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7 Ways to Make Your Home More Visually Compelling

Image courtesy of Zara Home by ©Fabien Baron

It’s likely that millions of homeowners across the United States are frustrated by their home’s lack of character. But you don’t have to engage an interior designer to transform your residence into a home. Sometimes a few simple upgrades can add the visual charm you’re looking for

Seven Suggestions Worth Trying

Are you done with living in a cookie-cutter house that could be taken for anyone else’s in your neighborhood? Want to feel you’re living in a space that’s uniquely yours?

Here are seven simple ways you can add a little visual attraction to your humble abode.

01. Upgrade Your Siding

Tired of cheap, flimsy vinyl siding that’s always chipping, fading, and working loose? Want something sturdier, or perhaps a unique color palette?

You can instantly see the difference in quality, and you won’t have to worry about maintenance for many years to come.

Image courtesy of Zara Home by ©Fabien Baron

02. Incorporate Handmade Items

Target, Walmart, Ikea, Zara Home and other massive home stores are great. They give homeowners easy access to cost-effective home decor items that can be installed almost effortlessly.

But an unintended consequence is that every home starts to look like all the rest. Everyone buys the same products, selects the same decor, and creative expression and personality go by the wayside. You need to challenge this.

Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with incorporating a few Ikea items that appeal to you, try incorporating some handmade/original items that have a bit of character. Pay a little extra to have that woodworker down the street build you a dining table.

Buy an original work of art at a craft fair, rather than a print. Design your own centerpieces. Every original item comes with a story and adds depth and intrigue to your home’s design.

Image courtesy of Zara Home by ©Fabien Baron

03. Use Vintage Decor

Much like handcrafted accessories, vintage decor can add character and charm to a residence. When placed alongside contemporary items, they provide a simple contrast of old versus new. They add a sense of refinement to the space that’s visually interesting and emotionally captivating. No doubt this is one of the most used tricks of celebrated interior designers

Image courtesy of Zara Home by ©Fabien Baron

04. Try an Accent Wall

In rooms that feature lots of wall space, painting all the surfaces the same color can produce visual boredom. Perhaps you could try substituting an accent wall? An accent wall is nothing more than a wall that complements the rest of the vertical surfaces in the room. Accent walls can be painted a different color, or they might use unique textures and materials to stand out.

Whether they consist of reclaimed wood, wallpaper, panelling, or even textiles, accent walls typically represent a visual victory.

05. Change Up the Molding

Molding is another one of those details that many homeowners don’t think about. However, it’s an element that visitors may notice right away when they walk into your house. If you want to make an easy change, consider swapping out your moldings. By upgrading basic wall casings, crown molding, and baseboards to something that creates a more unique and intricate profile, you can make a room look instantly more interesting.

Don’t feel like replacing the molding? Consider painting it a color!

Image courtesy of Zara Home by ©Fabien Baron

06. Experiment with Textures

Homeowners often get married to safe decor. They’ve been taught over the years that everything has to be consistent … so everything ends up matching. This does little more than produce a boring look. If you wish to make your house truly interesting visually, try experimenting with textures. Wood, stone, concrete, textiles, leather, metals … all of them can be mixed to create a rustic yet refined look that shows your eclectic taste.

07. Use Pops of Color

Minimalism with the use of hot and monochromatic color schemes is really having a moment. But don’t get too swept up in the whites and neutrals that you forget about the power of color. Pops of color can lift up a monochromatic scheme and make it more visually arresting. Try painting the insides of bookshelves, installing colorful accent chairs, and integrating bright artwork.

Give Your Home a Vibrant Facelift

You don’t have to bulldoze your house and build a new one. With a few simple changes and upgrades, you can translate your existing home from boring to visually intriguing.

Take it one step at a time and don’t try to do too much. Sometimes the simplest changes make the biggest statements.

All images from Zara Home Spring Summer 2020 collection photographed by the world renowned photographer Fabien Baron.

Blue Eye by Wei Yi International Design Associates

Thunderbird Heights Residence by Stuart Silk Architects

Thunderbird Heights Residence by Stuart Silk Architects