Quarantine Makeover: Tips to Give Your Home a New Look

Nowadays we are all cooped up at home maintaining social distancing by quarantining ourselves for the greater good — hoping to prevent the spread of Corona. Yet, you can’t really avoid the boredom that strikes all too hard during this time. Although Corona in Sri Lanka hasn’t seen the rapidly increasing curve of infected people, there is still a potential for things to turn a complete 360.

If the people suspected of carrying this contagious disease were allowed to roam free, this pandemic could spread much faster than a bushfire in a small country like ours. That is why the authorities have strictly limited the movement of people through measures like quarantine and curfews. In turn, protecting the public and controlling the spread of this disease.

But for us, most parts of our lives have revolved around living a scheduled routine. Getting up, going to work, coming back home, eating, sleeping and doing the same thing all over again has never changed until now. 
In fact, at that point extra time in our hands was a luxury. Yet now, the current situation is so much so we are all in an abundance of time — we literally have all the time in the world!

To keep boredom at bay and ease the work and minds of the overworking public health officers and doctors at centres for disease control and prevention, use this opportunity to spend time with your family. Try out crafts, baking, or even giving your home a full-on makeover!

Here are a few quick tips to help you out.

Find new perspectives through rearranging 

For many of us since we can remember, the layouts of our houses have always been the same. Whether it was the stained chair hidden in the corner of the dining table or the crooked table barely hanging in there, nothing has ever changed throughout the years. But now is the time to change that. You don’t have to have the expertise of an interior designer for this. You can simply try experimenting and finding what works best for you.

Look around.

Were the cupboards always facing North? Then change it to face another direction or move it completely to a new place. Have the sofas always been leaning towards the wall? Then spice things up by changing it to a different angle. Try rearranging the books on the shelves, too. Go for an up and down pattern and turn the shelves into a statement piece of their own.

In the end, you’ll be surprised at how much of a big difference these minor changes and adjustments could make. You could also take out a few furniture and give them a varnish polish to bring that chocolate browness to life.

Take this chance to flex your amateur carpentry skills and test your limits. Who knows, by the end of quarantine you might even reach the level of high skilled carpenters!

Looking back, this is probably the longest period we’ve ever had to stay indoors. The hands on the clock seem like they are hardly moving. And the only travelling we could do is to move from one corner of the house to the other. But the big picture that we need to understand is that the choices the governments have are limited. It is either self-quarantine or having to face isolation!

What’s the difference between quarantine and isolation you ask?

Quarantine is basically where a group of people maintain a form of social distancing. These people might not have symptoms of the disease. But would’ve been exposed to the sickness.

They may be living in an area exposed to the sickness but have not been affected by the disease yet. So if they take proper precaution to maintain social distancing and hygiene, their chances of falling ill is less.

Isolation is where those that have already been infected are completely separated from society. They can’t meet their family and friends in person and are treated all alone in the hospital.

So to reduce the spread and avoid complete separation from your loved ones, your best bet is to abide by the law. Since COVID-19 has no solid cure as of now — try exploring the wonderful world of the indoors and connecting on a deeper level with the introverts!

Don’t let boredom get the best of you. Let your creativity flow and discover alternative ways to give your home and personal space a fresh look!

Declutter 

There are reasons teenagers and almost everyone gets lost amid a cleanup!

Once you start cleaning you discover things that have been stacked away for safety, things that have been hidden and things that have been stored away for far too long that you don’t even remember owning them. With every little thing that you come across, there is a memory and story behind. It is also because of this that many people end up hoarding things over getting rid of them.

Use this time to sort out these. Find those that are absolutely necessary or could be used as ornamental pieces and get rid of the rest. You never know, by the end of the isolation or quarantine, you might even have a stack of boxes enough for a garage sale!

Try a new shade or revamp the bare walls 

Usually, when a paint job is done, a bare minimum of paint remains in some cans. Some people discard these, but others store them and use whenever necessary — especially to patch up spots.

If you have such remaining cans, this is the time to take them out. Use those extra shades to give your walls a fresh look. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have enough paint to paint an entire wall. Try drawing out a unique pattern or even polka dots and refresh those boring bare walls!

You could also try DIY wall art crafts and create your own kind of abstract canvas to be displayed on the walls. This will add a more personalized touch to your home.

Take indoor gardening to new heights

For those living in apartments, gardening is a luxury that you can’t really afford. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to experiment. Unlike where professional service providers like landscape artists are hired to design an entire yard, you can try indoor gardening!

Plant herbs that could be used in meals and freshening your house, succulents that add a modern and chic touch or even creepers that are the actual definitions of nature. Since most of these don’t require special care they could be experimented with at any time!

This period is probably one of the hardest we have ever experienced globally. Stores are emptying, people are being separated and going out has become a luxury we could only dream of. The good days seem like they were ages ago. But that doesn’t mean you should sulk away.

Finding new ways to do things, alternative approaches for everyday activities and doing what you love in a more secure environment are our best options at this point in time.

One might ask, though what is the purpose of quarantining a virus? (especially with over 100,000 confirmed dead already across the world).

Quarantining is done to protect the rest and have control over this disease. No one would have ever imagined COVID 19 to blow out of proportion like this. And that is why we have to work with what’ve got — even if that means staying at home to prevent the spread.

We also need to understand that we are amongst the lucky ones who still have the opportunity of working from home. There are others working really hard, even during these times, to make lives better for everyone!

So look on the bright side and hope for the best. Bring the outdoors inside and let the greenery and positivity take over your home!

Bring out the ‘only for special occasions’ dinner sets

A few months ago we wouldn’t have thought we’d be at home for days or even months. We wouldn’t have imagined that a common cold could build up to a point that it affects thousands globally and separates families from each other. Neither would we have imagined it being the cause for people to die on the streets with no one by their sides! After all, these happen only in the movies, right? But now we realize life is much shorter than anything we would’ve imagined it to be.

Now cleaning services, plumbing (plumbers) and sewage cleaning services are much more essential than experience providers — what we considered essential but really aren’t. The fancy theatres, bowling alleys, shopping malls, concert venues etc. have become completely meaningless in our lives, leaving us questioning what is truly important.

This time has shown us how much of an important role essential service providers play in our everyday lives. So let’s take the time to appreciate what we’ve been taking for granted.

Don’t hold on to things for too long or wait for the best time to use them. Live in the moment. Bring out those ‘only for special occasions’ cutleries and dinner sets and dine together with your family. Share your joys, thoughts and sorrows and use this time to become closer to one another.

So what if a couple of limited edition plates end up breaking into a million pieces? You still have your family around you and the plates could always be replaced!

Create a photo wall 

For most parts of the world, February was, in fact, the last time chilling with friends and even working at the desks in office was a thing you could do with no fear at all. But now the slightest touch or cough could leave you on the receiving end of the deadliest death glares!

We welcomed 2020 with a jolly spirit. Yet, the past few months spent outdoors almost seem like a distant memory. It was a time when we could mingle without worries, go along with last-minute plans, and a time where working from home was more or less limited to the freelancers! Alas, staying indoors has left us all consciously or unconsciously reminiscing about those days. With all of us under quarantine at our homes, life has changed for everyone.

But, what is quarantine though?

The word quarantine came about from quarantino which means a period of 40 days in Italian. Back in the days, this time was for ships to remain on the dock before boarding the crew members and passengers. Eventually, this method was used to control the spread of the Spanish flu and other communicable and infectious diseases.

Even today with the spread of COVID-19, this method has proven quite effective. While we sure miss being outdoors, quarantine and social distancing are the only options we have left to control this widespread and flatten the curve.

But who’s to say you can’t enjoy the outdoors without really being outside! The warmth of the outdoors has been forever captured behind every image you have taken. And you can always relive those wonderful memories through them. So don’t flaunt them only on Instagram. Use them to add colour and personality to your personal space by displaying them aesthetically on your walls.

The problem with blank walls in house plans is that no matter what you do to design a room, it still highlights the blankness. Especially in a bedroom. This is quite a challenge in overcoming.

While you can, of course, get by this by repainting and retouching them as usual, take this time in your hands to try something new. Bring out those Polaroid images or old photos and create a one of a kind photo wall of your own. You can arrange them in a particular pattern or align them altogether, depending on what works best for you. To add an extra spark, try framing them with fairy lights to create a sentimental and magical touch!

Another great way to revamp bare walls is a shelf display. Hire a mason and add in a couple of in-built shelves to your wall. Arrange your possessions on these and display every achievement and memory proudly! To create an even grander display, you could also get special lighting done by an electrician and let your possessions shine in style!