Maybe you’ve been hoping to upgrade your home, but with housing prices at an all-time high, perhaps you could consider refreshing your current home instead.
There are many ways to give your home a completely new or updated look without renovating it or hiring an interior designer (or even having any interior design skills yourself).
Whether it’s investing in products to make a space more functional or beautiful, adding new design elements to breathe new life into a room, or replacing the old and tired with something modern and fresh, the possibilities are endless. And they needn’t burn a hole in your pocket or take much time or effort to implement.
1. Turn your living room into a home theatre
Make family movie nights more fun and give your living room a more cinema-like feel. To do this, you may want to invest in some comfy cushions – or even massage chairs – and ambient lighting.
And don’t forget the audio-visual equipment. Samsung Electronics boasts an extensive range of big-screen QLED, OLED and Crystal UHD TVs that will make you feel like you’re a part of what you’re watching. You will also find sound devices like soundbars and sound towers.
Check out the Samsung-SAFRA Enhanced Partnership Program (EPP) for up to 25% off the latest home entertainment essentials by Samsung Electronics.
Samsung Enhanced Partnership Program (EPP) is an exclusive benefit programme offered to SAFRA members, providing access to Samsung products at special prices. Find out more at safra.sg/promotions/samsung.
Bose also offers award-winning noise-cancellation headphones, along with portable speakers, soundbars, and home theatre systems for an excellent audio experience.
SAFRA members enjoy 12% off regular-priced Bose items at Bose authorised distributor, One Futureworld. Click on safra.sg/promotions/bose-ofw for details.
2. Bring nature indoors
Adding greenery is an inexpensive and easy way to give your home a fresh look. Flowers and plants are mood boosters, plus, they can have a calming effect.
Plants that thrive indoors in our tropical climate include monstera, succulents, fiddle leaf, palms, ferns, Bird of Paradise, and orchids. Depending on the size of the pots, you can group a few together in various corners of your home for a visually striking effect.
Fresh flowers look equally beautiful on tables and kitchen counters. You don’t have to stick them in a vase every time – boxes and baskets make good receptables, too.
SAFRA members, order your flowers through AngelFlorist and enjoy a discount of up to 20%. AngelFlorist offers table arrangements, hand bouquets and more. To enjoy this great deal, click on safra.sg/promotions/AngelFlorist.
3. Add a picture gallery wall
Blank walls can look a little boring. Give it life by turning it into a display wall for your favourite family or travel photos, artwork, sketches or prints. Use your picture gallery wall to tell a story or enhance the style and character of the room.
There is a trick to arranging the framed pictures to make them impactful. Instead of placing them here and there, lay out the frames in rows of three, four or five, depending on the size of the wall and the pictures. Position the frames 7.5cm to 15cm between one another from all sides, to prevent the wall from looking cluttered or messy. If your frames are of different sizes, group smaller ones closer together and arrange larger ones with more space between frames.
Need to add to your picture collection? Firefly Photography is giving SAFRA members 10% off photography packages. Learn more at safra.sg/promotions/firefly-photography-Generic2024.
4. Convert your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary
If your bedroom looks more like a disaster zone than a place for rest and relaxation, it’s time to change things up. First, do your best to declutter – put items away where they belong and get rid of what you no longer need – and then go to work creating a cosy and comfortable space.
Add calm-inducing ambient lighting, use a scented candle or an aromatherapy oil diffuser to set a soothing atmosphere, and invest in new bed-linen – choose soft, light and breathable fabrics that wick away moisture and keep you cool at night, like cotton, linen, silk, and bamboo-derived rayon. Finally, layer your bedding with cushions and throws.
SAFRA members get 20% off cotton bedsheet sets at EKO Home at Bukit Panjang Plaza, or take advantage of the “buy one, get one free” offer on selected bamboo and bamboo cotton items at Linen House at Lot One. Find out more at safra.sg/promotions/lot-one-bukit-panjang-plaza.
5. Change your window treatment
Updating a room’s curtains and blinds can enhance its look in an instant.
Here are a few suggestions on what to buy, depending on the effect you want.
Sheer curtains: These provide softness, texture and movement and help to diffuse sunlight coming in from the window. They’re also ideal for layering.
Patterned curtains: Neutral tones are pretty classic, but you may also want to experiment with bold geometric and floral patterns. These help to create an interesting focal point in the room.
Bamboo or wooden blinds: The natural gaps between the slats allow light to filter through, plus, the style gives your space a warm, organic vibe.
Textured curtains or roller blinds: Fabrics like velvet, boucle and brocade add interest to the window frame and give the space a luxurious feel.
6. Reupholster your furniture
If your sofa or dining chairs could do with a refresh but you’d rather not replace them, why not reupholster them instead?
Reupholstering allows you to keep the shape and style of your furniture, and is more environmentally friendly than replacing the furniture entirely since you’re reducing waste. You also have many options when it comes to colour, texture, material and fabric.
When selecting the material or fabric, keep in mind factors like durability, comfort and ease of maintenance. For instance, waterproof, stain-resistant and antimicrobial fabrics are ideal if you have pets or young children, and if the furniture is exposed to sunlight, you’ll want to go with a colour-fast fabric to prevent fading.
Need more ideas? Read on for 8 Affordable Ways to Update Your Home Without Major Renovations.
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