart heating and cooling systems are readily available to make comfort on demand easy. You can wirelessly control your home’s heating system nowadays, thanks to a smart thermostat and home zoning.

The secret to the warmest, coziest and most cost-efficient smart heating and cooling system is to set up your home in zones.

Home zoning means that cooling or heating goes to the areas you’re likely to be using most. Efficiently running a home zoning setup like the ComfortLink II Zoning System means that you’ll save money and energy by focusing heating and cooling in the areas you use most frequently.

To run and schedule your home zoning comfort-on-demand system, you’ll need a smart thermostat. It’s your home’s energy command center where you can program what zones you want to heat and when. You can also access the smart thermostat remotely or view live weather on the color touchscreen display.

4. Rearrange Your Furniture To Make Your Home Warmer

Move seating away from cold, drafty windows for comfort. Don’t block heat registers or radiators so warm air can flow properly. Image: House Beautiful

It’s time to get strategic on where your room’s furniture sits to avoid cold air from windows and walls and enjoy the few days of warm sun. If you work from home during the day, place your desk near a sunny window to take in the sun’s heat. Move your sofa, armchair or bed away from a cold, drafty window or poorly insulated wall to keep yourself warmer and cozier.

Move your sofa and other larger pieces of furniture away from your heating ducts or radiators so the heat can flow freely in a room.

5. Run Your Fan The Opposite Way

Run your fan to spin clockwise in the lowest setting possible to push warm air back down. Image: Forsite Studio

Did you know that most fans have a tiny switch on the base of the mechanism near the blades? This switch allows you to turn the fan to “winter mode.”

Heat rises. And if you have tall ceilings, the warmest place in your home is near the ceiling. Set the fan’s switch to reverse mode so the blades spin clockwise instead of counterclockwise to push warm air back down where you can enjoy it.

This trick works best if your fan has several speed settings. Run your fan at the very lowest speed possible. You don’t want to run your fan too high, creating a draft and cooling the room.

Warming up your home for this long winter doesn’t require a lot of work. And the reward will be stylish spaces that feel more inviting so you can cozy up and relax with a nice mocha.

The post Here Are 5 Easy Ways To Make Your Home Warmer And Cozier For Winter appeared first on Freshome.com.

If you’re looking for a worthy new year’s resolution, then try this idea: designing a calm home for 2019. It’s a great resolution because it has an easy end goal in sight. You make some adjustments to your home, and then you can enjoy the benefits of the resolution for the rest of the year.

With how hectic our lives are outside the home, it’s never been more important to create a relaxing oasis for ourselves. When you feel more relaxed at home, you have more energy to go out and tackle the rest of your life. So below are some ways to get a calm feeling in the home.

Spa elements in the home can create an instant feeling of relaxation. Image: Frances Herrera

Spa Layout

One way to get a calmer home for 2019 is to go for a spa layout. An example is the bathroom in the photo above. Spas sometimes have free-standing luxury soaker tubs, so if you’ve been eyeing a new bathtub, this might be a worthwhile addition.

Even if you’re not looking for any major overhauls, you can make small aesthetic choices to get a spa look in your home. For instance, small natural accents like the large fern-like leaf in the photo above give a natural spa look. You might incorporate natural stone artwork, like you sometimes see in a spa. Or you might place incense around the bathroom. Think back to your favorite spa trip and try to recreate those styles in your home. You can also view more home spa bathroom ideas here.

Try a relaxing and soothing color scheme for the new year. Image: Martha O’Hara Interiors

Relaxing Colors

If you want a more relaxing vibe in your home, you might also want to play around with the color scheme. The new year is a wonderful excuse to repaint the walls for a fresh look.

For instance, light colors and blue always create an instant relaxing tone that would be a help when creating a calm home for 2019. An example is the photo above, where the light blue-gray walls and white trim make for an open, relaxed space.

You might also want to look into colors that say relaxation to you on a personal level. Earthy tones tend to be relaxing. Or you might feel particularly soothed by lavender. It’s your calm home space, so make sure it speaks to you individually.

Nature can be a soothing element in the home. Image: britto charette

Plant Life

Don’t forget the plant life if you equate relaxation with nature. For nature lovers, there’s nothing quite as relaxing as having nature around you in the home. A great example is the photo above. This artsy space shows how a few floor plants can fit into the most contemporary of styles.

You can also put plant life on dining tables, end tables, mantels or shelves. The more you surround yourself with natural elements, the more relaxing the vibe of the room tends to feel. If you have a black thumb, you can also place highly realistic-looking faux plants around your home.

Go zen for instant calm and tranquility. Image: Avalon NW

Zen Elements for a Calm Home

A quick way to get a relaxing tone in your home is to go for some zen elements. Zen style is all about creating a feeling of tranquility in the home. And it’s surprisingly easy to get. An example is the small Buddha statue that accents the garden in the photo above.

Inside the home, you might place Japanese artwork, indoor zen gardens or koi aquariums. Asian architectural elements like tatami floors or paper wall room dividers are also common. This style can incorporate anything that gives a meditative feel. It was made for designing a calmer home. You can find some additional ideas for a zen home here.

Get the relaxing sound of a bubbling brook with water features in the home. Image: Bluworld

Water Features

Water features are also a great way to create a calm home. The trickling sound of the water is instantly soothing. A wonderful way to get this element in your home is a water wall, like the feature in the photo above. They’re a bit of an investment, but they give a ritzy feel and soothing vibe in the home. You can see some more indoor water feature ideas here.

If you can’t spring for a water wall, you might want to try more affordable tabletop water fountains. These usually have water running over rocks or through bamboo reeds. They create the same relaxing sound of running water in your home as larger features.

The post 5 Ways to Get a Calm Home for 2019 appeared first on Freshome.com.

Research reveals that sunlight increases serotonin, a chemical in your body that makes you happy and keeps you in a good mood. During the winter months, the cold weather makes it difficult to spend as much time outdoors. Sunrooms provide an opportunity to bring the outdoors inside during these months. If you’re thinking about designing a sunroom – or you have one that you’re not using –  here are some tips for creating a sunroom that you’ll truly enjoy.

Decide on your objective

Scandinavian-style sunroom in Washington, DC. Image: Barnes Vanze Architects

Leigh Spicher, National Director of Design Studios for Ashton Woods, agrees that sunrooms can put you in a good mood. “Let’s just go ahead and call your sunroom your happy place, and natural light is perfect for so many different activities, from meditation to reading to planting,” she says. Or, it could be a place to listen to music or take naps. In any event, Spicher says you need to decide how you want to use the room before you choose the finishes like paint colors or flooring.

Apply these three principles

After deciding the sunroom’s objective, Spicher says says it’s important to apply these three basic design principles.

San Francisco sunroom. Image: Carrington Hill Designs

After deciding on the room’s objective, Spicher says says it’s important to apply these three basic design principles.

First, your sunroom needs balance, according to Spicher. “This doesn’t mean you need double windows on each side of the room, but the space should not have all the furnishings pushed to one side,” she explains. A fireplace can also add warmth when the temperature drops too low.

New York sunroom. Image: DeGraw & DeHaan Architects

Second, Spicher says the sunroom also needs rhythm.  “Choose a finish, color or texture and repeat it through your room,” she says. “I love the use of a natural material like brick or hardwood in a sunroom; an interesting pattern like herringbone, creates natural rhythm and a feel-good vibe in the room.”

St. Louis sunroom. Image: Chouteau Building Group

The third element of a good sunroom is harmony, which Spicher explains as different elements working together. “I love to blend different natural elements, like wood and stone,” she explains. Spicher recommends filling the room with various different elements that make you feel good. “Create your sunroom as a personalized space for you,” she says.

Materials and finishes

Nashville sunroom. Image: Connie Vernich Designs

According to Lori Wiles, founder of Lori Wiles Design, the sunroom is getting a lot of attention as a relaxed addition to a home. “We’re creating strong structural elements in natural finishes like stone walls, iron strapping and lights, and wood that extend the character of the house in a more casual application,” Wiles says. “It’s really a bridge between inside and out, with the comfort and security of inside and the freshness and relaxation of being outside.”

Austin sunroom. Image: Leonid Furmansky Architectural Photographer

Luxury vinyl plan flooring is one option that Wiles recommends. “Realistic looking luxury vinyl plank flooring is allowing us to get a wood floor look without the installation problems of natural wood.” She says it’s also available in a variety of colors and can mimic different wood species.

Design for comfort

Radiant floor with bluestone pavers in Portland sunroom. Image: Whitten Architects

When furnishing your room, the right seating can make or break the space, according to Eric Gustafson, president of PureModern. “It’s best to find the right sized chairs for your space and try not to overdo it,” he says. “Sometimes simplicity is the way to go, a few comfortable chairs can add the perfect touch,” he adds.

Bronxville, NY sunroom. Image: Vincentsen-Blasi Architecture

Since the goal is to spend a lot of time in this room, Gustafson recommends choosing something that expresses your style and will create a retreat-like atmosphere. “The sky is the limit when choosing décor – you can go with a minimalistic look where you may only want to add a clock and some throw pillows, or you can get adventurous and add some wall art or a fireplace.”

Add greenery

Boston sunroom. Image: LDa Architecture & Interiors

Greenery can create a smooth transition from outside to inside, according to Gustafson. “Planters are a great way to accomplish this because you can choose many different styles to fit any look you are going for,” he says. “Not only do planters add greenery to your sunroom but they can also be a great piece of furniture to complement your decor.”

Consider lighting

Miami sunroom. Image: Rob Downey Photography

Lighting is another element that you need to consider. “You should decide whether you want to go with ceiling/wall fixtures or lamps,” Gustafson says. “Each type of lighting can bring a different vibe to your sunroom, but luckily there are many different options to choose from and finding the right look to compliment your decor is pretty easy.”

You don’t have to unplug

New York sunroom. Image: Douglas VanderHorn Architects

Don’t forget to plan for using electronic devices. “To make the sunroom most appealing, we’re using weather friendly electronics like a TV in a low glare location that can be seen from several angles,” Wiles says. “Speakers are easy to locate almost anywhere and the remote controls can be out of sight in a cabinet or storage ottoman.”

Do you have additional tips for bringing more sunlight into your home? Let us know in the comments.

The post Bring the Sun in This Winter With a Sunroom appeared first on Freshome.com.

Do you wish you could breathe some fresh life into your home for 2019? Then you may want to add some elements to your home featuring current design trends. But you might look at some of the trendiest contemporary spaces and feel those are out of reach. After all, many spaces incorporate a contemporary aesthetic in the way they are designed on an architectural level, meaning you might need a complete remodel or new build to achieve those looks. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to modernize a home that don’t require a wrecking ball. Below are some added embellishments that can make your home look more updated for the new year.

Mirrors add a new style in an instant. Image: Elad Gonen

Large Contemporary Mirror

An easy way to add stark, updated geometry to a space is to look into the different mirror designs out there. An example in the photo above uses circular and square geometry in juxtaposition. It really adds some sleek geometry to the space, and the gray frame matches the neutrals in the rest of the room.

Mirrors are an easy way to modernize a home. A large mirror can be its own focal point. They’re easy to source and hang and a large mirror can do wonders in opening up a space. Plus, the sleek texture of a mirror makes any space look more updated.

Change up your furniture to something more creative for an updated look. Image: Laurie Woods

Modernize a Home with Unconventional Furniture

Large pieces of furniture tend to be their own focal point. So if you want to overhaul how a room looks, simply change the furniture.

If you want a look that is on the more contemporary side, try for unique pieces of furniture, like in the photo above. Pieces that eschew the traditional sofa and chair shape have a more updated, almost futuristic look. The open back and freely placed armrests also add some interesting geometry to the space.

If you’re not looking to go too bold, you also might want to think about more understated contemporary ways people are using furniture. For instance, neutrals tend to be popular right now, but mixing them with brightly colored single accent pieces can help a room pop.

A new light fixture can add some instant style. Image: Paul Davis Architects

Geometric Light Fixtures

Another way to modernize a home is to think about the lighting fixtures. An intricate lighting fixture can breathe life into any room. An example is the highly interesting piece in the photo above. Its sleek chrome design and industrial-style exposed bulbs make it quite the eye-grabber.

A new lighting fixture is a good way to set the tone for a more updated look. You can go for industrial pieces, sleek metal pieces or even retro sunburst designs – they’re making a comeback. Lighting fixtures are also fairly easy to replace, but they make it look like you did some major hardware overhauls in your space.

Set a new style or color tone with some updated wall art. Image: Hills and Grant Interior Design

Change the Wall Art

You can also change the art on your walls. That’s an easy way to update a space without doing anything too drastic. Like the other design elements above, large art tends to stand as a focal point so changing the art can help set a new tone in the space.

One idea is to go for abstract art, like in the photo above. Many people associate the height of abstract art with the mid-20^th century. Because of that, it tends to pop up in mid-century modern styles. However, a good piece of modern art can transcend the ages with its color, raw emotion and eye-grabbing designs. Abstract art can also serve a design purpose. For instance, the piece in the photo above juxtaposes some earthy green color against an industrial space.

Going for a neutral tone in a room can make the space look more open and updated. Image: StudioLab

Combine Neutrals

Neutrals are very popular in updated, contemporary spaces. They open up the room and tend to give a relaxed tone that won’t go out of style too soon. So if you want to modernize a home, try going for neutral tones.

An example is the space in the photo above. The room balances its neutral tones impeccably. The brown in the sofa reflects the wood coloring behind the TV and shelving. An area rug is a good way to add more neutral tones to a space, as well. Neutral throw pillows and a neutral-colored coffee table are even more easy ways to add these tones to a space without having to remodel.

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