EASY DESIGN IDEAS TO REINVIGORATE YOUR SPACE
8 Easy and Inexpensive Ideas to Reinvigorate your Home Decor!
Many homeowners want to improve their private sanctuary but they don’t have enough time, energy, or money for a complete renovation. If you want to create a better home without investing in a full-blown makeover, here are tried-and-tested tricks worth considering..
1. Swap Out Your Light Bulbs
Have you ever noticed that a bright room looks a thousand times better than a dark one? Make your area seem well-lit, airy, and spacious by choosing LED lights! While these may be more expensive at first, they can save you money in the long run because they last longer and use up less electricity. To take this a step further, although replacing your lamps and wall lighting is fairly inexpensive, you can also simply look for new lamp shades or wall sconce shades and paint the old lamp base or fixture to change up the entire color scheme. Such a small change will make for a big noticeable difference!
2.Hang Oversized Photos
Another way to instantly spruce up your space is to create an accent wall. Since painting your wall can take up a bit of time, you can start by putting up artwork! A well placed large framed photo or a bright wall canvas can dramatically change the look of the chosen area. To truly create a nice conversation piece you can have photos you’ve taken printed and framed or printed on canvas, even better because you’re the artist! To set the stage for a natural vibe, look for photos you’ve taken from vacation featuring beaches, greenery or interesting architecture that captured your eye, a bonus way to always treasure that view! In addition to a large canvas, a grouping of three or four strategically placed will really catch the eye.
Tip: If you can find an oversized world map or an antique wall mirror, these will create a beautiful timeless ambiance!
3.Display Your Best Photos
Looking for more wall décor ideas? Why don’t you show off your favorite snapshots? Print them out and place in picture frames to create an interesting photo wall. You can even create a themed wall such as vacation shots, photos you’ve taken at the beach, or dig up some old family black and whites to create an antique era wall. Through in a couple small to medium sized mirrors to add more attention!
Apart from displaying your portraits, you can also frame postcards of all of the places that you’ve been to! You can even frame airline boarding passes or ticket stubs from your travels and special events and pair them with your photos from that trip.
Tip: Paint can make generic store-bought picture frames look extra special! You can paint all of your old picture frames black, white, or gold in matte finish for a classic feel. If you’ve already painted your picture frames and you still have some paint left, you should transform your old décor! Even cheap vases, bowls, jars and candlestick holders can look impressive if they all have a new pop of color.
4. Include Some Sparkle
It's fairly easy: The more light you bring in, the brighter your room will be. Adding a few reflective surfaces will make a plain room look brighter and larger. A few gorgeous mercury pieces or a mirrored tray will perk up that tired table arrangement or add interest to your mantle. Other good options are mercurey photo frames, mirrored coasters and vases of all shapes and sizes. You can use glass, mirrors and crystal in wall art and lighting fixtures, too. That little extra dazzle will have you smiling every time you open the curtains or turn on the lights, and you can probably find two or three good pieces for less than you think.
5. Adopt a Plant
Houseplants bring nature indoors with color and texture, and they can be surprisingly easy to maintain. Are you like me and missing that green thumb? Pots that include their own water reservoirs and space-age water retaining soil additives make caring for plants less hands-on than it used to be. Look for a plant variety for almost any sun exposure, too.
Even if you've killed what feels like a forest in the past, there's an excellent, unexpected reason to give plant-keeping another try. Many houseplants are natural air purifiers working quietly to clean the stale, chemical-laden air your super-efficient weather stripping and other insulation has trapped indoors. Some to try include:
A tall column of snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) will grow under most light conditions, screen an area you want to conceal and add height to a low ceiling.
Pothos (Epipiremnum aureum) is an almost indestructible vine that's available in a number of mottled and solid color variations. It can trail along a windowsill or meander around and through a tiny trellis.
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum), English ivy (Hedera helix) and spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) are all super hardy (read: hard to kill) and attractive decorations to boot.
Tip: Houseplants can help control the concentrations of three common indoor air pollutants you don't want your family breathing in: formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene.
6.Add Some Paint
This is a popular suggestion because it works every time (as long as you pick the right color). As room refreshers go, a new paint job can brighten your walls, cover those dings and scratches, and give you a great opportunity to use color to your best advantage. The right wall paint can coordinate your room décor and even showcase special elements like a fireplace when you incorporate two or more paint colors in a single room. Taking advantage of color psychology in your choices can also help encourage a mellow, cheerful or energetic mood. You don't have to be a perfectionist to paint well, but it does take some prep:
Look for a paint-and-primer-in-one product that will provide good coverage which means less coats and less work for you.
Splurge a bit on your brushes, I usually go with a mid to higher priced brush. The super cheap brushes tend to leave bristles on the wall.
Vacuum the ceiling, walls, baseboards and floors before you begin.
Repair cracks, nail holes, dings and dents. Usually you can do this in a couple of hours with a tub of spackle, a putty knife and a couple of sheets of sandpaper.
Use painter's tape (the blue stuff) to tape off windows, doors, built-ins and any fixtures you can't remove.
Cover your furnishings and flooring with tarps (old sheets and tablecloths work, too).
Provide good ventilation, either by opening the windows or using a fan to vent paint fumes from a windowless room.
Follow the recommendations on the paint can. If the manufacturer suggests painting in three-foot sections with up and down strokes, do it. It's important.
Leave plenty of time between coats -- overnight may seem like overkill, but it will give you the best results.
Tip: Choosing a nice neutral color will keep your space looking light and bright while enhancing the size. Bolder darker colors tend to make a room appear smaller and cluttered. If you really want to incorporate a darker color, add a chair rail and paint the top 3/4 of the room neutral with the lower 1/4 a darker shade or just stick to a smaller accent wall.
7. Change Your Accessories
If you think your rooms have become too predictable, change the pillows, candles, area rugs, wall art and throws. If you've kept your color scheme neutral, add one or two of this season's new colors in accent pieces for a little pop. Throw in a little black, too. Black is an eye-catching neutral that will revitalize your color scheme by making everything else look more vivid and alive. Black is golden in room décor as long as you don't overdo it.
For less than you’d spend on lattes next week, you can add a couple of new pillows to your cozy couch, update one of your wall art pieces with a bold frame or arrange a bright serving tray on your ottoman. You can even take a DIY approach and spray paint any of your existing wooden accessories to create a look that pops.
Tip: If you have a little more money to spend, take a look at the newest options in slipcovers. You can find special fabric finishes like faux suede or leather in the latest colors. These furniture fashions are versatile and engineered to fit like a glove. They're also super soft, comfy and stylish, not to mention way cheaper than replacing your furniture to create a new look!
8.Rearrange Your Furniture
Making the most of what you've already got is the best way to re-energize your space free of charge. Here are some things to consider when you're redesigning your furniture placement:
Create groupings - Groupings are smaller areas within a larger space that preserve function and have definition, like a reading nook that's well-defined by the placement of a rug, wall art or a lamp.
Respect flow - The way people move in and out of a space to other areas of your home is important. You want to leave paths around the furniture to let people enter and exit without having to dodge footstools or tables.
Play up a focal point - If you have a great view or a nice fireplace, make sure to take advantage of it. Arranging your seating so that family and visitors can see and appreciate the room's amenities will make the space more interesting and functional.
Rehome items from another room - It's a good idea to check the rest of your home for items that may also work in the room. A couple of smart swaps can effectively makeover two rooms at once. So many things may have outworn their welcome in one room and can regain a whole new look in another!
It's amazing how changing a few things around can make a tired room look fresh and new again -- and again and again.