Five Tips to Quickly and Inexpensively
Refresh Your Home
Are you tired of everything in your home? Maybe it's the winter season. We've been more "home bound" than usual this winter. The cold, the snow, the ice…oh my!Here are five tips to QUICKLY and INEXPENSIVELY refresh your home.
A recap:
(1) Change your paint color.This could be the color of the walls, trim, ceiling or any combination of surfaces. Paint is one of the least expensive ways to totally change the look and feel of a space.
Visit Sherwin-Williams to try on a new paint color.
I'm starting the ban on white ceilings here! Please don't leave your ceilings white. I typically recommend painting ceilings two to three shades lighter than the color of your walls. You'll be amazed at how this will warm up a room.
Don't be afraid to use strong or dark colors in small spaces. It certainly can work, it just depends on the look and feel you're trying to create. Warm and cozy -- check.
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| Photo: Houzz |
Still don't believe it? Try the dark color on one wall or one architectural element in the room (maybe the back of a bookshelf) to add visual interest.
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| Photo: Paula Chamblin Interiors |
(2) Add decorative light switch and outlet covers.
Don't live with the standard issue light switch and outlet covers. Live graciously! March on over to your local home improvement store and find some great, not so expensive decorative accents for your walls.
I find chic light switch and outlet covers at my neighborhood Lowe's.
Check out their selection here.
(3) Rotate throw pillows.
How can you update your sofa without buying a new one? Easy! Change the throw pillows. I rotate my pillows on a seasonal basis. I do the same with my bedding. I have a spring/summer and fall/winter look. Crazy? Maybe, but I like it!
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| Photo: Houzz |
(4) Add accessories -- including fresh flowers.
Few things reflect your personality more than your home accessories. Select items that have meaning to you. I always recommend that clients bring back art or other decorative items when traveling. Pull out your grandmother's vase. Display that collection of bird figurines together rather than spreading them out. They make an impact en masse. Bottom line: You want to create a home that looks collected over time, not like you just raided the shelves of Pottery Barn. No offense, Pottery Barn.
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| Photo: Paula Chamblin Interiors |
(5) Move furniture, art, rugs, accessories that you already own.
It never fails to amaze clients when I first start by moving what they already own from room to room. Don't spend money if you don't have to. The chair you're tired of in the family room may look
ahh-mazing in the entryway. Try moving things around to get a new perspective on an old scene.
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| Photo: Paula Chamblin Interiors |
Bonus
Are your cabinets looking as tired as you feel after a long arduous day?
Give them some new jewelry. A new bauble of some sort always perks me up.
Change the cabinet hardware.
There are so many great, accessible sources for stunning knobs and pulls.
My favorite sources include:
- Anthropologie They sell more than adorable clothing.
- Lowe's Yes, I spend a fair amount of time in that store and no, I don't wear a tool belt -- unless it has a Chanel logo on it.
- VanDyke's Restorers It's a great online source, especially for retro styles.
Check 'em out!
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| Source: Anthropologie |
Cabinet hardware still not going to cut it? How about a fresh coat of paint or a decorative glaze?
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| Photo: Paula Chamblin Interiors |
Positively yours,
Interior Designer, Associate ASID
