The New Year inherently provokes change and a desire to do things differently than the year before. We set goals personally and professionally to leave behind the old and create new habits. We know the list of objectives will be to lose weight, exercise more, travel, find a hobby, reduce stress and spend more time with family and friends. What about the long overdue renovation project at home, to make your property an idyllic sanctuary of comfort and space for a growing family? With access to professional trades and millions of articles, tips and advice on home renovations, the only thing you need to do is think colour, furnishings, tranquillity and budget.
The two most important rooms in a home are the kitchen and bathrooms and when a home is valued these are key areas focused on. Unfortunately, these rooms often come with a high price tag. It may however, be looking at clever hacks that you don’t need to remodel or replace your entire kitchen or bathroom. Cupboard front doors can be changed, kitchen counter tops can be replaced and if there is no damage the carcass can remain in place saving thousands of dollars. It may be changing out dated tiles to a splash back in your kitchen. The bathroom could simply need new fixtures and fittings to modernise with tiles that don’t date. When a kitchen or bathroom are kept in neutral colours it is easier to introduce colour and mix and match when boredom sets in.
A fresh lick of paint can be a breath of fresh air, providing a new lease of life in a home. Darker colours like red, black and grey can close a room in making it seem smaller. Colour creates ideas, it sparks interest and emotion. Warmer colour shows excitement, optimise and creativity, whereas psychology indicates cooler colours symbolise peace, calmness and harmony. Colour in a living space has the power to visually shrink or expand space, even raising or lowering a ceiling influencing feeling. The colour red, should not be used in a bedroom as the human brain has a visceral response as red is the colour of blood and we associate it with danger. Interior design can feel like unattainable and sometimes far-fetched, when viewing on-line design ideas and looking at Celebrities profiles.
When working with light and colour it does not mean purging your valued and treasured items. This is more about how personal belongings can be strategically placed to optimise the space. It may seem archaic and stone age, but reupholstering furniture of value can take unattractive to attractive, adding softness and charm to an interior. Cushions and throws are a necessary accessory, creating appeal and warmth in our homes. Every home should have indoor plants, even if they are artificial. Houseplants have made a comeback and come in an array of shapes, textures, patterns and colour and make a great addition. There are certain plants like Peace Lillie’s that emit oxygen, improving our air quality making them ideal in bedrooms while we sleep. Whereas English Ivy helps to reduce mould and can be particularly good in humid bathrooms.
It is not only a face lift in a bathroom or kitchen, a splash of colour on your walls and accessories to captivate our home that are important, but our electrical fittings. Electrical fixtures that are aged and in dis-repair can be an eye sore. Simple changes to wall mounted power points and switches can be modernised. In the instance that you are using Incandescent light bulbs, look at replacing them with LED lights. Aged light fittings can easily be replaced with something eye catching and even dramatic depending on the room. Lighting creates ambiance and with the ability to have a dim switch, you have control of the mood you want to set for a dinner party or a night in with your loved one. If your home pre dates the nineties, there was not the foresight to plan for sufficient power points needed in a property.
It may prove necessary to upgrade your switchboard to ensure sufficient capacity and the installation of safety switches for your growing family. Ceilings fans no longer have to be the standard five-blade design with built-in lights and opaque shades. Like all things, the standard ceiling fan has evolved in design and technical capability. Remote-controlled ceiling fans offer excellent usability, allow you to adjust fan speed and blade direction with a click of a button. This is ideal when you cannot reach fans that have been mounted to higher ceilings. If you are wanting to create space, considering a wall mounted T.V. could give you just this, alongside the perfect lighting and increased outlets.
Whatever your dream home looks like, it starts with a plan, understanding your budget and engaging in professional trades to safeguard compliance and your physical well-being. Universal Electro Tech are able to work with you to create an automated environment, with modernised fixtures and fittings to suite your home. If you want aesthetically pleasing electrics, reach out to our crew of knowledgeable Electricians who will ensure value and ambiance is added to your property. Electrical Solutions Designed and Delivered by Universal Electro Tech and Universal Switchboards. Contact our team on (08) 9328 9491 | admin@uet.net.au | www.uet.net.au or visit our premises at 105 Robinson Avenue, Belmont, WA 6104 to see how we can support your next home project.