There's plenty of focus on making your home look great. But does it feel just as good? A home that's easy to live in, relaxing and inviting to guests is just as important as one that's got its aesthetics down pat.
Of course, there's no reason why you can't have a home that's both beautiful and practical! Here are some tips for creating a home that's totally liveable.
Add sliding doors
From block wood to frosted glass doors, there are many sliding door designs that can look great in your home.
Of course, this kind of addition is quite significant, requiring structural renovation work. But the results can certainly be worth it.
For one thing, you'll be able to separate different spaces as you need to. As an example, you might like to create a division between the dining area and your living space.
At any given moment, it might be time to entertain family and friends. It's easy enough to do this – simply fling open your sliding doors to create an open and inviting space. You can seamlessly transition between one large space and multiple rooms, as you need to.
If you opt for doors with window panes, consider painting the door frames a shade like Resene White Rock for a contemporary feel. This will look great with polished timber floorboards, grey furniture and a few carefully selected pieces of bright artwork.
Alternatively, use sliding doors as a way to bring in more daring colours, without painting all of your walls. Perhaps you want to take a brush to a can of Resene Breakfree? You could explore Resene Everest, say hello to Resene Silhouette or go wild with Resene Windfall. The options are virtually endless – the only thing limiting you is your imagination.
Embrace sheer curtains
Sheer curtains are a fabulous addition to your home. Resene Harmony Voile in Pumice is a lightweight fabric perfect for adding a dreamy element to any space.
You can hang such curtains around your bed to create an instant tropical island-style vibe. Paired with wooden floorboards, white linen and an overall neutral colour scheme, you'll soon find yourself drifting off in a state of total relaxation!
Sheer curtains are a relatively inexpensive way to dress up your home and make it more liveable. You can also use them in the living room to keep your home private from prying neighbours, while still getting the benefit of natural light!
Divide and conquer
Perhaps you're sorely needing more storage spaces. In that case, it's time to divide and conquer.
A cubby hole-style open shelving unit can be placed in your living space to separate different zones. Perhaps you've got couches arranged around a television in one area and a reading corner in another.
This kind of shelving unit is a great option: Not only will you be able to use it to arrange books, decorative items and more, but you can also visually divide the space, without creating gloomy areas as light can easily filter through the shelving unit.
Start stacking vertically
In order to create a more liveable home, you need to consider how you interact with your property. Are you constantly moving from one corner of the kitchen to the other when cooking? Perhaps you've set up your bedroom with a dressing table at one side, a wardrobe at another and the en suite elsewhere entirely.
Instead of shifting furniture around your floor space, consider adding vertical storage solutions, such as narrow wall units, to key areas. For instance, a petite vertical shelf unit attached to your kitchen wall by the stove can be incredibly useful for storing spices and cooking oils. Or you might try adding a vertical storage unit to your bathroom, if you're pressed for space.
Consider painting these units bright colours, such as Resene Centre Stage, Resene Elvis or Resene Red Hot. You'll be able to spy them easily and add a drop of personality to your home in a simple way!
Get inspired ! 
