These affordable tips will help you freshen up your home.
• Rearrange furniture: Simply pulling your furniture away from the wall and positioning them at unique angles makes your room look bigger. It also creates more intimate seating.
• Paint accent wall: Painting one wall with your favourite colour then hanging wall art on it will make the rest of your room décor really sing. Paint manufacturers have also come up with great effects, which you could use on this one wall.
• Plants: Fresh plants add a breath of fresh air to a room and also cast fantastic shadows for empty corners.
• Area rug and runners: There are many shops selling area rugs, new and second-hand, at affordable prices
. Get one for your living room to define a conversation area and place it under your coffee. Dress up your foyer with a runner. With a beautiful runner or rug, you bring colour, pattern and softness into a space that would otherwise look ‘hard’.
• Wall hanging: Get pictures that reflect your personality and hang it on your wall. You could also frame your children’s paintwork and hang them on the wall — it makes for a beautiful view. Rearrange the pictures by hanging them on unusual places like above the door. A mirror on the wall would also do wonders. Hang it opposite a window so that the reflection creates the illusion of more windows and natural light. You can also cover your walls with plates to add oomph to your space.
• Figurines: Use the collectibles you have acquired over the years; to show off your personality by displaying them in groups of odd numbers. Ensure the objects you display together are related in terms of theme, colour or shape.
• Decorative pillows and throws: This is an easy way to add texture and pattern to your room. Use them in varying shapes and colour to make your room pop out. Throws come in varying fabrics and apart from keeping you warm on your couch in the cold season, they add texture to your furniture. Add colourful accent pillows on your bed to liven up your bedroom.
• Lamps: Go for updated lamps that will give a fresh look to your room. Some of the lamps sold by hawkers in traffic jams may look ‘shady’ but depending on how you place them in your home, they can make a great impact. Pick those that blend with your home decor. Alternatively, paint the lampshades you have into a colour that you fancy. For a quick update, change the shape or colour of your lampshades or embellish them with simple creative ideas.
•De-clutter: Your room may simply need to be de-cluttered. Find some space to store the papers, toys and the many other things that have, with time, eaten up space in your room.
•Mix and match: You may be depressed because you have a few sets of bed sheets and duvets. Mix and match your plain and patterned bed sheets for a different effect in your bedroom.
•Reupholster: How about covering your dining chairs in a variety of related but mismatching fabrics? Old curtains can also come in handy to reupholster some old furniture. If you have some wooden furniture that looks cheap, paint them white.
