Turn your home into a modern style classic

One of the best ways in modifying or upgrading your home’s features is to draw inspiration from other contemporary houses. When you browse through property magazines, you may come across farm-style cottages that have been turned into modern properties with spacious outdoor living spaces and open living rooms. 

To start your project in modernising your home, it is best to begin with the kitchen, as this room should be functional at all times. Rustic wooden cupboards may look out of date and can be a hindrance to modernity, so a good place to start is to change the cabinets and paint the walls with a light colour. Red or white lacquer are good colours for cupboards, and the bar counter can be either raw wood or aluminium. If your counter is laminated, consider painting it with bright colours to match the walls. Some kitchens are made of marble flooring that is attractive to the eye, but if your cabinets are wooden, you should match the flooring to the kitchen furniture.

The next room you should focus on modernising is the dining room. Without a doubt, an all-important piece of furniture is the dining table. Choose dark brown colours for the table and chairs that look smart. You may opt for chairs with armrests with a good seating pad and a comfortable backrest. There are many contemporary designs such as bohemian themes to give your room cohesion. Adequate lighting is also just as important as the furniture. Place a lighting centrepiece over the table, but make sure you can dim it for that extra ambiance. 

The living room can be given a makeover by placing a new leather sofa, dark coloured coffee tables and cabinets. Every modern sitting room should have sideboards with TV units and bookcases. Laminate flooring will make this room look warm and cosy, especially when you add light coloured leather sofas to it. This room should look lively and cater to the demands of the residents. Paint the walls a neutral colour such as brilliant white or mahogany, so that it matches the furniture. 

Make use of rugs to change the feel of the room, and to protect your flooring. Rugs work well on wooden floors to define space. They are ideal for dining rooms, sitting rooms and hallways and create an instant personality in the room. 

The simplest changes you can make to re-define your home are to use colour schemes and introduce new fittings. Polished bronze fittings and fixtures work well with darker colours. Change your bathroom and kitchen cabinet handles to polished gold or bronze. High pouring taps allow more room in the kitchen sink, especially when you are washing pots and pans. Another great tip is to add beefy trims to create detail to a bland space. You may use chair rails to divide your walls in the dining room and crown moulding tends to add more height to ceilings. 

After re-arranging your rooms, spice them up with accessories. Use pillows, plants, lamps and whatever accessory you would like as a masterpiece. There are many colours to select from, but just make sure your choice is not boring or bland.