I don’t know about you, but I’ve been staring at the same walls since March 2020. I take quarantining very seriously, and the only places I really go are work and my house. I try to change up my surroundings by hanging out in the living room and then venturing into my craft room. I’m leading such an exciting life right now (insert emoji eye roll here).
Because we’ve been bunkered down for almost a year, our family has gotten pretty creative in entertaining ourselves. Along with this entertainment, we’ve spruced up a lot of rooms for little to no costs. See below for some very inexpensive tips that will freshen up a room in no time.
Rearrange Furniture
This one literally costs no money and can make a huge difference. Take a step back and look at your furniture arrangement. Choose a focal point in the room and decide how you can switch the furniture around to give it a completely different perspective. We removed a TV from our family room in order to switch around our furniture and make it fit. At first, we were regretting that decision because we didn’t have anything to watch in our main area anymore, but then we increased so much communication among ourselves because we sit in our living room, looking outside with nothing else to do but talk to each other.
Switch Out Pillows
Pillows can be expensive, but with some solid research, you can find very nice pillows inexpensively. My favorite places to get pillows are Kohl’s and Target. Although my husband hates fluffing pillows and putting them on our bed, they make my heart happy with little bits of color and texture accents. We’ve had the same furniture since we got married 12 years ago, so this is a very easy way to update already existing pieces.
Switch Your Pictures
Printing some updated pictures and switching them out of frames you already have give you something new to look at. You can print old pictures, too, for a more retro feel. If you don’t have pictures hanging, create a picture collage or buy some frames for side tables. If you don’t prefer hanging up pictures of people, you can always frame a picture you colored or painted yourself. Digital prints can be purchased inexpensively, too. Contact me at craftybcompany@gmail.com if you’d like a personal design. You print them yourself and put them in a pretty frame.
Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
This one is a little more laborious, but it’s totally with it. Changing the color of a room can do wonders without changing anything else. You can get a can of paint for about $30.
Add Wall Accents with Removable Decals
If you have your own cutting machine, you can create your own decals for the wall that can be changed out. If you aren’t crafty yourself, you can find quotes and decorative designs at your local craft store or online. Feel free to reach out to me for this customized product, too. These can be easily applied with a flat sided scraper (credit card, spatula, etc.). These are great because they can be easily changed out regularly.
Change Accessories
We have bins and baskets in our house that hold items like hats, magazines, and potpourri. Because these are accent pieces, it is easy to switch these out with new colors while keeping the same functionality.
Another way to make a simple change is switching towels. If you have a color scheme in your bathrooms or kitchen, you can update the look with new bath towels, kitchen towels, or hand towels. Changing these with the holidays and seasons can be a fun way to keep your space festive, too.
Make New Centerpieces for Tables
I am a sucker for creating items for my mantle or coffee table. When I go to the craft store, I have to muster every ounce of willpower to pass these aisles. There are so many cute trays, vases, and candle holders that can be put together as sets or individual accent pieces. I love making pieces for vases with feathers, beads, and other floral accents.
If creating items for accent pieces aren’t your thing, there are so many options for you to purchase already made sets. This takes the guesswork out of what looks good together.
Update Lighting
We’re on a smart light kick at our house. We’ve recently updated all of the outdoor lighting and some indoor lights, placing them on timers with our Alexa. At dusk, they automatically come on, and we can change the colors for the holidays. We donned red and green for Christmas, blue for Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and now the kids have chosen red for Valentine’s Day. The smart bulbs are surprisingly inexpensive, and they give off a really nice light.
Another nice way to update lighting is purchasing new lamps or changing lampshades. This option is more expensive, but it’s a longer-term facelift that is worth the investment. A new lamp shade can transform a room immediately.
Paint Furniture
If you have pieces of furniture that you’re willing to update, check out my blog on how to give it a facelift. If you aren’t up for taking on that task, you can simply paint it a new color to brighten it up.
Add Flowers
If it’s spring or summer, you can pick wild flowers or snip some fresh ones from your garden to put on your kitchen island, dining room table, or coffee table in a cute little glass or vase. If it’s winter, a seasonal arrangement of ferns or holly not only look beautiful but also add a nice scent. These arrangements can be found for low costs at your grocery store.
Focus on Other Senses
It’s not only important to focus on the looks of a room with colors and textures, but you can also change the atmosphere with scents. Adding potpourri in a bowl, lighting a candle, or using wax warmers can make a room feel so much fresher and homey. Please be sure to blow out candles and turn off wax warmers when you aren’t around to monitor them, as they can be a fire hazard.
Hopefully in the near future we will be able to get back to a little bit of normal, meaning we won’t have to spend most of our time in our houses! Until then, maybe you can find a little bit of joy in sprucing up a room or two that you’re tired of looking at by trying out one of these tips.
