Six simple steps to completely refresh the appearance of your home

If your home is looking a little dull and lacklustre, here are a few tips on how you can refresh and bring it back to life.  

Painting

The most obvious way to freshen up your home’s interior is give it a coat of paint. In the past 26 years, all my clients had painted at least some of their home in their renovation or refresh. But remember, don’t paint over the cracks! Prepare the walls, surfaces, window sills and doors properly, and then give it two top coats for a nice strong depth of colour.​

Lighting

Changing up the lights is another way to modernise your house. Lighting is a fantastic way to give a beautiful ambience to your home, so don’t underestimate its impact.

Adding fresh lights can really bring a room together. Photo: Jellis Craig listing – 6 Naroon Road, Alphington

Flooring

Many people decide to spend money doing up their kitchen but leave the floors as they are. My view is that floors are more important because they cover the entire house, whereas the kitchen is just one room. Every situation is different, but if you have to choose between one or the other, consider upgrading the floors (or at least the floors in the communal living areas) because they will offer greater overall impact.​

Decor

Changing your furniture and decor is a simple way to get a new look. Consider changing the cushions, floor rugs, artwork, and/or display items. Aim to keep it fresh, light and modern – not too cluttered but not too plain. The point is to add dimension and personality to your house.

• Related: Creating a colourful kids’ bedroom
• Related: How to create an all-white interior
• Related: Creating a millionaire look on a budget

Sometimes when it comes to decor, it’s the small things that count. Photo: Jellis Craig listing – 6 Naroon Road, Alphington

Windows

Another effective way to change the overall look of your home is to upgrade the window dressings. Although less prominent than walls and floors, windows are very important; the icing on the cake if you will. Options include blinds, roller blinds, wooden venetians or even curtains. I love soft sheer curtains and wooden blinds as these choices provide a softer, but still contemporary, feel.

Landscaping

Whatever you do, don’t forget the exterior of your home. It’s the first thing people see, after all. Do some defined edging around the gardens. Space out your plants so they’re not too sparse and not too cluttered. I’m not really into flowers, but I do like a range of plant varieties with different structures to give depth and add interest. Something like a combination of dark green or black grasses and mid-green grasses, mixed in with some Xanadu or Cordylines works well.