As the days get gradually longer and hotter, the cool comfort of home offers a welcome retreat. Liven up those sultry summer days with our fresh take on city living: the Urban Greenhouse trend.

It’s all about clean, stripped-down surfaces and tactile textures: think reclaimed wood, exposed brick, raw concrete and galvanised zinc, perked up with bursts of citrus and green tones. Banish the dark colours, roll away the rugs, store the heavy winter throws and create a summer retreat that’s fresh, bright and cool.

A few quick seasonal fixes can make your home come alive. Rejuvenate your living room with cushions in tangy hues of lime green and acid yellow. Use indoor plants to make any space come alive, though it can be a challenge to keep them thriving and lush when the temperatures climb into the dreaded 40s. For perennial green spots that soothe the eye, consider our range of artificial plants in trendy metal planters; they add zing to your home without the maintenance hassles of watering and fertilising.

Juxtapose these green beauties with cool, shiny metal accessories that are sure to put the sparkle back into a tired living room. Choose from our range of delightful bowls, platters and trays, which can be set on a coffee table, added to a wall unit or placed on the dining table; they’re versatile too, you can use them to catch those wandering remotes or as ultra-glamorous fruit bowls. Why not change your picture frames for the trendy hammered metal surrounds our stores now stock? They make great gifts.

Transform your bedroom into a crisp, cool relaxation zone with our line of cotton bed linen. The lighting should be soothing, too; choose from our new line of stylish bedroom lamps that represent the epitome of clean, contemporary luxury. If you want to make a statement, look no further than this stylish tripod lamp with a white base. Alternatively, if you’d rather add a note of Zen appeal, opt for this clear glass lamp with a natural bamboo shade.

Fresh flowers are a delightful indulgence for your home when it’s unbearably hot outside. Keep them blooming in our range of chic vases in organic shapes, that suggest flowing brooks and reflective pools.  These vases are so pretty that you don’t always need to keep flowers in them, they look great on their own.

If you need more decorating inspiration and ideas this season, just walk into any one of our stores. Our staff members will be happy to show you just what you need for an instant update or a major makeover.

See you at Home Centre.

Each new year, we cast a thought or two towards accomplishing our resolutions and fulfilling our dreams. Research shows that our surroundings often impact moods and thoughts, so why not start where it counts – right at home? After all, it’s a time for new beginnings.  

Here are some tips and tricks to help you jumpstart your home refresh: 

1. Identify why you would like to revamp your home. Is it a practical solution to a life-changing circumstance like having a baby, or is it a desire to bring a breath of fresh air to your space?

2. Just rearranging existing furniture can give your room a new dimension and feel.

3. Paint is one of the most cost-effective and easiest ways to liven up a room. You can paint an accent wall or pick a new shade for the entire area. Wallpaper is another alternative for a brand new look.

4. Clutter can accumulate over time, but it’s easy to clear out the excess, reorganise and add storage, to give a room a new lease on life. Storage boxes, a new cabinet, some shelves on the wall, or extended wardrobe space make a real difference.

5. Instantly refresh rooms with new home decor delights. You can choose a new colour theme, throw in some bright cushions, get new drapes or a rug, or add a few different elements. Vases and other decorative ornamentation make a big, easy, difference too.

6. Add a statement piece that steals the attention and creates the ‘wow’ effect – it can range from a bright chair to eclectic lamps, floor vases, dainty curtains or chic art on the wall.

7. Change the position of lighting to change a room’s mood. A perception of more space or a cosier feel can also be achieved with a simple adjustment or two. Tea-lights, lanterns and funky lampshades are all great options available at Home Centre, to renew a room.

8. Indoor plants, available at low prices, can act as a mood enhancer in any room; they’re easy to maintain and generate a feeling of freshness in your living space. Artificial fauna can also have the same effect.

9. Artwork and wall decor can liven up the style of a room, and it needn’t be expensive. Even different shapes and sizes of mirrors can work wonders.

10. Add seasonal touches to your rooms to keep them fresh. Augment a neutrally shaded room with orange and plum during the winter, and go with brighter colours during the spring. Festive occasions like Eid, Diwali and Christmas are perfect times for festive looks, too.

You don’t need to have studied the French Renaissance or be an architectural guru to appreciate design and create a beautiful home.

We’ve tracked five simple trends for 2013, to put you on top of what’s hot on the home front:

1) Trending Colours

It’s back to basics! 2013 brings with it a sophisticated shift in colour schemes. The bright and shocking colours of the last few seasons are giving way to a more neutral palette for the current season. Think soft but confident; simple yet chic. Colour doesn’t need be the only thing that stands out in a room. A softer approach to lighting, accessories and furniture is what’s in right now.

Traditional winter darks and bold colours are being replaced with softer hues. Baby blue, versus bold indigos and navies; camel and creams over dark brown; olive and forest greens; peach and strawberry hues take precedence over stronger, richer and neon shades. 

2) Easy Living

In 2013, a big interior decorating trend will be to focus on long-term value and warmth. Your home is no longer trying to copy a page out of Architectural Digest. It’s about you and family time. Making your home look and feel lived in, in the midst of modern sophistication, is what most home designers and stylists are recommending today. A cosy nook for some afternoon reading, and spacious living rooms with generous leather sofas, nail this casual and comfortable look.

3) Natural Motifs

There’s a greater appreciation for natural textures and finishes this season. Stones, woods, marble tops and textured walls are what we are looking forward to.    

That rustic table, a stained glass window, natural bamboo furniture, or even seashells collected from your beach holidays, can set the trend in your home. So forget the plastics, acrylics and other artificial materials.

4) Prints

Runway looks have always crept into home trends. One of this season’s inspirations is print. Botanical and insect prints are a great hit, moving from fashion into the home. It’s an easy way to bring the feel of “nature” to your house.

Tribal and bohemian designs are other popular prints that can be a great way to add a splash of colour to your neutral palettes. These prints look great on bed linen, drapes, cushions and accessories. 

5) Wallpaper

Wallpaper has made a huge comeback this season. An intricate, ornamented wallpaper design can be offset with simple bedding and upholstery. Top off the look with simple, yet detailed lighting options or accessories, to add interest and character to the room. Soften a busy wall print with sheer drapes or pick a thematic colour from your room décor, and play it up with contrasting wallpaper for a dramatic effect.

Now that we’ve filled you in on some trends to try in your home, we’ll come back to you with tips for easy refreshes in our next post. Stay tuned.

It’s that time of the year again to vow, pledge and promise. Get fit. Read more. Spend more time with the kids. Learn a language. Resolutions! Resolutions! While we get the ball rolling on New Year’s resolutions for 2013, here are some beautiful, easy and interesting thoughts for a happier, brighter home this year.

Small ideas for a big impact
Getting bored of the same look in your home doesn’t necessarily call for a personal loan. Small decoration ideas and simple refreshes are our stylists’ favourite ways to liven up a room.

Paint and wallpaper are cost-effective ways to create a new look for your home. Consider a trendy colour palette to match your décor or create an accent wall with striking wallpaper or bright paint. Hallways and corridors are perfect spots for accent walls, too.

Another quick way to redecorate is to change the cushions, drapes and accessories. From giving your room a new colour scheme to introducing a new shade, this is an age-old, DIY way to spruce up your home.  

Entertaining at home
Each year most of us vow to spend more time with family and friends. Why not start hosting more often at home? It doesn’t need to be anything elaborate or fancy, but perhaps an impromptu movie night, dinner and drinks with buddies you haven’t caught up with in a while or a casual evening over board games.

Having friends over often will give you reason to beautify corners and add pretty displays. A centrepiece on the dining table, some fresh flowers or fragrant candles can go a long way in spreading some positive energy – not to mention the banter that follows.

Making memories
It’s you that makes your house a home. Every vase, colour palette or picture frame in your house is a reflection of you, your personality, your lifestyle and your family. Your home is a daily reminder of memories, adventures and hopes.

Keep these memories alive with personal touches, collectibles and displaying your favourite things. The husband’s guitar from childhood, your daughter’s book of stamps and your university souvenirs can all become perfect pieces of a home built on memories.
Of course, there are photographs, too, and so many ways to display them.

De-clutter

It’s true: clutter and junk add to the negative energy in your home. Clean and mess-free surroundings are known to make your life less anxious, but sorting it out doesn’t have to cause more stress.

Finding places for things is the first step – and there are plenty of storage solutions in our stores. Vintage trunks, storage stools, ottomans are other handy, attractive ways to sort out everyday mundane things.

Counter tops and shelves are the first places to start clearing.
Once you’ve taken care of the regular junk piling up, start clearing out the unnecessary stuff. Give away, donate or discard unused objects like toys, clothes and books.

Get cooking
After the holiday feasting, fasting might look like the next best option, but getting active in the kitchen can do the trick.

Find some tasty, healthy ingredients or superfoods and start including them in your everyday diet. Throw a few flax seeds in your omelette or add of berries to your yogurt and cereal.

Find a new recipe for things your kids don’t like eating. Have your tried steaming the broccoli in the microwave with some cheese?

Make occasions out of everyday happenings. Bake a batch of healthy cookies to celebrate your daughter’s good grades. Roast some chicken to perk up a dreary day at work. After all, celebrating life is happiness.   

Making a statement
With art becoming so much more approachable and accessible, it’s a great opportunity to include it in your home décor without spending big money.

You can pick up street art when you’re travelling or visit local exhibitions and fairs. A photograph you’ve taken and love can be blown up or a cluster of vintage posters can be put together to fill an unused wall; travel souvenirs or antiques picked up from charity stores can all become your representation of artistry.

It’s all about your personality and expressing yourself in things that you love.