Happy February! Can you believe the first month of 2016 came and went by so fast? I’ve been Pinning a lot lately and I keep coming across these gorgeous interiors- some with a fresh take on traditional home decor ideas and some with entirely new ideas that I absolutely love- so of course I had to share them with you. Call it “Beginning the Month with a Giant Dose of Inspiration to Keep You Powered Up”! Personally, I’m still in refresh and renew mode so really this post is as much for me to take notes as it is for me to hopefully inspire you! Let’s take a look at 7 brilliant ideas to refresh your home decor this year, shall we?

1. Use a single paint colour throughtout

Doesn’t this kitchen feel like art come to life? The use of a single, showstopping colour for the walls and cabinets goes a long way in unifying the various built-ins and creating a visually soothing interior. The whole space is utterly breathtaking – and those are words I never thought I would use for a kitchen! Even simple white dishware is elevated in these surroundings. I’ll be honest though- about the only thing I can picture myself doing in this kitchen is making some artisanal hot chocolate in those beautiful copper pots on that professional-grade stove. The rest of the time, I would probably just stand around admiring the space.

2. Show your stairs some love

I think it’s safe to say when you acquire pets or have kids the number of photographs you take goes up exponentially compared to when it was just you and your partner. I’ve been looking for new ways to display our photographs in an uncomplicated, minimal manner for ages now so I was very excited to come across this gorgeous house tour on Cup of Jo. I love the simple frames, the large scale photos, and I think five is the perfect number to keep the look from feeling overly cluttered. A whole cluster of frames along the stairs suddenly feels very dated, don’t you think?

Consider an ombré effect paint job for your stair risers for an unexpected jolt of colour- although this look would work equally well in paler, more neutral tones too!

If risers aren’t your thing, how about stenciling a graphic pattern on your staircase treads instead? Talk about adding oomph!

3. Display antique portraits and oil paintings in unexpected places and modern settings

This has to be one of the best ideas I’ve come across to refresh your home decor- and one I definitely have to try this year!- and it’s all thanks to this beautiful Scandinavian space with it’s gallery wall of antique portraits. I mean, seriously. Do you see how gorgeous, how inspiring? I particularly love how only three of the portraits have gilded frames; the rest are canvases which creates a nicely balanced, entirely modern look that matches its surroundings perfectly.

A life-sized antique oil painting is perfectly juxtaposed against the brick wall and utterly mid-century modern Panton-style chairs in this dining room.

This portrait hung above the bed looks like it belongs in this otherwise minimalist bedroom as much as it would in any art gallery.

4. Work in some concrete

Maybe this is old hat to those well-acquainted with assembling kitchens but this is the first time I’ve seen concrete used for counter tops and back splash, and boy, does it look gorgeous! Even more so when paired with that amazing black cabinetry and those pretty brass pulls.

If concrete up top isn’t your style, how about a concrete floor underfoot? Colour me surprised but it looks quite warm and not as industrial and “cold” as I would have thought in a modern home setting! I would imagine upkeep is a breeze too.

Lastly, if neither counter tops or floors are in your budget, how about accents like a gorgeous concrete light fixture or perhaps even some concrete planters?

5. Practice “Less is more” from the get-go

I firmly believe that you should start as you mean to go on, so it makes perfect sense that the first place you’d step into when you come home should be minimalist, clean and neat. This Scandi-inspired entryway is one of my favourites because of how utterly simple it is. It’s accessorized but not overdressed. The perfect companion to a relaxed home, like your favourite red lipstick is to jeans and a crisp white shirt. It just goes to prove good design really doesn’t have to be complex or hard to achieve for the everygirl!

Classic Scandinavian style rules in this black and white vignette. After all, what you really need in an entry way is a place to sit and put on your shoes and a small mirror to check your reflection as you head out. This space checks off all those boxes.

6. Mix Scandinavian Minimalism with Bohemian Maximalism

Although I love the colourful vibe of a Bohemian interior, I know it’s not something I could exclusively pull off in my own home, which led to me wondering what Scandinavian with a touch of Boho Chic would look like. Sounds intriguing, right? I scoured my favourite sources, and discovered this gorgeous home where Scandinavian meets Bohemian and everything is done to perfection. As far as I’ve observed, the key to a Scandinavian interior comes down to three things: minimize the colour palette by sticking to monochrome shades, employ clean lines in furniture and decor, and let the design breathe with lots of white space- literally and visually. Then you introduce warmth through Boho-Chic elements like carved wood, tasseled pillows, textured throws and leather accents, while still keeping those “rules” in mind, and you’ve got yourself a killer set up to refresh your home decor!

7. Design a high contrast space

Behold this super stylish room from Pella Hedeby, who is pretty much my design hero. The woman can do no wrong! I’ve loved every single interior she’s styled and this one is no exception. Using a pale pink colour on top to balance the velvety black paint on the bottom half is genius. The result is a well-designed, high contrast space that is not jarring at all; just interesting, high style and contemporary in the best ways- and, it has to be said, entirely gender neutral too. The Mr. is game to try anything at least once but I do know some people who would object to pink walls. On paper, it doesn’t sound as appealing, but it really comes down to the shade of pink, how it is used, and accessorized. I have the proof right here in this popular post I wrote on pink walls!

There’s really nothing more high contrast than black and white, the OG’s of the high contrast game. This beautiful study is functional and chic. I don’t know about you, but I always find darker wall colours allow me to focus better than lighter colours so I’m naturally drawn to this black work space. I also love that they’ve sectioned off the room visually with the black wall- it makes the whole home office / work space area seem more legit, no?

So what do you think? Are you as inspired by these ideas as I am? Leave me a comment and tell me which one of these 7 brilliant ideas you’ll be trying to refresh your home decor this year!

And don’t forget to stop by The Shop to take a look at my top home decor picks from Target!

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