Redecorating – love your home again at no cost
This technique is useful for rooms that need updating, cleaning, or just a lift, but don’t involve extensive projects; such as those requiring contractors and structural changes. I’ll show you how to look at your existing possessions more objectively. You will be surprised what you already have.
How you proceed depends largely on your goal or need for change. Some considering selling their home will optimize the look to make the home more attractive to a larger customer base. Maybe you’d like to enjoy the seasonal changes or you’d just like an updated look with just a few new additions.
Be patient! Do this at a time when you are not in a rush and can put things off for a while. In books or on the web, find some photos of furniture groups that look like your room plan, just to get inspired.
Let’s start with the living room as an example. Put all your decorations on the dining room table or guest bed for now. Yes, all of them and the images too. Take out all the small furniture. Vacuum the floor, couch, and any other large pieces of furniture. Have them cleaned if necessary.
Before you start fixing anything, take a look at the walls. Need to repair minor paint scratches or wallpaper tears? If you have leftover paint, use it to touch them up. If not, head to the craft area of a dept. store and choose a similar color. An item in the same tone that you can take with you is helpful.
Tip: Keep a supply of small bottles of craft paints in plain colors on hand. With a little practice, you will be able to mix colors to make effective repairs.
If there is damage to the wallpaper, white glue is effective under and over the tear. If the design lends itself, a smudge of color in the correct shade applied with a damp makeup sponge to the affected area will not be noticeable at all.
As a finishing touch, polish any woodwork and brass. Fill in any indentations with an eyebrow pencil and clear nail polish if you don’t have a wooden crayon. Men, please ask before you go digging into your wife’s makeup.
You are now ready to set up your basic furniture. Consider the purpose of your room to provide functional and comfortable areas. Even in a small space you can create areas for various activities or interests. Perhaps a large chair in an interesting hue can be swapped with one from another room to add POP to the space. Experiment with various matching and contrasting colors to influence the room with the illusion of a new color palette.
Tip: Paint store brochures or an online color wheel can be helpful in choosing new combinations.
Then go shopping at your own home! Look for a large piece of art or a picture with a large frame. Go from one room to another by disconnecting elements from their current environment or function. Put it up to draw attention. A large piece that you weren’t particularly excited about before can make a statement in your new scheme. Then slowly introduce other small pieces of furniture from what you had and from other places in the house. Don’t feel obligated to replace everything. You will need these pieces for other rooms.
Sparingly, introduce some interesting embellishments, including some well-placed clusters. Remember to reserve your kitchen cupboards for bowls, trays, etc. that are not used but will make expensive looking decorations. Wait with the family photos. We will deal with them later.
Add enough lighting, a large plant, a sofa blanket using your new color schemes. When in doubt, use black or something bold. If you have a large piece that no longer blends in, spray it black. Guaranteed, you will find a wonderful home for him.
Tip: Even a ghastly gift you feel compelled to wear, sprayed black or brass, could be classy. I spray everything outdoors on newspaper on the lawn. If there is overspray, the grass grows away from the mess. A large cardboard box placed over the drying item removes dust and debris blown in by the breeze. Carefully place a weight on top.
If you’re used to having a variety of photos in frames on your desks and hanging on your walls, don’t be offended by this tip. (When my husband liked a picture, he would put up copies of it in 10 different areas in various sizes and frames throughout the house.) You can still enjoy that cozy feeling with the faces of your loved ones adorning your home by applying options to suit the décor. There are frames that allow you to place multiple photos of an event or topic in one unit. Reduce the number of images in frames by putting them in a beautiful album that could go with a screen. Of course, images of treasured heirlooms can be a feature of their own. By sorting and rotating your photos, rather than displaying them all at once, they’ll make a more pleasing addition to your arrangements.
As you use these steps to complete other rooms, you’ll gain confidence and keep making adjustments until you’re satisfied. Enjoy your decoration!
audrey hudson
