Ways to keep your decor fresh

It is one thing to finally buy the furniture of your dreams but quite another to realise that the picture-perfect showpiece is deteriorating due to knocks, scratches, spills or outright damage.

Fabrics will not remain new forever, they will gradually fade with effects of sunlight streaming through open windows and constant cleaning.

Below are a few things you can do to keep your décor looking refreshingly spick and span and well kept.

Rotational roster 

An easy way to keep your décor looking and feeling fresh is to have different colour options for your soft furnishings, which you can rotate throughout the year.

Of course, they have to complement the hard furniture pieces such as sofas, coffee tables and cabinets. If you have a purple fabric sofa you could use orange soft furnishings, like curtains and scatter cushions, in the first quarter of the year.

Change the colour scheme to lime green scatter cushions and curtains in the second quarter.

I prefer to invest heavily in one set of soft furnishings and the rest of the colour schemes can be built up by using affordable items that I pick up from sales or flea markets such as Toi market or Gikomba.

This keeps my home decor unpredicable and I can play around and vary my décor depending on the mood, seasons and weather of year.

You can buy versatile curtains which can be easily moved from one room to another to recreate the ambience in an instant without parting with a coin.

Wear and tear

It can be disheartening to watch your sofa fade and grow old. Deteriorating sofas do not need to be immediately replaced.

Replace the sofa upholstery or simply use seat covers to give your living space a burst of freshness. Seat covers give you the flexibility of simply removing them when boredom checks in or you need a change.

Always consider functionality before form.

If you have children who are likely to spill yoghurt and juice on the sofas then it might be a good idea to cover your seats with cotton or a wipeable soft leather rather then expensive upholstery such as brocade or velvet.

Budget 

Refreshing your décor can cost you an arm and a leg so plan carefully and get your quotations before hand. It is not always possible to redecorate your entire space in one go. Schedule one project at a time so as not to get overwhelmed.

If you have budget constraints, choose to refresh your space with one good quality item, rather than a lot of cheap items, such as a posh sofa, waterproof wall paper, good curtains or painting an accent wall and you will instantly feel and see the effect.

Then find frugal accessory items to help you complete the picture.

 Cleaning routine

If you want your furniture to give you years of service then you have to include a cleaning and maintenance schedule.

Wooden floors should be polished and occasionally sanded and re-varnished to prolong their life span.

Schedule the cleaning of your sofas and carpets at least once or twice a year so that your furniture and furnishings can give you a good return for your money.

—[email protected]