Why NOW is the Best Time for a Home Makeover
Make the most of your days (stuck) at home!
You have been staying in your house for a while now, have started to identify its “flaws”? Does the hallway needs a fresh coat of paint? Maybe the kitchen could do with a bit more bench space? What about your soon-to-be teenager who's covered his bedroom walls with posters to hide the old “Cars” wallpaper?
There might have been a few things you have been wanting to change for a while but were too busy with work or the kids to take on a little makeover.
I get it! Our homes have become the place where we live, work, exercise… The way we live at home has changed drastically in the past few weeks! As a designer who’s passionate about how people live, I find it fascinating observing how people adjust to this new norm.
We all have sort of put our lives on hold until things go back to normal, but think about it: Making changes to your house now, while you are in it, means you not only get to enjoy a fresh new home that better suits your needs for the rest of your “stay at home” time, but once this is all over, you’ll be coming home every day to a beautiful, highly functional house, that you might not want to even leave!
Whether it is just fixing up a few bits and bobs, finally setting up an office room or re-decorating/re-shuffling your open space, now is the best time to give your home a makeover, and here is why:
You finally have TIME
No more commute, no more chores on weekends or late at night.. I mean, how long does it take you to get ready in the morning now that being presentable is an option?
We have baked, made puzzles, dyed our hair..and it’s all fun! But maybe you want to start think about doing something that is fun AND could benefit your long term.
A normal home design project in “real life” can take weeks, if not months. Between work, house chores and family commitments, we all tend to put the project to the bottom of the to-do list. We try to do it in our spare time (which isn’t a lot), and can never really get our heads into it.
With my clients, the next time they are free for a face to face meeting would always be at least a week away! Considering a project timeline has about 2 to 3 meetings and I need a week or two in between... Well you do the maths!
But here you are, free to spend hours on Pinterest and online stores, hunting for a new bed and daydreaming about a new living room. This whole Stay at Home "situation" is the opportunity to get excited and have something to look forward to! Something that could make your life at home much more enjoyable!
You are desperately looking for fun & creative things to do
As I said further up, we are all trying to find fun, creative, artsy things to do. You could create your own artwork, DYI a wall, or play The Block at home. Who doesn't want to pretend they are a contestant re-doing a room... Don't lie, we have all thought about it. Every time I say to someone that I am a designer, they say they watch all the shows, love interior design and would have loved to do that. Tell me you are not one of them…
Who knows maybe you’ll discover yourself a new passion, or even a talent!
Changes to your home, even small, could make quarantine life a lot more enjoyable
Are you getting sick of being at home? Imagine if you were to give your walls a new colour and change a few pieces of furniture... You’d literally feel like you are living in a new space, without having moved or spent a ridiculous mount of money.
The way I see it, it is the best way to make your life at home more enjoyable. You know that feeling when you move into a new place and put your furniture in and style your rooms? Doesn't it feel new and exciting? Well I think we all deserve to get this feeling right now, probably more than ever!
Want to bring some ZEN into your home? Read about How you can Feng Shui your Better for a Better Sleep
You will enjoy the results for years to come
When all of this is over, you will go back to your beloved Sunday afternoons in the park or to the kid’s footy games, to the office and public transport. You will finally go on that holiday you deserve so much. When all of this starts again, you’ll know you will be coming back to a house that reflects your personality and suits your needs. The last thing you will fancy doing is staying home to put up shelves or fix the garage door! SO DO IT NOW!
It is a GREAT time for discounts & savings
Furniture and homeware stores are offering great discounts at the moment. You might not be able to spend the afternoon going from one shop to the other to try couches, but some stores are still open. Some even have showrooms by appointment only, which would be perfect right now.
I am not suggesting you should go out shopping, please STAY HOME. But for some items like mattresses and couches, you might want to browse the internet, find a couple of options, and see if you can safely go test them out real quick.
On top of discounts, you will be making more conscious decisions. The chances of you getting too excited in the store and buying things you a) don't need - b) might regret buying - c) are over budget - are very low. We have all been there... Having the time to find what you really want and making the purchase online will definitely help with budget and not going overboard.
You won't miss the delivery or have to take a day off for it
We all know the struggle of organising deliveries! More often than not, it is in the middle of the week and they give you a (very large) 8 hour window. So you have to take half a day off and it is costing you time and money.
By being home for the delivery, you can get your products faster & have them put it in the right spot for you, hassle-free!
PRO TIP: Always ask to open the package while they are still there to check nothing is damaged!
You don't have to do it alone! Get a virtual designer to help you!
So you have ideas and a nice little Pinterest board, but you are just a bit overwhelmed and don’t know where to look for affordable quality furniture, good discounts… You might wonder if the colours you want will work together? Say No More! I'VE GOT YOU!
Check out my PINTEREST
Did you know you can find "online" interior designers to help you from anywhere you are in the world?! Who knows, you might make a new virtual friend in the process!
I love helping people online. I get to work on projects that are in really cool locations and help people that might not have easy access to designers or home stores.
My services range from furniture & homeware sourcing, styling and anything interior design related. So whether you need help finding the perfect coffee table or giving your entire kitchen a makeover. I can help you!
Being 100% online means I am fully set up to help you, wherever your are, with your project. I don’t rent an office space, I don’t drive around, I don’t have employees. I am also all digital. All this allows me to make my services ultra affordable, so you know you are paying for my time and expertise only.
I can find you the perfect new dining table, re-design your entire floorplan, or create a custom office space. And you can be as involved as you want to be!
Right now IS the BEST time for Home Makeover. You have the opportunity to focus on HOW you can improve your life, now and in the long term. It is also a chance to bring the family together by getting the kids involved in DIYs projects etc... Why not re-decorate their room?
Whatever your project is, have fun, get excited, enjoy learning new things and stay safe!