Ready for a new look in your home? A home makeover doesn’t have to blow your budget. Updating and brightening up your favorite room can be easier and less expensive than you think. Here are eight easy and inexpensive tips for your next home makeover:
1. Go for Groupings
You don’t have to buy new stuff to update your decor. Just look around your house! Create groupings by gathering similar items together. You can display them on any flat surface–bookshelves, tables, vanities, or dressers. Change them regularly to keep things interesting. You can even use “found” objects for groupings, such as seashells or pebbles. Grouping makes displays of collected items look more thought-out and intentional rather than just placing them randomly.
2. Display Flowers in Creative Ways
Displaying flowers is the perfect way to bring life to your decor, but basic vases can be boring. Jazz up a plain vase up by using an empty vintage frame to border the flowers. Simply place a second small item in front of the frame to anchor it. Or, put a few inches of water in two fish bowls of different sizes. Place a sturdy type of flower, such as tulips, against the outside edge of the bowls. Stack one bowl on top of the other. You could also display flowers in unexpected vessels, such as teapots, outdoor urns, rustic buckets, or even trophies.
3. Use Neutrals as a Backdrop
Think neutrals are bland? Think again! By using basic colors like beige as a backdrop for your home makeover, you can accentuate other pieces. For instance, if you top a neutral rug with a more expensive designer one, you’ll be able to use the base rug to fill the room without spending too much. Or, consider painting walls in a neutral color, like gray or taupe, to make wall art and accent pieces really pop.
4. Go Bright and Beautiful
Look for ways to add accents of bright colors throughout your home. For example, you could paint the window sash a brighter color than the rest of the room to draw the eye to the outside view. If you’re looking for a big change, spray old furniture like a coffee table or end tables with a vivid gloss enamel spray paint to add a surprising pop of color.
5. Make Mock Molding
Molding has a luxurious look, but having it installed is expensive. Why not “fake it” yourself? First, buy enough identical frames that they will cover the entire wall when spaced about four inches apart. Next, remove the back and front glass (or plastic) from the frame. Then, simply nail the frames to the wall (evenly spaced!) and paint them to match the wall. You’ll get a high-end look for a fraction of the price of real molding.
6. Get Colorful
Consider using a bold, unexpected color like hot pink or fuchsia in the bedroom during your next home makeover. If you’re on the fence about a bold color, try it just behind your bed. (You could create the effect of a headboard or paint the whole wall as an accent wall.) By taking this approach, the statement color won’t be “in your face”–you’ll see it when you walk into the room, but you won’t be staring at it all the time. Another option? Wallpaper the back wall with a bold print and leave the others solid.
7. Go Subtle for Your Home Makeover
Not into bold and bright? You can still give your room a modern update without going crazy with color. At the opposite end of the spectrum, neutral colors like pale gray and taupe are in vogue. They’re easy on the eyes and super-relaxing, making them perfect for the bedroom. Consider adding subtle shades like periwinkle as accents to provide a little color while keeping a very relaxed vibe.
8. Bump Up Your Bedding
Simply adding a new batch of colorful decorative pillows can be bedroom-altering. If you don’t like lots of extra pillows, buy new shams for your regular pillows, and lean them against the wall or headboard. Then, just place a bold decorative pillow or two in front of them. In addition to varied colors, look for different textures, as they create both visual and tactile interest. (Just don’t add “interesting” textures to what lies against your skin. Stick to the soft stuff–like linen, cotton, and microfiber–for sheets!)
