7 Easy Ways To Get An Instagram-Worthy Family Home In Hong Kong

This Sassy Mama (and home stylist!) is here to offer advice on how to give your space a facelift.

It’s my belief that a “dream home” is something that should reflect the owner’s lifestyle and personality while incorporating key elements: function and beauty. For a family home, you’ll want to develop a space that’s inclusive and purposeful for everyone that lives there. Since the recent social restrictions, we all have a lot more free time on our hands at home, so why not dedicate some of that to revamping our living spaces? Creating a home that looks like it’s straight out of Instagram is easier than you might think — and you don’t even need to leave the house for supplies! I know that DIY-ing your own home can seem daunting, but by working with what you already have, you’ll find it’s easier than you might think. Here are seven easy ways to give your family home that Instagram-worthy look!

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1. Make A Declutter Checklist With Your Family

Minimalism is a trend that’s here to stay. You don’t have to go extreme and get rid of almost everything you own, but I think it’s a great way to challenge ourselves and determine what you do and don’t need. Minimising our belongings can also help prompt us to develop new goals and habits when it comes to our living space.

Try to dedicate a few hours to organise, tidy and clean up around the house. Studies have shown that decluttering reduces stress and anxiety, which is something we definitely need during these times. A great way to get started is getting everyone in the household to start a checklist for things to get rid of. Choose a room or even a surface (like bookshelves or tables) as a starting point to start decluttering. This is the first step to set your home up for success!

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2. DIY Family Home Feature Photo Wall

Say goodbye to bare walls and turn this mini home transformation into a fun family weekend project. A feature wall is picked in a room to draw the eye and stand out – and what better way to create something impactful in our homes than a gallery that showcases our beautiful families! As your very own personalized art gallery, this should be a wall that best represents you and your loved ones, so think of this as a “real-life” Instagram!

The best part about this is that there are no rules. After all, feature walls are meant to be a focal point in our living spaces. This is a great chance to finally get a family gallery up and running since now we have the time to look through our endless vacation photos and artsy souvenirs we’ve been collecting throughout the years (like postcards), so don’t be afraid to hang them up! You can even get the kids to unleash their inner Picassos and have them paint some memorable masterpieces to put up on the wall as well.

And why not DIY the walls behind the photo gallery too? Get the entire family involved by sticking some wallpaper or painting the wall with a different colour from the rest of the other rooms. With the right shades, you can turn a simple room into an inspiring place for our families to live in. Nowadays, we can order everything we need like painting equipment and peel and stick wallpaper right from Amazon.

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3. Repurpose Ordinary Things Into Unique Displays

A quirky way to make a statement in your family home without breaking the bank is repurposing ordinary items and turning them into decorations. Utilize used books that us mamas or the kids don’t read anymore and reach for the ones with interesting covers – you can display them like art on your shelves, or even as accents on coffee tables. On top of that, books are a great way to elevate a surface and create an illusion of height. You can also upcycle and paint old vases, mugs and ceramics with rustic, textured or white coloured paint and add fresh flowers to it in order to re-add life into degraded objects. The “whitewashing” decor trend is totally in right now and is an incredibly easy way to make homes look classy.

This tip is all about making the most with what you have. Other ideas for decor include using old kids toys and crafts, personal collectables and natural objects like rocks. Use them as statement features and get unique with how to decorate them. Take pre-loved toys and paint them in a fancy metallic colour like silver or gold to make a cool accent decor. Place them on a shelf or coffee table or even hang them up. With the right placement, these objects can instantly add persona to a room that’s worthy of being a backdrop to any Instagram photo!

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4. Open Up The Floor Plan By Rearranging Furniture

If we want to create a functional space for our families, the best option is an open floor plan. Besides more space and flexibility, an open room invites everyone to spend more time with each other and allows us to keep an eye on little ones if we need to!

Designate different spaces by rearranging chairs, tables and rugs to create an appearance of borders in the room. For example, you can add a cosy reading corner to have a tailored spot to relax and take a breather. Add in a colourful chair, side table, soft cushions, lamp and, of course, tons of books and voila! You have a perfectly Instagram-able reading nook. You can also combine this reorganisation technique with the other tips in this article, like adding greenery or upcycled vases to decorate, in order to complement this space. The whole point is to style spots in your rooms that will make people want to pose in front of them. So when we add things like large mirrors to make rooms brighter and bigger, it also gives guests a reason for people to snap a picture!

Also, move around lamps to bring in more natural light into the space and try to be more strategic about lighting. A good way to accentuate natural light is to clean windows and move your lighting to a spot where natural light doesn’t reach the room. I try to opt for soft, warm-white lamp bulbs for mood lighting in the nighttime. It’s important to choose lights that will spruce things up! Getting smart with floor plans is an easy way to create harmony in rooms – and will leave your friends on Instagram wanting to know your secrets!

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5. Bring In More Colour

The most important tip is also the easiest! It’s a no brainer that colour looks gorgeous in any family home photo we see on Instagram. If you feel like your home is a little bland, you can make your home feel brand new again by adding a splash of colour through things like accents, greenery and textiles. This is such a great way to add life to a space, without even having to spend too much time on it.

Make sure that colour comes from different points in your room; whether it’s bringing in things like throw blankets, rugs, and art in forms of unique shades, patterns and materials. For example, hang something new on your feature walls (read tip number two), display some colourful fruit in the dining room as a centrepiece, or repurpose old collectables and place them around the room. Not only does this add charm and character to your home, but adding these little details can add warmth and comfort to your spaces as well.

Also, never underestimate the power of adding plants and flowers. Whether it’s scouting some potted plants from the local market, buying fake succulents online, or starting a herb garden in the kitchen, any form of greenery can serve as eye-catching decor. Plants come in all pops of colour, shapes and sizes and give your spaces a breath of fresh air. Once we incorporate hints of colour into rooms, I guarantee your sanctuary will feel brand new! 

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6. Style A Surface

Styling a surface is the number one go-to when you want to truly tie everything together. From bookshelves to coffee tables, it’s paying attention to those small details that can make a room Instagram-worthy.

When it comes to coffee tables, things like books, vases, candles and other small decorative objects are the best decor to spice up a bare table. Be sure to plan out the accessories beforehand, as random pieces that don’t go together can make a surface feel messy and cluttered. One tip I have is adding plants or curios as centrepieces.

Moving onto nightstands, layering decor (such as a framed photo), while using a table lamp as the focal point can create a functional bedside space to finish off the night routines. As far as bookshelves go, add a few pieces to each level and change up the placement of items and books to add personality. Left or right, vertical or horizontal, there’s no wrong way to do this step. If you do it correctly, the kids might get curious and pick up a book on their own! For any surface, adding pieces of art, well-designed books and greenery is an effortless way to fill up that space. By the end of this, you should have surfaces that attract anyone who walks into the room.

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7. DIY Statement Mirror

Mirrors easily brighten up a dreary room! It’s the ultimate secret hack to making a space more interesting. Because mirrors reflect light, mirrors give the imitation of wider walls, especially if you place them next to a window. And by pairing them with interesting accents, mirrors can highlight the most beautiful focal points. So while it’s easy to go online and order one from the nearest IKEA, you can always turn your existing mirrors into something worth taking a family selfie with.

The colour and finish of a mirror is equally important as the glass itself, so why not take some spray paint and chang it up into something different from before? I personally love using silver or gold to give pieces a statement edge. You can also take extra accents – like small pieces of wood, fake flowers, old cork, lights, or rope – to decorate the border to make it into something unique. With some originality and glue, an inexpensive project can become a beautiful part of your family home.