7 Simple Ways to Make Your Home Look More Modern

Many Pinoy homes today still adhere to traditional design principles, featuring rich, dark colors, antique furniture, and plenty of decorative items such as flowers, houseplants, and framed art. Over time, however, more and more homeowners have come to depart from this aesthetic and embrace a more modern look for their living spaces. Modern design depends on clean lines, minimalist decorating, and a simple, neutral color palette to make homes feel brighter and more open.

If you currently have a traditional home but love the modern style, rest assured that you don’t necessarily have to perform a full-scale renovation to achieve the same look. On the contrary, there are plenty of cost-effective, do-it-yourself ways to refresh an old home and make it look more contemporary. Try starting with the tips below:

Look for Simple, Streamlined Furniture

The modern style is fundamentally minimalist. Hence, one of the first things you’ll want to do if you can afford it is to swap out your lola’s old furniture for more streamlined alternatives. Qualities to look for in modern furniture include neutral colors, straight lines, and strong shapes with little if any decorative detailing.

Online marketplaces like LookingFour, where you can easily buy and sell online, will simplify the process of replacing your furniture considerably. As you work on selling off old items, you can browse for and purchase new pieces on the same platform. Try working on one room at a time, investing first in kitchen and dining furniture before moving on to living room sets, bedroom furniture, and so on. Before you know it, you’ll have a fully refurnished home that looks like it belongs in the 21st century.

Add Strategic Pops of Color

Modern homes are sparing but deliberate about their use of color, often employing bright accents that stand out against an otherwise neutral backdrop. Throw pillows and other home accessories in vivid colors like yellow and green will bring a fresh feel to a minimalist living area. What’s more, because the walls and large furniture pieces in the room are neutral, redecorating won’t take a ton of time or effort. All you’ll need to do is switch out your accessories for new ones in a different hue.

Repaint Your Walls

Repainting is one of the most popular home improvement options for those looking for inexpensive DIY projects, and for good reason. A new coat of paint will give any room an instant lift, leaving it looking and feeling fresher than ever before. New paint is especially good for covering up any unsightly scratches, dents, and other marks that might have accumulated on your walls over the years.

For a more modern home, you’ll want to choose a light monochromatic palette to cover up dated or dark shades. If you’d like to go the extra mile, choose smooth natural wood finishes for your fixtures and furniture, as wood provides the perfect complement to light-colored walls.

Replace Your Flooring

Carpets and rugs can still shine in modern homes, but not if you’re only working with dated designs or threadbare, wall-to-wall shag. Ditch the fully carpeted floors for prefinished wood flooring, oblong, or plank tile, which always look great and are easy to lay and maintain.

Upgrade Faucets, Light Fixtures, and Other Hardware

Upgrading your cabinetry, faucets, and light fixtures won’t just make your home look more modern. It also has plenty of practical value. Why tolerate perennially dripping taps, flickering bulbs, or cupboard doors that are coming off their hinges when you could switch these out for sleeker, more functional hardware? These upgrades will also up your home’s value by a considerable margin—a worthwhile consideration in case you ever need to resell it in the future.

Though upgrading your hardware might look daunting at the outset, it’s entirely possible to DIY it as long as you can make enough time. Set aside a weekend to work on replacing things around the house and it will surprise you how big the payoff is when you finish.

Get Rid of Clutter

The highlights of modern home design are lightness, airiness, and a sense of spaciousness. Naturally, this means that clutter of any kind is a huge no-no, as any knickknacks you leave lying around the house will only make your spaces feel more cramped and chaotic. Designate proper storage spaces for clothes, books, and other small items, and make sure that you and your family members always put these things away when you aren’t using them.

Invest in Tech

Technophiles will be happy to know that high-tech elements are another major highlight of modern design. These could include tech upgrades like surround speakers, motion-activated lights, built-in charging stations, and many more. There’s plenty of smart technology for the home that you can simply install yourself, all without professional help. Plus, there’s now a wide array of home tech devices available for every imaginable function and price point, so you’ll definitely find yourself spoilt for choice.

The above are just some of the most practical ways that you can modernize an older home. Once you’ve assessed your living space and made a few thoughtful changes, the many benefits of a more contemporary living space will be all yours to enjoy.