Makeover mantras

Your home is your baby, and doing it up can give you unparalleled joy. A makeover is about creativity, especially if you’re on a budget, says Bindu Gopal Rao.

Always prioritise your needs as it helps with challenges, whether they emanate from budget, finances or usage. Clarity on this can help you decide if you need to spend time, money and energy on the things you need most.

You can change the upholstery, curtain, wall colour, floor coverings and floorings to begin with, besides moving furniture around to create a new layout to infuse freshness into the setting. “Home-makeovers are always a challenge. It requires using the available resources judiciously. Go out there and make your choices wisely,” says Mukul Goyal, Principal Designer and Director, Mukul Goyal and Tattva Art Hardware.

A home makeover is about creativity, especially if you’re on a budget. Thomas Johan, Sr GM, Retail Operations and Institutional Sales, @home by Nilkamal Ltd. advises, “Plan a proper investment to first repair or improve the necessities that require change or renovation. Then comes the luxury quotient, to style the house with the latest luxury or style products. A house can be simple yet adorable. So spending wisely is very important.”

Ranging from simple to elaborate, home makeovers can mean different things for different people. “It could also mean adding a new piece of furniture like a table or a nice bright throw on the existing sofa. For bedrooms, it can be achieved by just changing the bedspread. You could also look at adding a chaise or a chair or a chest of drawers,” says Shweta Gupta, Partner, Soulscape. Jayant Honmode, Division Manager for Architectural Markets, 3M India says, “Add terracotta pots to your house by adding as much greenery as you can to the house. The idea is not to make drastic changes, but to bring some subtle changes here and there, to make your home more beautiful and inviting,” opines Tara Kaushal, Co-founder, HeavenandHome.com, “you’ll be surprised at how small things can make a difference, even just by changing the layout of your furniture. Think out-of-the-box and troll decor websites for inspiration and great deals,” she adds.

Making a statement

A home must reflect your personality. “For any space, art can be selected to depict the required mood. It can be delightful, convey a sense of playfulness, be ambiguous, colourful, optimistic, seductive, and if needed, even gloomy and dark. It says a lot about an individual’s personal choices and hence, is also an expression of one’s personal style,” says Abhishek Poddar, Director, Tasveer Art Gallery.

Bring fresh perspective to any room, especially darker rooms, by adding a bit of light. “With just one extra table lamp or floor lamp, you can add warmth and brightness to the shadowy corners of your home,” says a spokesperson from Pure Home + Living. Add colour and sweet fragrances to any room with one or two potted plants.

Says Ahmed Shariff, Chief Architect, Vakil Housing Development Corporation, “Hang a pinup board to stick recipes, photos, colourful discount coupons or simply create an exciting photo wall with texture paint as a background. The idea is to have a bright, eye-catching decorative for a dull corner at no-cost. A simple change of tablecloth, napkin holder, interesting salt and pepper shakers or placing a beautiful flower vase can bring a significant difference to the appearance of the place.”

“Special care needs to be taken to ensure sharp edges or small objects or breakable items are not placed at low levels or that textured cushions and curtains don’t get pulled out by kids while playing,” says Ami Patel, Design and Category Head (Home), Mother Earth. “Lighting could be another big factor which can give your house a totally new look. Also if there is a partition in the room, then instead of separating it with curtains or a wooden partition, use a classy glass partition,” says Yashpal Manik, Head, Marketing and Sales, Evok.

Again, accessories look better in threes or odd numbers. “Don’t be afraid to create your vignette in the store before you buy. Options can be theme- based for particular spaces or items that totally break the existing ambience, like an African deity in a modern living room placed on the side table,” says Sachin Sehgal, Director, Studio a+i.

Likewise for your windows, Fenesta windows are a complete solution to all kinds of home improvement challenges. “Fenesta windows help change character of each room with the vast range of designs available. We offer two wooden finishes, mahogany and light oak apart from pristine white,” says Rohit Sharma, Marketing Head, Fenesta Buildings Systems. Ishitta Arun, a space and interiors consultant, advises, “The most practical way to give your home a makeover is to concentrate on soft furnishings. Take it up as a ‘do-it-yourself’ project. Change the curtains, pillow covers, rugs and linens. Put up new paintings and artifacts and paint your house in different colours and textures. Don’t indulge in something that is too cost heavy.”

Writing on the wall

Sprucing up walls immediately changes the whole look of a room. Times are changing and interior design solutions are evolving too with exciting new colours, textures and finishes that are available.

“Textured paint has become a trendy wall accessory and has the unique ability to absorb and reflect light. Depending on the finish used, textured paint can create visual colour effects if applied correctly. Paint has come a long way from the days of matte, gloss and semi-gloss finishes,” says Percy Jijina, General Manager, Jotun India Private Limited. The latest trend is to make your walls an accessory to the décor of the room. Says Sukhpreet Singh, General Manager, Marketing and Sales, Kansai Nerolac Paints, “Metallic and designer finishes give consumers the option of adding shimmer in shades of gold, bronze, glitter red, silver, blue and red pearl, hence making a bold statement. Non-metallic finishes which are minimalistic and elegant are also available with subtle artistic, geometric or trendy patterns.”

Architect Kochuthommen Mathew has a simple tip, “Your family pictures have more impact when they’re grouped together. Before you do any hanging, arrange the pieces on the floor to get a sense of how they’ll look on the wall. And never mind if the frames don’t match.” Vandana Khosla, Creative Director, Elvy Lifestyle adds, “Often cheaper than regular art, an artistic photograph is a great addition to your space and will add a modern tinge to any decor. Photography is an art trend that’s here to stay, so if you choose well, your photograph will be appreciated like any other art form.” Artist Anju Kumar says, “The most effective way for a home makeover is to highlight one feature wall, texturise it or use an earthy colour and beautify it with a wall mural. Vibrant artwork can dramatically make any dull space come alive.”

Get floored

Flooring ideas elevate the beauty of a home as people want their home to be uniquely styled and spend much time in selecting a perfect tile. Polished glazed vitrified tiles, PGVT, are exact replicas of marble and have a special glazed coating which makes it hi-gloss. These tiles have a nano coat which makes it anti-bacterial in nature. Wooden flooring is an excellent choice for its unique beauty. “Architects from all over the world recommend this flooring as it is extremely versatile and can go well with any kind of furnishing, International Trends like the ‘rustic and matt look tiles’ are the newest alternatives to recent decor traditions. Mosaic tiles will also continue to be popular in 2012,” says Alok Goel, CEO, Nitco. With the latest trends in flooring being laminates and hardwood, consumers have a wide range of options when it comes to giving their homes a makeover.

“With the latest technology, wooden floorings can be installed over existing floors in a day’s time and are totally hassle-free. Colours make a huge impact on how a house looks and also give an illusion of space and cosiness to the area. But colouring the walls is time-consuming and a bit tedious. However, when it comes to changing the floors, things are far more simpler,” says Arjun Shahani, MD, Armstrong World Industries (India).

Ceramic is the season trend for floor covers. “Materials like timber, marble are cumbersome options. Tiling has made floor overhauling a fairly quick job. Often considered as elegant as stone, tiled floors are easier to lay, and look more fashionable. Laminate flooring is very susceptible to moisture damage and therefore not appropriate for tropical climates like ours,” says Sanjeev Ranjan, VP Marketing, Somany Ceramics Limited.

Your home reflects your individuality and while giving it a makeover ensure that you keep it real and enjoy yourself.