• Home
• /
• Metrolife

Revamp your home

Many people feel that good home design is a luxury but it can also be affordable. Reshmika Chandrasekhar, Co-Founder, The Interior Curators takes you on a journey to redo your home on a budget and create a lively space that reflects you

Reshmika Chandrasekhar, Co-Founder, The Interior Curators

With many people working from home, what kind of effect does home decor have?

People have realised the importance of a well-designed home that is comfortable, beautiful, and versatile enough to suit the needs of each lifestyle. In the absence of actual office spaces, people have had to become creative in incorporating their workspace into their homes. Good design practice comes in handy here, where we’re able to create separate workspaces and have different areas servong various purposes, creating a fully functional home.

It is also only natural that people have been paying greater attention to how their home makes them feel during this time. People have started placing significance in the functionality and aesthetics of their homes, and questioning what creates a well-designed home. Hence, interior design and styling, which was once seen as a luxury, has now become in demand by people with all kinds of budgets.

How can interior decor be implemented on a budget?

Once you’ve established your budget and a defined idea, start by decluttering your space. Remove any items that stand in the way of the overall vision.

The simplest way to achieve a look is by focusing on colour. Whether it’s to tone down a space or add some flair, colour and pattern are great tools in transforming any room’s overall look and feel. I recommend selecting a neutral base colour for your walls, and if you love doing DIYs, use a pop of colour to paint a feature wall. Choose pillows, throws and rugs intentionally to suit your chosen colour scheme for accessorisation.

Consciously pair different colours, textures and sizes to create a feeling of depth. Hang art on your walls for a more elegant look, or create a gallery wall with family pictures. Ensure the frames you select are the right size and scale for the wall you are decorating, and don’t overpopulate your house with too much decor.

Source affordable cushions, trinkets, curtains etc. and spend more money on purchasing good quality high-use items like rugs, dining chairs and sofas, etc.

What are the essentials around a home?

There’s no fixed formula when it comes to designing the perfect house. Because each person is so different, the priority for each room tends to be unique to the individual(s).

I love choosing the perfect rugs, throws, sofa materials and cushions to elevate the feel of the room. Living room essentials are subjective to the chosen aesthetic. For instance, in an eclectic living room, accent chairs or styling accessories might be essential, but for a modern living room, layered lighting and sleek finishes are important.

In the bedroom both textiles and good lighting are important. Choose rugs that complement the colour of your bed linen, and curtains that have subtle texture, pair well with your rug and filter in just the right amount of light. Get a full-length mirror, which can visually give your room some extra height and reflect light.

The standard bathroom essential is a good storage system. Finding the right shower shelf, laundry basket etc. is what can transform a bathroom.

When it comes to the kitchen, functionality is the priority, from sufficient storage capacity, proper ventilation, hardware finishes, the right lighting, to a good workflow within the space.

What are the simple additions that add flair to a home?

My favourite thing in a home is upcycled or restored pieces of decor. Placing tasteful objects and sculptural elements can give your home a lot of character and is the perfect way to add a unique personalised touch to your home.

What have you noticed as ongoing trends?

A lot of our clients are selecting our e-design packages, where most of the project and design process takes place virtually. Consultations and meetings are conducted via video call, and final design proposals, furniture selection and renderings/visualisations are also delivered digitally. We’ve got requests for home interior design that feels light and airy and ‘spring’ colour palettes.

Another is the use of sustainable materials such as rattan or wicker. Our clients love when we bring in touches of natural materials to their spaces in the form of a wicker basket, a rattan pouffe, natural linens, jute rugs, or even reclaimed wood furniture.

Another is the use of more organic free-flowing shapes rather than dated geometric forms. These trends are reflective of society’s progression from absolute perfectionism and showy homes to our desire to be more natural and comfortable in our homes now.

What trends can people expect in 2022?

A staple design trend that is here to stay is a neutral colour base palette with pops of colour through accents because it’s so easy and cost-effective to swap around textiles to create a high impact change. The trend of using more natural and organic shapes is only going to magnify in the future. With artists and designers getting more explorative, expect furniture design to move away from their traditional shapes and into more curved, fluid and unexpected forms, creating perfect signature pieces for any home. Lastly, I hope to see sustainability continue to be a rising trend in the design industry.