After Thursday, we’re looking at a new year, and all the possibility and promise that comes with it.
Hoping to start off on an inspired foot? Since your home can feel (and, in that sense, is) an extension of yourself, giving your space a little refresh can make a big difference.
If you have the budget, home renovations might be in the plans. But if you’re starting 2016 with a need to rein in the spending, here are a few ways to freshen up your home without investing a ton of cash.
Paint your front door
Few efforts require as little time and money and have as much impact as putting some fresh color on your front door. You don’t have to go as bold and bright as this Inglewood home, above, if that’s not your taste — a fresh black, white or grey door makes a totally different but still prominent statement, too. Take a few hours out of your weekend, and have a new splash of curb appeal.
Create a wallpapered accent wall on the cheap
Used with restraint, wallpaper can transform a room and add much-needed interest. Adding a wallpapered accent wall is a great way to bring a pop of pattern and/or color without turning your space into a busy nightmare. Still, good quality wallpaper can get expensive, and putting it up can be time consuming and kinda difficult. Solution: removable wallpaper. There are some really cute, well-made options out there now that are simple to add, simple to remove and pretty affordable, too. We really like this Treebark Sketch design from Walls Need Love — it grabs attention without overwhelming, and 20-inch-by-5-foot rolls are about $40. Cool thing the WNL folks do if you’re not sure about the pattern: You can order a sample pack for under $10 to try out four different options before you totally commit.
Replace your kitchen hardware
Not handy? Not a problem. Replacing the hardware on your kitchen cabinets takes little more than a screwdriver and a little willingness. If you have a lot of cabinets (and expensive taste), this can cost a few bucks. But it can also totally change your kitchen’s vibe, and your options are almost endless — you could modern up an outdated space on a budget with some simple (and cheap) Ikea GOTTLÖSA pulls (left), add a big design wow to a drab kitchen with Anthropologie’s Frosted Timber knobs (right), or anything in between.
Add a statement rug
If your bedroom, living room or dining room (or all three) are feeling a little drab, you can easily punch things up by dropping an eye-grabbing statement rug into the space. You do have to be careful not to overdo it — busy patterns and busy color can feel… overwhelming. Usually one or the other works: bold patterns in subtle colors, classic patterns in bold colors. Apple & Oak in East Nashville carries this Turkish Mermaid rug in a few different bold colors, and it’s beautiful, but won’t overtake your space or break the bank — a 5-by-8-foot rug’s just $240.
Declutter
This isn’t the sexiest project, to be fair, but it’s often the most effective way to make your space feel fresh and new — and certainly the cheapest. We’ve always liked this “get rid of one thing” approach. It forces you to step back and consider every piece in each room with fresh eyes, and encourages you to make a big change by taking away, and leaving what you really love.
Rearrange your furniture
You might be surprised by the impact you can make just by switching things around, and arranging what you already have in a totally new way. We really like using Houzz for inspiration — browse some rooms and note how the furniture is laid out, and see if you can apply some of those principles as you flip your couch and chairs, or reorient your bed. Even by just moving and removing a few things, you can feel like you have a totally new space.
Pick one room and replace the light fixture with something special
When builders or home sellers are installing light fixtures, they usually go with inoffensive (and often inexpensive) picks, which makes sense — when you’re selling a home, you’re trying to appeal to the largest possible group of people. As a homeowner, though, that leaves you with uninspired lighting. You might be surprised by how much personality you can infuse into a space simply by replacing one fixture with something exciting, new and very you. No matter what your style is — rustic, industrial, farmhouse, modern — light fixtures can really blare your taste without costing a ton. We like browsing Etsy for unique pieces that pop, like this 9 Cluster Pendant Light from HangoutLighting.
Those are just a few of our ideas. Any suggestions to add? We’d love to hear them.
If you’d rather go all out and refresh your living space by finding a brand new home, we’re always here to help — call or email us and tell us about what you’re looking for in a new place, and we’ll get to work finding it!