Give your precious home a much-needed upgrade and make it more stylish and welcoming without embarking on a costly renovation.
You don't have to spend a fortune to create a refreshing home. When done smartly, a few changes to your interior design will make a huge difference to the overall appeal of your space.
Check out these simple, budget-friendly ideas to transform your HDB or BTO flat into a cosy oasis.
1. Choose Neutrals
Neutral colours bring natural warmth and charm to any space. These colours also serve as a perfect base for any interior style, whether in the form of paint, furniture, or accessories. Having a neutral colour palette does not equate to a dull interior design. In fact, neutrals effortlessly add elegance to a space.
Choose a neutral paint base for your flat and incorporate bolder colours to set a focal point and textures to give your space depth and personality. A neutral sofa in your living room helps create endless design possibilities when paired with playfully patterned throw pillows, intricate accent furniture, or decorative pieces like vases, small jars, scented candles, florals, and trays.
2. Add Accent Furniture and Colours
Pops of colours, shapes, and patterns are crucial to any interior design when creating an exciting and versatile space.
Breaking the symmetry, for example, makes the space more casual and welcoming. If you have a neutral three or four-seater sofa, adding an elegant blue accent chair opposite your main seating option creates a notable distinction in your living room. Complete the look with a mixture of gold and turquoise elements on top of your coffee table for a well-balanced theme. Do not be afraid to add a touch of personality to your space whenever you plan your design.
3. Create an Accent Wall or a Gallery
One of the simplest and most affordable ways to upgrade your space is by creating a gallery wall. Choose your favourite minimalist wall art, show off the pictures you took, display your artwork, or mix all of them in a cohesive pattern. You may arrange them symmetrically, by colour, or you can go outside the box and play with different frame sizes and arrangements.
The secret to this is choosing the right wall to accentuate. It should be noticeable but not distracting. The key is to maintain the balance of your interior design.
4. Change Your Old Light Fixtures
Often overlooked, your light fixtures can also drastically change the ambiance of your space.
Light brings dimension to the interior design. It also helps showcase the right focal points, bringing life to an area. To transform your flat, we recommend that you think about the atmosphere that you want to achieve. Do you like a warm space, want it to look more spacious, or do you want your light to be the focal point of your design? To make your home more attractive, we recommend to incorporate various light fixtures instead of settling on one type to prevent a monotonous look.
5. Fake Built-Ins with Your Bookshelf
Built-in furniture pieces are gorgeous, especially the bookshelves. If you love books, albums, decorations, or organising in general, you will surely love a built-in bookshelf with lots of compartments and an elegant finish. However, with the limitations of space and HDB renovation, having a built-in slot for your lovely collection is challenging. But with a few hacks, you can still achieve your cosy reading nook.
Push a bookshelf into your wall, may it be your accent wall, a recessed wall, or the wall beside your entryway. Add some wallpaper and patterns, organise your books with other decorative items. A closed display cabinet or a buffet hutch can also make a huge design difference for an elegant HDB.
6. Mix and Match Furniture Styles
It can be really challenging to come up with a new interior style when you already have various furniture pieces with different designs. So, how will you make these pieces work?
While others favour minimalist interior designs, an adventurous maximalist theme gives your space a sense of distinction and personality. To achieve coherence, you should be familiar with the different interior design themes and apply them to your area. Contemporary and traditional styles, for example, can make a perfect match as a transitional style if done correctly. When dividing a room, make sure you balance your furniture so that one side does not look different in style compared to the other. Instead, give your furniture a partner piece that anchors its unique features to create a stunning HDB or BTO flat.
7. Play with Textures
Textures are vital to every interior design. You can incorporate textures through your furniture materials, textiles, fabrics, and flooring as they make your home more interesting and complete.
Rougher textures present more visual weight, perfect for rustic interior designs, while modern furniture designs favour smooth marble and chrome textures. These surfaces work well with sleek leather sofas for a smart, multi-dimensional look. Rattan furniture pieces are on the rise today because of their natural texture and simple appeal.
To instantly add texture to your space, think of rugs and fabrics. Additional patterned throw pillows will definitely make your living room look more expensive and comfortable.
8. Do Not Tolerate Clutter
Clutter makes your home suffocating and unpleasant for the eye. It makes your home stay uneasy in general. To create a refreshing space:
- Consider segregating your home items one at a time and upgrading your organisation strategy.
- Properly store the things you need and keep the items you do not use out of sight.
- Create a checklist of your needs and the items you are ready to dispose of, donate, or relocate.
- Organise your needed items according to how often you use them.
This is to prevent frequent rummaging and losing important stuff.
9. Welcome Greens, Flowers, and Natural Light
Nothing beats the beauty and freshness nature brings to any interior style. This said, the most convenient way to make your home cosy and renewed is to add indoor plants.
Indoor plants help improve your area's weakest design points, brighten up a monotonous space, and anchor furniture together.
Large plants work as the statement pieces that make your home remarkable. However, be careful not to overdo your design.
Do not block light sources to ensure that you reflect the beauty of your home. To invite natural light, use light wall treatments like sheer curtains.
10. Ensure Proper Ventilation and a Fresh Home Scent
Having a cosy and welcoming home does not end with its visual appeal. Proper ventilation and a fresh home scents significantly improve the ambiance of your area.
In a tropical place like Singapore, air cooling solutions are essential, especially during the summer when the heat becomes too uncomfortable to handle.
Give your home an upgrade by ensuring that you have energy-efficient cooling solutions. Scented candles or essential oil diffusers can also help ease your stress after a long, tiring day outside. Adding fragrant essence to your home will instantly give it a luxurious feel.