Do it Yourself McMurray

To me, that is the place I call home. Home is where you are now. I think it’s important to live well, wherever you are, regardless of your circumstances. Your home is a reflection of you. Just like other things in life, the size of your home doesn’t matter – it’s all about what you do with it!
Whether you live in a tiny room, a basement suite, or a mini-McMansion, you can really make your house your home (or at least acceptable for company!) by following my three simple rules to raise the bar on style in your own pad.

CLEAR THE CLUTTER
You need to create a clean canvas for your home to show its best. One key to de-cluttering is to get rid of what you don’t use. Think about why you’re hoarding the stash of empties or old magazines? Toss out, recycle, repurpose, or donate whatever you don’t need.
Another key to winning the clutter war is to ensure that every item in your house has its own place. Invest in some simple storage solutions, like proper laundry baskets, so your dirty delicates are not displayed in piles when your guests visit. Buy bins, baskets and boxes so all your little tidbits have a place.
Lastly, keep it up. Spend a couple minutes everyday managing your space so the clutter doesn’t creep up on you again. Once you clear the clutter, you clear your space and your mind.

POP OF COLOUR!
Beige can be boring, or so they say, but too much colour can be cuckoo! Choose one colour (or two!) to accent your neutrals, then inject a small pop of that colour.
Using colour on throw pillows, wall art and small decorative accessories is an easy and affordable solution to adding personality to your pad. Then, when you want to change your accent colour, you don’t have to replace expensive furniture or tediously repaint all the walls.
Some of my favourite colour combinations are shades of gray with either orange or yellow accents. Or try warm tones of chocolate brown with turquoise or teal. Choose whatever accent colour speaks to you, and you can make it work.

ADD MIRRORS
Nothing can add needed square footage and style into your space like well-placed mirrors. Art can be tricky to buy, but you can never go wrong with mirrors. Try placing a large mirror by your front entryway. Or a collection of small mirrors to create a mirrored gallery wall.
One piece of advice is to consider what will be reflected in your mirror. You want to ensure that you are getting the most out of your light reflection. Perhaps there’s a window you’d like to get more light from – hang the mirror across from the window to add more brightness to your space.
Another great thing about mirrors is that you can take them with you when you move. Since the Fort Mac rental and real estate market is so fluid here, you want to be able to take your home style investment with you.

So those are my top three easy tips to inject some coolness and sophistication into your pad. These tips are simple and affordable. Storage solutions, colourful accessories, and yes, even mirrors, can be found at our local box stores, and even supermarkets right here in #YMM. Just keep an eye out for what strikes you, and boldly “buy it and try it.” If you don’t like what you’ve purchased once you tried it out in your pad, simply return it. Living well and in style can be easy. Trust me, it’s worth the effort. 

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