It doesn’t take much to transform a room

Updating your home doesn’t have to mean re-decorating from top to bottom. Objects are what can transform a home into a personal space. A new piece of furniture or decorative object can revitalise a room and help everything else fit into place. When you shop choose wisely, but let your heart, not your head, make the decision. You want this romance to last, so make sure you well and truly fall in love before taking the plunge!

A painting

You really don’t have to spend a fortune to buy an original work of art. Find out about nearby exhibitions or you may be lucky and come across a real find at your local charity shop or boot fair. The value in the painting is really about what it means to you. If you like it, then buy it. Building up a collection of prints and paintings over the years will really transform your home and give it a unique and personal feel.

A garden hammock

This is the time of year we start to bring out our old bits and bobs from the shed to see how the garden furniture has withstood the winter. Why not treat yourself to a garden hammock this year? There are plenty of great designs around that don’t cost a fortune. There’s something so luxurious and elegant about resting under the dappled light of a tree, sipping on homemade lemonade and reading a new book.

A re-upholstered chair

Have you got one of your grandparents’ old chairs hanging around in the house not quite fitting in with the way you’ve decorated your home? Rich interiors are all about pattern and texture now, so why not consider getting your family heirloom re-upholstered. Funky fabrics in bright, bold colours can work really well with restrained traditional furniture. Or simply transform a wingback chair in a faded cabbage rose print by re-covering with some calming cream linen.

A vase or bowl

It’s possible to pick up some really unusual and beautiful bowls and vases in the high street stores. Popular styles this season include coloured glass, metallics and textured white. The art is really in how your objects are displayed. A collection of pieces that evolve naturally looks more individual. A rather ordinary vase can look stunning placed next to an old family piece and something your children found on a recent country walk. The end result looks more liveable and personal.