Want to modernise your space, make it ultra cool, and have your friends drooling over your rad taste? Jessica Jane Sammut shares 10 easy ways to give your home a makeover this summer!

Jessica’s simple tips and tricks will allow you to revamp your home without breaking the bank.

The sun is shining and Christmas is on its way – there’s no better time to throw out the old and bring in the new!

So what better place to start than your home?

A sanctuary for you and your family, your home should be a space that you love to hang out in, reflecting your style and taste and offering a safe and beautiful haven from the outside world.

It’s yours for the making! And you don’t have to spend your life savings to bring your abode up to speed.

With a few simple tricks, you can instantly modernise your home – think, small changes: big impact!

1) Smart seating

Smart funky seating screams attention to detail and is well worth the investment, setting off a room like a good watch sets off an outfit.

Some Tolix-style industrial stools such as these by Mocka are one such hip style, while still being relatively cheap (yet great quality). For a smaller more Scandi-themed stool, the Leni Bentwood is a great addition, while the Hudson kids table and chairs keep the little ones happy while also ensuring your space remains stylish.

And if you are looking for outdoor alfresco seating? You can’t go past the House of M & K’s sassy Nook stool or a couple of Acapulcos.

2) White out

If in doubt, stick to white as this gives a home a feeling of being fresh, clean and understatedly cool.

You can mix and match styles, genres, materials and textures, but as long as it is white, you will always get away with it.

White also allows a blank canvas upon which to build and update – introducing colour via soft furnishings and homewares, which can be changed with ease.

Replacing dark and heavy looking items with plain white items, such as a great coffee table or trendy white floating shelf (displaying some appropriately cool books), can immediately lift an area and make it seem bigger.

3) Cushion crazy

Having just spruiked about white, I am now going to rave about colour. Colour via cushions, that is. If you have ever wanted to change the look or theme of your home, changing the cushions is by far the easiest way to do it.

Want to go tropical? Insert some club tropicana fabulousness via Escape to Paradise’s Oasis Pineapple cushions or the Haven Palm Tree cushion, or check out Blue Bungalow with their sensational Coconut cushion or Pink Birds cushion.

Want to go modern Nordic? Choose from Black Swiss Cross, Prism Pink Stripes, Colour Geo Horse (Eco), Geometric Curves or Diamond Maze cushions (the latter two, although more expensive, are 100 per cent French grey linen and include a feather insert for that extra luxury feel).

And if it’s an amazing throw you are after, the Kate & Kate Jagger Throw (100 per cent knitted cotton) is a total sensation.

4) Funky town

Adding some futuristic arty items such as Doris the Dog, a Personalised Love Heart Handmade Art Print or Named Star Chart Print, can also exude design excellence, and is another fast way to add that modern edge. Alternatively, transposing some cool family black and white images onto canvas can be a great way to adorn the walls in style.

5) Cool kids

To have a modern smart gorgeous space, it is also imperative you ditch the daggy kids stuff and replace it with cool kit! So chuck out the junk, minimise and start again with some fabulous kids pieces and toys. A kid’s tepee, for a start, will automatically give your home an air of subtle cool chic. Go for a fairly neutral understated tone and enjoy watching the little ones’ faces light up. This one (in Montana) by Mocka has to be one of the best (and cheapest) on the market. In addition, a cute cushion such as this Black and White Arrows one by Linnea is great for any nursery, while toy storage cannot go past the Toy Tidy Bag and Stuff Tidy Bag. (And if you are looking for cool kids threads, Eeni Meeni Miini Moh and Beau Loves are two of my all-time fiercest labels for a special occasion splurge, while for the family carry-it-all bag, I use the amazing Blooming Leopard BLC Cub Beach Bag which is HUGE!! – Sidepoint. I know.)

6) Pouffe it up

Nothing says ‘cool’ quite like an awesome pouffe, and I LOVE the Moroccan-inspired leathers ones from Cush & Co. Available in a variety of colours (my favs are the white and silver), they are suited to every modern space and immediately add a degree of pizazz. I have one in my lounge, one on my deck and one in the nursery!

7) Homeware-tastic

Totally awesome homewares bring a new lease of life to any room in seconds, and the amazing thing is, you don’t need many new additions, just a few choice ones. Items such as the Fluoro Pineapple, the uber amazing Mr White Numbers Karlsson Wall Clock (total wow factor), or the funky Morphy Richard’s Lemon Yellow Kettle are three such items which can bring a space up to date with ease. And if it’s a splash of green you want to liven the place up with, a Personalised Planter Box made from sustainably sourced Australian pine from Urban Planters has to be one of the raddest things ever.

8) Modern key staples

A few strategically placed key items of new furniture can also lift your home from drab to rad in seconds, without you having to replace everything. For classic cool, a replica of the original ‘postbox’ design by Italian designer Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell in 1969 is a must, as are the fabulous Scandi modern pieces the Maya Trio, Maya Side Drawer and Maya Ladder Shelves which look great in any room. And all totes affordable.

9) Luxury sleeping (without the luxury price tag)

Good bedding should never be a question – it’s the foundation of any home and can make a bedroom sparkle instantly. And luckily you don’t need to pay the earth nowadays with some great sets available online, such as the Ascot Granite Quilt Cover Set By Platinum Collection which is super suave, especially with the matching Long Breakfast Cushion. With Just Bedding offering free delivery and 30-day returns too, it is as easy to order as a few clicks.

10) Aroma sensation

The most perfect thing to finish off a home and give it just the right atmosphere has to be its smell – which is why I am such a big fan of scented candles. Available from most supermarkets and general stores, they are easy to find. The trick is to find a scent that evokes feelings of peace and harmony. If you are looking for something that extra bit special, Maison Blanche makes the ultimate candle in my view, with the Toasted Coconut and Strawberries and Champagne candles, my absolute rockin’ favs.

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