Latest before & after shots

So, here are the first project photos that I have added to this blog. Things have been a bit busy of late, which is why I didn't add them straight away but having decided that the blog on my website www.homerestyler.co.uk is useless, this is where I am going to focus sharing all of my thoughts, ideas and ravings about all things home from now on.
The photos I am sharing with you are from a project, which was to completely re-design and re-style of a 4 bed house. The house was outdated, in bad taste and in deeeesperate need of revival, so home restyler took on the challenge. There is still some work to be done on the house but the downstairs is at a good point to be flaunted so here you go, take a peep...




Dining room before



Dining room after - new playroom



Dining room after - new playroom



Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Kitchen after

Entrance hallway before

Entrance hallway after

Entrance hallway after

Living room before



Living room after



Living room (unused end) before

Living room (unused end) after
Now a dining room after

Stimulate all five senses within your home

I was thinking about how the interior of your home can affect your mood and wondered how we could all make changes to our homes that would appeal to all five senses. Here are some of my thoughts;

SIGHT
Colour is THE main way of transforming the mood of your home. Whether you want to create an uplifting, wakeful area that will energise you or a restful, relflective area in which you can relax, colour is the key ingredient that will drive it. What works for one person won't neccessarily work for others so tune into your inner palette and choose colours that suit you best. If you're not sure about the colours you like most, try experimenting and hang a wallpaper sample to a wall or paint it and see how it makes you feel. Once you know what you like you can start to experiment and as long as it makes you feel happy then that is all that matters.

 Image: www.fotolia.com

TOUCH
Texture has a huge impact on the look and feel of a room. By layering various textures you can change the image a room projects. I am a lover of change and think it is important to change textures as well as colours with the change of season. You can do this through the use of cushions and throws, swapping heavier wool and fur in winter for linen and lighter cotton in summer. Moving personal objects and accessories from room to room within the home will also create a new look and won't cost a penny.


Image: www.teixidors.com
SMELL
Your home is your kindgom and in it you can create your own positive environment by dispersing smells that stir the emotions and thoughts. Again I like to have smells that go with the seasons so at this time of year light and fresh scents work best. You can add smells to your home in so may ways be it with scented candles, fresh flowers, or incense but also by using scented washing liquids and draw liners. Freshly baked bread, a basket of seasonal fruit (mmm strawberries & peaches), bunches of fresh herbs, ground coffee, cinnamon sticks...


Image: www.artisanbreadinfive.com
SOUND
Life is hectic, busy and often noisy but your home is your haven where peace can reign. So create a calm atmosphere around you with soft furnishings to mute  noise, ban all shoes and pad around in your socks and play music to fit your mood - or open the window & listen to the sounds of nature - if you're lucky enough to live somewhere the sounds coming from outside won't stress you out.



Image: www.bestgreenhometips.com

TASTE
Bit of an odd one when thinking about the style of your home, you may think. But hang on isn't your home where you spend time enjoying food and drink with family and friends, so surely this has an impact of your interior design. Linking back to the sense of smell, prepare food that floods your home with delicious scents and lay your table with pleasure. The experience of enjoying a scrumptious meal is heightened by how you style your table so spend some time thinking about creating the right mood when sitting down to eat.


Image: http://blog.stylizimo.com

All of this has made me hungry now!

Upcycle trigger happy

There is something so satisfying about breathing new life into old and redundant objects and what could be easier than spray-painting something to transform it from useless to fabulous. Armed with a can of Plasticote and without getting too carried away, why not dig around in your attic and garage to find a little upcycle project to work on. It's both cheap and quick to inject colour and style into something you thought was once drab and defunct.
The Plasticote website (www.plasti-kote.co.uk) is packed full of decorating tips and advice and features some great before and after shots of items their designers have transformed. Here are a couple of their inspiring ideas;


Storage Tins - keep hold of old biscuit tins and other tins you receive over time & paint them to match your kitchen decor

                                       Before

                                       After

Girls Bedroom Storage - transform a plain white chest into a bright, funky storage unit to match your colour scheme

                                                              Before

                                      After

Images: www.plasti-cote.co.uk

First Post!

Hi and thanks for popping along to get involved with all things home restyler!

home restyler already has a blog at www.homerestyler.co.uk but I decided I wanted to create another one that is stand-alone and that affords me much more creativity online. So why not join me here as often as you can to hear more about and see more of the beautiful things that inspire me and form part of my creative processes when designing clients' home interiors. I look forward to seeing you again soon.