5 Ways To Show Your Home Some Love—All Year Long

Valentine’s Day makes us wonder why we reserve love for just one day a year. So, since luxury interior design is our forte, we’d like to suggest using the proverbial “day of love” as a reminder to show our homes affection all year long. Here are some of our favorite ideas on how to do so quickly and easily.

They’re strategies that can be used again and again, in any room, for effective updates. Plus, lavishing attention on your home is the best way we can think of to show yourself a little love.

1. Make a space into something more significant: Turn underused nooks and crannies into something far more significant—and useful—with the right kind of furnishings. A tiny alcove in an entryway can become a handsome foyer with right-sized pieces that not only increase its utility but make it seem far more spacious. Turn a window into a breakfast nook (or work station) with a sweet little table and stylish but sturdy chairs. Or transform a bank of shelves (built-in or not) into a compact but proper reading room by fronting it with a lean but comfortable settee.

2. Carve out a mini-retreat: “A room of one’s own” à la Virginia Woolf isn’t always possible. But a special spot to unwind is with a strategic approach to the way a space is designed. A space that’s truly your own is also an incredible luxury, especially in busy households. We’ve managed to carve out “mini-retreats” in living rooms, bedrooms and even bathrooms with the right kind of comfortable, strategically sited furnishings.

3. Rethink a wall: If a room is feeling lackluster or tired, give it a quick decorative kick with a wall treatment, and we don’t mean just painting a wall in a bold color (which is a great strategy, but not so novel). We’ve installed quirky collections on walls en masse; upholstered walls with fabulous fabrics that range from dazzling toiles to tailored flannel suiting; and given blank walls style and color with framed textiles while clients are taking their time to find the perfect piece of art. These tactics turn a plain wall into statement-makers that become the center of attention in a space.

4. Add some skins: If a space feels too austere, or lacks that “je ne sais quoi,” try beefing it up (no pun intended) with a skin throw. It’s a great way to add warmth, texture and comfort to an area. But best of all, if you splurge on a skin and it isn’t working, move it somewhere else. The same applies when your needs or mood changes. Think cowhide for a more minimal effect, and thick, opulent sheepskin to make a bigger statement.

5. Break out the great bedding: While new bedding isn’t novel, it’s an easy, wildly effective–and most importantly fun—way to ramp up style and glamor or achieve a specific aesthetic in a bedroom. It’s a small thing to do, but far easier than painting or opting for a wallcovering. It’s also so easy to change out linens to freshen things up that we believe in swapping out bedding seasonally (and in Chicago that means four times a year).