Giving your home some TLC doesn’t have to cost a fortune or become a long and arduous process.  Here are some very simple and highly effective ways to freshen up your home just in time for fall.

The images posted below are from 5 highly talented Interior Designers…and dear friends!   (Enjoy the eye candy).

1.  De-clutter it! (Degree of Difficulty – easy)

Photo via Jonathan Legate Interior Consultation        Designer: Jonathan Legate

We build our lives, save our memories, and document every nuance of our children’s growth.  The next thing we know we’re inundated with stuff we’ve accumulated over the years and can’t part with.  Living in a home that is cluttered and disorganized will immediately drain your energy – without even realizing it.

To eliminate the mess and get you to a peaceful resolve start by going through every bin, shelf, drawer and cabinet.  Gather all the papers, old toys, books and back issues of magazines you haven’t used in a year – and get rid of them!  Don’t shuffle the clutter from one side of the room to the other.  Purge and remove everything from the space.  Only once everything is cleared away will you able to design, decorate and appreciate your space.

2.  Re-arrange it! (Degree of Difficulty –easy)

Photo via Richard W Herb and Associates                 Designer: Richard W Herb

Once you’ve de-cluttered your space start moving things around.  Take inventory of the furniture throughout your home and start experimenting.  Maybe your adorable bedroom chair would look even better in the living room, and those pair of table lamps would revitalize your bedroom ambiance.  Relocate the foyer chandelier in a sleek finish and re-introduce it in the dining room.  And don’t be afraid to swap out the accessories from room to room – you won’t need to spend a dime.

3.  Paint it or Paper it! (Degree of Difficulty – easy to moderate)

Photo via Leslie Fine Interiors               Designer: Leslie Fine

Invigorate your outdated family room and energize your bedroom with one of the new hot color trends of the season.  A fresh coat or two of paint can instantly change the mood, ambiance and energy of a room. Just remember when selecting paint colors for your home its imperative to know what mood you are trying to achieve, how you intend to use the space and more importantly which colors you really love.

Create a jewel box at home by installing wallcoverings in a favorite space.  Whether you choose to introduce subtle textures or bold patterns – wallpaper instantly infuses detail and character to your space.  The endless selection of raffias, silks linens and metallics are striking in both traditional and contemporary settings.

4.  Welcome it! (Degree of Difficulty – easy)


Photo Via HGTV Canada      Designer Meredith Heron

Enhance the front entry of your home by exuding a positive energy and flow into your home – for health, happiness and prosperity. Sound good?

Start by simply creating a focal point or vignette somewhere in your foyer.  Perhaps a simple console table with a favorite piece of art hanging above, highlighted by a sophisticated table lamp – will evoke a positive feeling each time you walk through your door.  Take it a step further and add a small water element or a mirror on the wall perpendicular to the door.  This will help in create a well-balanced, healthy and prosperous life.

5.  Flower it! (Degree of Difficulty – easy)

Photo via Nest by Tamara              Designer: Tamara Matthews-Stephenson

Adding fresh flowers to your home décor or party table is the piece de resistance in any design project and an instant pick-me-up!

Next time you’re shopping for groceries or at your local farmer’s market pick up some fresh flowers and create some fun and unique arrangements. You don’t need to spend a fortune, just look for what’s in season, well priced and colorful enough to enhance your mood.  Place them in colorful glasses, pitchers, bowls or pales and sprinkle these arrangements throughout your home.

I do this as a weekly treat to myself – fresh flowers make me happy.

Stay Inspired!

Please leave your questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2011 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.

I think it’s safe to say that life can be quite stressful these days.  Between work, children, finances, carpools and all your other daily activities, it only makes sense that your home should be a place of refuge and provide you with a great sense of calm the moment you walk through the door.

We yearn for order and serenity at the end of each day – a place that neutralizes the daily chaos of life and allows you to unplug from the external stresses of the day.

• Does your home provide you with that haven?
• Is it peaceful and relaxing?
• Is it systematized and well organized?
• Is your home well appointed and aesthetically pleasing?  Or do you still feel some stress– even when you’re trying to relax?

Living in a cluttered and disorganized environment tends to create stress, anxiety and drains your energy without even realizing it.  That is why providing well-designed storage is fundamental.  Analyze, prioritize and maximize your home by eliminating the clutter – and provide some special places to conceal, organize and display the items you really want and need.

Here are 10 simple storage solutions to help eliminate the clutter and get you to a peaceful place.

1. Utilize the void space beneath your stairs and design a storage closet, built in shelving unit or even add a sleek powder room.
2. Maximize every inch of your kitchen with organized cabinet interiors.  From pull out spice racks to built in pantries. Everything should have its place.
3. Provide a pantry system complete with shelving, door racks and pullout drawers all concealed behind the integrated kitchen cabinetry.
4. Design a beautiful and highly functional banquette with large spacious drawers.  It’s perfect for cozy meals and storing all kinds of supplies.
5. Add recessed shelving anywhere there is ample wall space to do so.  Always keep your home’s architecture in mind when designing those living room niches, bathroom shelving or floor to ceiling bookshelves in the family room.
6. Built-in storage is perfect for every room of your home and allows you to display all your favorite collections, and conceal the everyday mess.
7. Bedroom or living room window seats with storage drawers below will provide you with ample space and create a cozy and inviting reading corner.
8. In your home office/library wrap the entire room (even around the windows and doors) with custom cabinetry to store books, binders and your favorite objects d’art.  Remember you only need 12” deep shelving.
9. In the master bedroom build in a wall-to-wall headboard complete with lighting, shelving and night tables for that integral look.
10. Schedule a closet company to inventory of all your clothes, shoes, belts and handbags and to layout each and every bedroom closet throughout your home.  It will be the most liberating exercise of your life and you’ll maximize every inch of space at the same time.

Implement some of these de-cluttering principles and you’ll be coming to home to a peaceful refuge.

I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation”

Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.