There is something particularly attractive about show homes. Every single feature is very carefully crafted to give a luxurious yet lived-in feel.
Show homes contain numerous clever features intended to encourage you to picture yourself living there, in a bid to have you sign-up to purchase a brand-new home. However, for those who are not looking to move, or just simply love the character that an older property provides, there are many simple tricks that interior designers use, which you can easily copy to add a little luxury to your home.
Work from a neutral base
Having a neutral base will give you the freedom of adding splashes of bold colour elsewhere in a room – which is important if you’re the type of person who likes to keep your home in touch with ever-changing design trends.
If you intend to use colourful or vibrant wallpaper, opt for a neutral flooring design that offers an elegant compliment to your colour choices, without detracting from them. Alternatively, if you are looking to add flooring that gives off a statement, opt for neutral wall colours – that doesn’t mean that you have stick to magnolia, neutral colours come in all sorts of shades and tones, although magnolia is always a safe option.
Let it shine
Interior designers regularly utilise reflective surfaces for several reasons. The most commonly known reason being that polished surfaces are great at catching light and encouraging it to bounce around the room.
The other, lesser known reason is that we, as consumers, have come to associate reflective surfaces with affluence and luxury.
To add a touch of opulence to your home be sure imitate this look effectively. Mirrors are an obvious choice and are easy to come by, however furnishings with reflective qualities are becoming more popular and are readily available too. Look for furnishings with glass tops and metallic legs or stands.
Designers also often choose fabrics and wallpapers containing subtle shimmers, which double as a great trick to lighten up particularly dark rooms.
Seamless colour
As you walk through a show home you may notice that the entire house has a similar colour scheme throughout – this is not an accident. Having one colour scheme allow rooms to flow easily and link together effortlessly, while a mixture of bold colours can appear overwhelming.
You can achieve this by colour coordinating each room, or simply have the same flooring throughout each level of your home.
Accessories
Accessories can add those perfect finishing touches to a room, however it is important not to over do it, else you might end up with a room that resonates more with Aladdin’s Cave rather than the minimalistic look you desire.
Small house plants are a must, while neutral furnishings such as sofas and chairs can be dressed up with colourful cushions. Ornaments look great displayed on window sills and shelves, but limit these to one ornament per surface, while rugs can add colour and texture to any room as well as aiding in breaking up space in larger, open rooms.
