Decorating Guides
5 Problem Areas That Are Secretly Making Your Home Life Miserable
Pay heed to poor lighting, bulky furniture, clutter and accessories that may be making your home uncomfortable to live in
Sometimes, even after you put in a lot of hard work into making your home comfortable, it could still feel unwelcoming and uncomfortable. The reasons could be many, but often it’s the smaller things that start adding up to become bigger demons. Don’t ignore your discomfort and shrug it off – delve deeper into the way you live and the way you have laid out your home.
Here are five things that could be the problem areas. Give them careful thought – one or all could very well be the changes your home deserves most right now.
Here are five things that could be the problem areas. Give them careful thought – one or all could very well be the changes your home deserves most right now.
2. Uncomfortable, awkward living room seating layout
While adding furniture to any space, it is important to first consider the area and size of the room. In smaller spaces, too many bulky seating pieces can make the room look smaller and congested. Similarly, in a fairly large room, scanty seating can make the room look empty and dreary, and make you and your guests feel uncomfortable.
Take into consideration the scale of the room. If you have a tiny living room, a sectional (like in the picture) can provide ample seating without the need for more sofas. A stool, a small chair can provide extra seating if needed. In larger rooms, you need to have a minimum of distractions to get maximum attention for its best features. If you have a huge sofa, it can be paired with, at most, two chairs, to let the space breathe. You can also go ahead with four chairs, an ottoman, and no sofa to create a greater sense of space and openness.
Tip: Most people believe that a sofa is a no-brainer, a default numero uno for a living room. However, when it comes to functionality, a sofa can actually be a burden. It can take up more room than you bargained for, it falls short on capacity and limits options for alternative layouts – giving you low returns on investment. Instead, you can opt for daybeds, benches, beanbags or futons for seating.
Looking for a professional to help design your interiors?
While adding furniture to any space, it is important to first consider the area and size of the room. In smaller spaces, too many bulky seating pieces can make the room look smaller and congested. Similarly, in a fairly large room, scanty seating can make the room look empty and dreary, and make you and your guests feel uncomfortable.
Take into consideration the scale of the room. If you have a tiny living room, a sectional (like in the picture) can provide ample seating without the need for more sofas. A stool, a small chair can provide extra seating if needed. In larger rooms, you need to have a minimum of distractions to get maximum attention for its best features. If you have a huge sofa, it can be paired with, at most, two chairs, to let the space breathe. You can also go ahead with four chairs, an ottoman, and no sofa to create a greater sense of space and openness.
Tip: Most people believe that a sofa is a no-brainer, a default numero uno for a living room. However, when it comes to functionality, a sofa can actually be a burden. It can take up more room than you bargained for, it falls short on capacity and limits options for alternative layouts – giving you low returns on investment. Instead, you can opt for daybeds, benches, beanbags or futons for seating.
Looking for a professional to help design your interiors?
3. Piling clutter
Don’t have the heart to let go of your old clothes? Hoarding utensils you don’t use anymore? Have a box full of unnecessary newspapers and documents? It’s time to purge your home, because a cluttered, crowded home not only makes it look smaller, unwelcoming and busy, it can bring you down psychologically, too.
Follow a simple rule of ‘one in, one out’. If you go out and buy furniture, come home and get rid of something you don’t use anymore – consider recycling it by giving it to a friend or work colleague, or even try selling it somewhere. If you can’t decide whether or not to throw out something, consider this: have you used it in the past one year? If the answer is no, then there is a fair chance you won’t use it in the future either. Mark one weekend in your calendar for this activity – sort things out as ‘usable’, ‘recycle’ and ‘donate’. A relatively empty home will give you mental peace and relief.
See these genius ideas to reduce clutter
Don’t have the heart to let go of your old clothes? Hoarding utensils you don’t use anymore? Have a box full of unnecessary newspapers and documents? It’s time to purge your home, because a cluttered, crowded home not only makes it look smaller, unwelcoming and busy, it can bring you down psychologically, too.
Follow a simple rule of ‘one in, one out’. If you go out and buy furniture, come home and get rid of something you don’t use anymore – consider recycling it by giving it to a friend or work colleague, or even try selling it somewhere. If you can’t decide whether or not to throw out something, consider this: have you used it in the past one year? If the answer is no, then there is a fair chance you won’t use it in the future either. Mark one weekend in your calendar for this activity – sort things out as ‘usable’, ‘recycle’ and ‘donate’. A relatively empty home will give you mental peace and relief.
See these genius ideas to reduce clutter
4. Bulky storage
Let’s face it. The reality of most households is that there’s always too much stuff and not enough space to store it. Even after throwing out unnecessary things, many times homeowners end up bringing in bulky cabinets and wardrobes to keep accessories and things. Finding a good way to store articles and keep it from looking overbearing is imperative.
Consider hidden storage units or multipurpose furniture pieces that serve functionality and storage. From drawers under the staircase, a shoe cupboard hidden inside the wall, concealed by sliding doors (as pictured), coffee tables with a cavity inside, under-bed storage to floor-to-ceiling cupboards that merge into the walls … opt for smart and invisible units that make your home look clean and neat. Also, wall hooks and wooden pallets can double as spots to keep items that you would otherwise just strew around the house – such as mufflers, jackets, caps, boots and the like.
Built-in storage transforms these rooms
Let’s face it. The reality of most households is that there’s always too much stuff and not enough space to store it. Even after throwing out unnecessary things, many times homeowners end up bringing in bulky cabinets and wardrobes to keep accessories and things. Finding a good way to store articles and keep it from looking overbearing is imperative.
Consider hidden storage units or multipurpose furniture pieces that serve functionality and storage. From drawers under the staircase, a shoe cupboard hidden inside the wall, concealed by sliding doors (as pictured), coffee tables with a cavity inside, under-bed storage to floor-to-ceiling cupboards that merge into the walls … opt for smart and invisible units that make your home look clean and neat. Also, wall hooks and wooden pallets can double as spots to keep items that you would otherwise just strew around the house – such as mufflers, jackets, caps, boots and the like.
Built-in storage transforms these rooms
5. Over- or under-decorated interiors
You may be a big art collector or a colour enthusiast, but does that mean that you display all you have or colour your home in all the hues you love? Definitely not. A home with plenty of accessories can seem just too much and is unappealing. Similarly, a home with scanty curios, colours or art can look drab, boring and depressing. The key lies in balance.
To decorate right, start by choosing a hero for every room – something that will be the focal point of the space. It could be be an oversized sofa, a wall with a bold wallpaper, a rug or lots of pieces of art. Then pick a colour palette for the space: it could either be from the flooring, or from a piece of art. Once you have your palette established, let the rest of the decor spring from that. While decorating the room, take a step back and survey it. Does it look overcrowded? Does the room have enough breathing space? Other than paintings and curios, you could also consider mirrors, lamps and plants as decoratives that serve other purposes too.
Read more:
These Decor Changes Will Bring Style & Zen Into Your Home
How to Engage All 5 Senses in Your Home’s Decor
Tell us:
Are there any other key yet often-ignored areas in a home that should be looked at? Tell us about them in the Comments section below.
You may be a big art collector or a colour enthusiast, but does that mean that you display all you have or colour your home in all the hues you love? Definitely not. A home with plenty of accessories can seem just too much and is unappealing. Similarly, a home with scanty curios, colours or art can look drab, boring and depressing. The key lies in balance.
To decorate right, start by choosing a hero for every room – something that will be the focal point of the space. It could be be an oversized sofa, a wall with a bold wallpaper, a rug or lots of pieces of art. Then pick a colour palette for the space: it could either be from the flooring, or from a piece of art. Once you have your palette established, let the rest of the decor spring from that. While decorating the room, take a step back and survey it. Does it look overcrowded? Does the room have enough breathing space? Other than paintings and curios, you could also consider mirrors, lamps and plants as decoratives that serve other purposes too.
Read more:
These Decor Changes Will Bring Style & Zen Into Your Home
How to Engage All 5 Senses in Your Home’s Decor
Tell us:
Are there any other key yet often-ignored areas in a home that should be looked at? Tell us about them in the Comments section below.
Does your home seem gloomy? One reason could be the way it is illuminated. Poor lighting, dim fixtures and dark areas can affect your mood and make you feel low.
Open up your rooms to as much natural light as possible – swap heavy drapery for sheer curtains. Apart from sunlight, for a well-lit home, it’s important to have a mix of floor, table and ceiling lighting. Since lamps can be moved around in the house, they provide an opportunity to add something extra to a space – whether it’s shine, colour, art or abstraction
Look for opportunities to install light fixtures in alcoves, tray ceilings and wall niches– basically areas that are mostly dark.
Find out how to maximise the light coming into your home or perhaps bring in a new skylight by consulting an architect