Maybe you were one of the lucky ones who got a great price on a beautiful re-sale home. Maybe you were planning on selling, but decided to stay and make your current home “work” for a couple more years. Maybe you are just bored with your current style and want to update a bit. Whichever your situation, here are a few inexpensive design ideas to freshen-up your look, while still leaving some gas money in your wallet.
Paint is always the best way to make the most impact. Painting your walls is a no-brainer, but you may want to consider turning your paintbrush to existing wood or metal furniture for a welcome change. Maybe your tween daughter has the same white furniture set you purchased for her years ago, updated it with some high-gloss black paint to make it more “grown-up” and more importantly “cool.” This will buy you a few more years without a major investment. Don’t stop with bedroom furniture, any coffee, kitchen or dining table, or even an older Armoire is fair game. For a classic look, choose basic neutral colors such as black, white and dark brown. For a more whimsical look, consider painting a chest of drawers in different bold colors. Paint each drawer front a different color and add unusual hardware. For outdoor paint projects, tackle flower pots and metal framed patio furniture.
Instead of replacing old, upholstered furniture, choose one of the many varieties available in ready-make slipcovers. These have come a long way stylistically and are available in many different shapes and sizes including some to fit the beloved recliner. Choose a nice neutral shade in a cotton twill, micro-fiber or chenille and accent with inexpensive toss pillows that offer a punch of color and pattern.
Decorative pillows are a great way to change you décor from season to season as well. Choose light silks and linens for spring and summer, and warm velvets and chenille’s for fall/winter. Trims such as crystal and bullion fringe offer more formal styling while a piped or flanged trim lend itself to a more casual look.
Banish White lamp shades! Oodles of style choices can be found in major discount stores. Wide varieties of colors, materials and shapes can completely change the design direction of a basic lamp base. If your style is modern, check out the retro-drum shades with contrast trim on top and bottom. If you like a formal old-world style, crystal trim and fringe is still popular, but consider something unexpected such as feathers. Bohemian looks are available in woven, wicker styles; Western aesthetics can include leather whip-stitching and rawhide with turquoise accents. You can customize any simple, plain shade with the trim of your choice from the fabric department. Simply glue-gun and enjoy.
Want to spice up the kitchen? Add some inexpensive hardware to polish off your look. Long, linear pewter or black handles offer a modern aesthetic while oil-rubbed bronze in classic shapes work with many different decors and are a great choice when thinking re-sale. Copper geometric and braided styles are a great way to top off a rustic décor.
If you’re craving a brand new tile floor, consider installing a decorative medallion or tile- border-style rug instead. These applications look great in either an entry or master bathroom, and can usually be installed into your existing tile. This solution will give you an instant style up-grade without replacing the entire floor…..saving you lots of time, energy, and the all important gas money.
