Category: Design

The recent COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the world’s economy. This deadly virus is associated with some vices, but it also came along with a few virtues. For instance, no matter how bad the lockdown idea may seem, it has made some people venture into beneficial engagements.

Ever since the onset of lockdown in various countries, some visionary entrepreneurs that have been affected by the pandemic share various inspirational projects. Through these projects, some independent creators and enterprises received visibility and support. 

If you are wondering what you should do during lockdown to keep yourself engaged, here are a few fun things to add on your To-do list.

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Opt for Freelance Qualitative Research

Since movement outdoors is restricted during a lockdown, one of the best things you could do is working from home. For instance, as a freelance writer, you can easily detect how to become more agile while remaining cost-efficient. 

Since physical interviews and field research are on hold because of restricted movement, you could opt for emails and desk-based research interviews. You can also draft an updated methodology that blends contributions from maestros, consumers, and online academia for a desirable perspective for future projection.

Create an Online Store

Did you ever imagine that you can make a living while in your bedroom, living room, or patio? Because of restricted movement during this pandemic, how about you create an online store that focuses on the community.

With that said, you know that masks are like an ID nowadays. It won’t hurt if you created a downloadable plan that guides people on making their masks. You will even be surprised because people may ask you to make some masks for them, and just like that, you can start connecting with people.

Once you share the tips on making a mask, you can make some masks yourself and sell them at a cost price or even donate them to the hotspot areas. By doing this, you could have saved a lot of people’s lives and made a living. Well, that’s not hard to do. Is it?

Ever Thought of Making a Family Tree?

Have you ever gone through your family album and come across some faces you have never seen before? Well, in this case, take some time while in lockdown and construct that family tree. This will help you significantly if you want to know about your family history. 

Through research, the family tree will play a vital role in ensuring that you know more about your family members whom you’ve never met before. Through that, you can increase your bond with distant bloodline members. A family tree is one thing that can help you understand various bonds that are necessary for you. Feel free to plan for an online family photography session and keep those memories.

Novel Writing

How about you reduce consumption and start creating?

Assuming that you have always wanted to write a novel, but time has always been a constraint, don’t let go of this opportunity. It could help if you knew that Shakespeare did some of his writings in isolation. An excellent example of a piece he did in isolation was King Lear. Let this be a motivating factor for you to write your opus.

However, you can have some challenges on where to start with your writing. Fear not. There are many free online courses that will closely guide you on how to begin fiction writing. These courses will help you get on the right track.

Write That Song Today

Music is one thing that hits right when you are in an isolated environment. The company you could receive by listening to a song or writing one is incomparable to none. Are you the type of person with musical persuasion? Then channel your current feelings into a poem. You can also create a whole album about them.

Starting may be a challenge, but there are many songwriting courses online that could get you in the correct mind frame. Who knows you could do this well and make some Spotify playlists while you get inspired?

Conduct A Games Night

Are you tired of another pub quiz? That’s normal. Plan on having a games night because this is a sure-fire way that keeps your friendship group or the entire family entertained during the lockdown. 

Tips on Hosting a Games Night

• Make one of your loved ones a happy hour host and request them to perform a live cocktail master class
• Orchestrate some drinking games
• Play charades
• Get one person to mime phrases and identify who is best in lip reading
• Play Bingo

Learn Knitting

Many fashionable and sustainable knitting brands run free tutorials on Instagram. They have a specific tune in hours and days. Through these meetings, you can learn knitting with help from their influencers. 

These tutorials provide opportunities to all age brackets by getting them involved in something crafty while at home. It is also one of the best ways of passing the time by becoming a little bit creative in the afternoons. Don’t stop at anything. Take advantage of such tutorials and make your lockdown less boring.

Learn a Language

You must have planned on learning a new language at one point in life, but the time factor became an issue. Take this chance now. There are many YouTube video selections and other online tutorials that you can easily access. Maximize these channels and learn that language today.

There are also various language applications with immense features. These apps have several video clips recorded by great speakers across the world. Use this opportunity and keep immersing yourself in different cultures.

Have Some Fun During Lockdown!

If Netflix becomes a little bit boring and the thought of spending some hours on your bed or couch perusing some memes is too much, it is about time you changed your routine by getting those creative juices moving. Don’t be stuck on what you should do at the moment. The tips discussed above will keep you engaged like never before.

Giving your living room a complete makeover can be expensive and time consuming. That said, there are many small and creative ways of redoing your living room to give it more luster and beauty without having to break the bank. 

Apart from the addition of interesting furniture, one of the best ways in which you can breathe life into your living room is by making it more colourful. The colour scheme of a home can reveal a lot about the character and behavior of the resident. Each colour has a different effect on the human psyche and can cause different emotions. More so, colours create a certain atmosphere and give rooms a certain character. Therefore, they play a decisive role in whether we like to be in that room or not.

That said, if you’re here in search of alternative ways to add extra colour to your living room without applying so much effort and resources, the following simple ways are a cinch to apply and will add vibrant hues to your living room. 

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1. Incorporate art prints

 

Bring in a large and colourful masterpiece to give your living room a bold and colourful effect. If you can’t afford a new piece of art, you can opt for abstract art prints. Brightly coloured abstract art prints not only bring life to dull corners of a living room, they also liven up bare, unpainted walls.

That said, where to hang the artwork is as important as choosing the piece of art. You can choose to hang it above your cushion or sofa, or above a fireplace mantel, or on empty wall spaces near a window. Regardless of where you choose, a bold and colourful piece of art will introduce bright and vibrant hues into your living room.

2. Make use of colourful accessories

 

Coloured accessories can greatly impact your living room space by adding non-permanent pops of colour. Fusing various living room accessories with a blend of brilliant and vibrant hues provides some sort of freshness, so your space feels like a full makeover. You could try getting bright coloured lamps, plant pots, bold drapes, or even something as little as a brightly coloured tray. 

Or, you may choose to add something larger than an accessory such as a Yamaha grand piano to help your room pop. While they may not always be available (within price range) in bright colours, they will certainly help add colour and a talking point to your living room.

These bright and coloured accessories will make your living room look more cohesive and balanced. Choose colours that contrast the surface where they are to be placed on. Or, you could go for colours that are lighter or darker in shade of the one used on the surface. 

3. Add flowers and plants

 

With the addition of flowers and plants, the boundary between inside and outside disappears and you enjoy the freshness of summer, even when you are at home. On top of this, adding plants is one of the easiest ways to add natural hue and colour to your room. In fact, they possess some of the most glorious and vibrant colours to add to your living room. However, it’s best to incorporate a plant that is best suited for indoor conditions. You can then test them out at different locations to find the perfect spot where they can breathe life and add a dose of vibrant colour to your space. 

4. Add a colourful rug

 

Rugs have a special ability for tying designs together. To add more hue to your living room, you can try bringing in a colourful area rug. Brightly coloured area rugs, layered over a hardwood flooring, or on top a carpeting adds more texture and colour to your living space. 

Area rugs also make your living area more cozy and comfortable. So, why not opt for a rug with a colourful detail or pattern to add some interest? Interestingly, a long rug with a coloured component can help brighten up unexpected places around your living space too.

5. Add some colourful pillows

 

Go ahead and toss in a couple of bright coloured pillows to give your living room a brighter and colourful effect. Pillows not only add colour, they encourage that comfortable and cozy feel every living room needs. And the good thing is, they also offer flexibility in case you change your mind. 

In picking an accent pillow, opt for one that will compliment the chair or sofa it will be sitting on quite nicely. You can also creatively mix and match a few patterns for a more vibrant feel. These brightly coloured throw pillows can sit comfortably on neutral sofas, cushions, and rugs and will provide a contrasting effect that will liven up your living room.

6. Reupholster the furniture

 

Reupholstering a chair cushion is not as difficult as it is made out to be. In fact, reupholstering is one of the easiest ways to effect change in your living space without applying much effort. You can do the upholstering yourself, or consider giving it out to a professional carpenter to do it.

Investing your money into getting new sets of furniture might seem too much considering that you recently changed them or they are not so old. Reupholstering might be your only option in reviving your old furniture and in giving it a new look.

Going for a bright and colourful fabric is presumably your best option. Opt for colours that are vibrant and bold to give your living room an impressive hue. Items you can reupholster include sofas, cushions, and dining chairs (if you have a dining area in the living room).

7. Install a mirror on an empty wall

 

Decorating with mirrors is a great way to reflect light and colour in your living room. No doubt, placing a large mirror in the living room is one of the best ways to fill a bare wall in your living room. What’s more, a large mirror, through its reflection, can open up more space and make your living room feel bigger than it actually is. 

That said, it’s always best to opt for a mirror with a well-crafted bright coloured frame. If you have a mirror with a plain frame, try embellishing it with cording or braid before applying a coat of paint to it.

8. Paint a wall

 

Painting one wall of your living room is one of the easiest tricks in the book to brighten up your living room. colours and patterns on the wall will influence the spatial effect and ultimately the feel-good atmosphere enormously. More so, an airy ambience creates harmony, which you can achieve even in a small winding hallway with bright colours.

That said, it’s best to opt for a larger wall that is easily noticeable.You can have an option to hire a skilled spray painter to make sure that the color that you want will contrast to those of your living room accessories. Whatever colour you choose, be sure that it compliments other accessories in the living room.

9. Paint a cabinet

 

You can breathe new life into a bland cabinet, shelf, or bookcase by accenting it with a coat of coloured paint. There are a variety of ways to paint a cabinet and shelf. The first is to try painting the interior and exterior with two contrasting colours to give your space a bright hue. You can also paint the interior walls behind the cabinet with a vibrant colour to add a bit of dimension to both the cabinet and the living room. You can then place books with bright covers to add another layer of colour to your book cabinet. 

Your cabinet can also be used to display various decorative items like artworks, photo frames, baskets and boxes. Your choice of which item to use should depend entirely on your setting and the coloured effect you are trying to create.

10. Incorporate colourful throws, quilts and blankets

 

New trends in interior decoration offer a lot in leeway in fulfilling your décor goals. Items that were originally meant for bedroom areas can now be incorporated into the living room. Blankets, quilts and throws can provide colour, depth, and comfort to your living space. 

Quilts or blankets can also be draped over the arm or back of a neutral cushion or sofa in the living room to introduce a vibrant and electrifying hue into your space. Opt for a standout colour when looking for a colour to accent these items with. Additionally, bright and vibrant colours that sit comfortably well on the neutral surface are also a good option.

11. Window treatments

 

Living room windows can be as stunning as the rest of the room. Window treatments, such as shades and drapes, can be installed on your windows to give it a beautiful and vibrant appearance. More so, they provide a perfect vibrant backdrop for the other parts of the living room. 

Owing to the expensive nature of these window treatments, you might want to opt for something durable that would last through future makeovers. Select a neutral window treatment that will compliment other colour palettes you introduce into your living area. You can also layer your windows with brightly coloured drapery and light filtering roman shades.

12. Bring in coloured ribbons

 

Little extras like ribbons can add a great deal of colour to any room. The good thing about ribbons is that they are quite affordable and also offer you a lot of flexibility in terms of style and design. However, to provide a more mature outlook for your space, you need to be creative in how you apply the ribbons. 

Some ideal locations where they can easily fit include your window treatments, lampshades, picture frames, cabinet doors, and even mirrors. More so, velvet, silk and grosgrain ribbons are some options you can choose from.

It’s no secret that many people opt for a specific style or decor for their living room, such as contemporary, vintage or minimalist. But, what if you don’t want to do the same thing as everyone else? What if you want your living room to have a beautiful mish-mash of styles?

You’re likely reading this today because you have experienced much of the world, and you’d like to use some global style influences when redesigning the look and feel of your living room. With that in mind, here are some practical ways to achieve that goal:

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Art

Your walls are literally a blank canvas for the majority of your living room’s styling. One of the best ways to break up an otherwise uniform-looking is, of course, to hang up some suitably tasteful art.

The thing is, what should you hang on your walls? Seeing as you want to achieve a more global feel for your living room, it pays to invest in some international art that both accentuates your living room’s colour scheme and offers new focal points.

For example, have you ever considered buying some Aboriginal art for sale? One thing you’ll notice about that art is there are many patterns and colours used in each painting. Aboriginal art is also perfect if you’ve got an eclectic taste in artwork.

Flooring

If you’re lucky enough to have wooden floorboards in your living room, it’s worth removing any carpet and exposing them. Emphasizing a home’s original features is quite a trendy thing to do these days, and it can make it easier to clean your floors.

You should consider adding a large rug to the central area of your living room. While you can buy rugs from anywhere, it’s worth considering a tasteful Persian rug, given that Iran is best-known for its popular rug designs and manufacturing.

Persian rugs are also synonymous with high-quality knot styles, and Iran has a long heritage of producing some of the world’s finest flooring products to adorn any home around the world.

Fireplace

Does your living room have a fireplace? If so, the first thing you should do is install a log burner if you haven’t got one already. They are brilliant to use during the colder months of the year and make any living room feel cosy and inviting.

Apart from that, you should look at installing some Cuban-designed tiles around your fireplace. When you choose the right colour combinations, adding a South American theme to your fireplace will undoubtedly make it the main focal point of your living room.

And if you find that Cuban-designed tiles are a bit too bright for your tastes, fear not! You could instead consider a vintage touch by opting for an Art Deco-style fireplace surround. Imagine the elegance of reclaimed antique fireplaces gracing your home—a nod to North American history and a conversation starter for cozy evenings

Plants

Let face it: no living room will ever look complete without adding some greenery to it. You may already know there is a vast choice available when it comes to indoor plants. But, which ones can you choose that add a global twist to your living room decor?

One idea is to add some snake plants to your living room greenery composition. Snake plants are native to many parts of Africa and Asia, and they even help boost your living room’s oxygen levels.

Another idea is to consider the euphorbia trigona cactus plant. It’s a cactus native to West Africa but is also found in Asia. Note that you shouldn’t have this cactus if you have a pet, as they’re toxic to cats and dogs.

Ornaments

There’s no denying that ornaments adorn many a living room. The thing is, many people’s living room ornaments are modern and are often found in homes across the planet. The good news is, you can add some global style to your living room with certain ornaments.

For instance, one of your ornaments could be a statue of a Hindu deity from India, such as Vishnu or Shiva. Or, how about an ornament that depicts Mayan civilisations from pre-Columbian South America?

As you can appreciate, there are tasteful ornaments you can buy that represent cultures or deities from all corners of the globe; the only limitation is your imagination. Note that you shouldn’t fill up your living room with ornaments as it can look too crowded.

Final Thoughts

The above ideas are just a few suggestions for adding many global influences to your living room decor. It’s worth checking out websites like Pinterest for some style inspiration so you can develop an international style that works well for your living room.