Sometimes refreshing your space is as easy as moving some furniture around, and we’ve recently been loving the idea of ‘shopping what we already have’, taking items from a different area of the home and restyling them elsewhere for a fresh new look.
With that in mind, here are a few easy and quick ways to give your home a spruce up on a budget.
1. Let the light in
One of decluttering queen Dilly Carter’s top tips for a brighter, more flowing home is to clear your windowsills.
It’s incredible how much can build up on these surfaces, whether it’s plants that block the light, piles of paperwork, picture frames, candles or coasters.
Try removing everything and giving it a good dusting – it will let more light into the room and remove any hindrance to opening your windows for a blast of fresh air.
Mid-century modern decor is all about embracing light and airy spaces, take a look at our guide.
2. Add wadding to make your sofa squishier
Don’t even think about sofa shopping – it’s easy to add a sheet of foam wadding inside your sofa cushions to plump them up. It’ll look brand new!
3. Upgrade your plant pots
Plastic terracotta be gone! Baskets and clay pots look so much prettier. Check out this DIY plant pot project to get you started.
Alternatively, have a try at these macrame plant pot hangers for a stylish twist to your home.
4. Remove cupboard doors for open shelving
Got a lot of pretty crockery? Don’t hide it away and don’t clutter your countertops either – remove the doors from a couple of kitchen cupboards and let your shelves shine!
5. Dress your table
A clever way to help stop everyone’s stuff piling up on the dining room table is to keep it laid out for your next special meal.
Run up a simple table runner, lay out your matching crockery and cutlery, and put some of those candles from the windowsill in the centre of the table. It’ll look like a fancy interiors magazine home shoot.
Have a go at making your own quilted table runner with our easy guide.
6. Celebrate the everyday
On the subject of tables, perhaps you’d like to make more of a statement with a handmade centrepiece. Whether you choose florals, candles or succulents, there are so many crafty ways to create them or bring them together with a myriad of materials.
Make your own candles to brighten up your table.
7. Hang up a wreath
Add welcoming cheer with one easy step – a crafty wreath. It’s super easy if you start with a wire or polystyrene base and add to it with faux flowers and greenery, or wrap it with fabric or yarn. Change up the colours for different seasons.
Make a beautiful dried flower wreath with our tutorial.
8. Swap out tired cushions
Faded, saggy cushions have no place on your sofa! Ring the changes with a few choice replacements with an interesting texture, colour or pattern and watch how it lifts the whole room.
Make your own DIY geometric cushion with our beginner-friendly tutorial.
9. Style a gallery wall
This trend shows no sign of abating. Whether your frames are matching or a glorious mixture, bring all your favourite photos, kids’ art, collected mementoes or prints together on one wall. Collect postcards from galleries as a super cheap way to inject interesting art.
10. Declutter!
As overwhelming as it may sound, the most effective way to a stylish home you love is to get rid of excessive stuff.
Donate or sell anything that’s still useful for someone and vastly reduce your belongings. Everything else will suddenly become easier, from the laundry to cleaning to cooking.
Start small and tackle one room or even one drawer at a time. Just keep going!
11. Deep clean
As you declutter, dust and degrease too! Starting with a near blank canvas is the best base for your new-look room.
12. Refresh hardware
Tiny touches make a big difference, such as swapping out tired handles or drawer pulls in your kitchen. Perhaps your front door could do with a quirky new knocker or your interior door handles could be upgraded?
These tactile elements leave a subliminal impression as you’re experiencing them throughout the day without even realising it.
Check out this amazing frog door knocker from Etsy.
13. Create a cute café curtain
Short and sweet, café curtains add an easy Cottage Core look to your space with minimal effort. It’s as simple as installing a rod or wire across your window and threading a gathered net or cotton curtain onto it.
14. Get organised with storage solutions
Storage, storage, storage! Half the problem with tidying is often having nowhere to put the stuff. If you have kids, you’ll know umpteen baskets and stackable boxes are essential – likewise, if you have lots of clothes or accessories.
Apply the same approach to kitchens, home offices and laundry rooms and just see how much more enjoyable it becomes to spend time in each room.
Discover craft storage solutions
15. Put memories on display
We’ve all got shoeboxes or areas of the house full of collected memorabilia or trinkets from holidays, special days out and life events.
Think how you can display these items, either in 3D box frames, scrapbooks (if the items are flat enough) or tactile open baskets on coffee tables and side tables, so you can reach for them more easily for a little lift.
Check out our DIY photo frame ideas for lots of inspiration.
16. Hang more mirrors
Bounce the light around your space with lots of looking glass. Mirrors will also help to open up a room, and find more small space ideas in our small living room tips.
17. Freshen up paintwork
A lick of paint can make the world of difference and it doesn’t even have to be a different colour! A quick freshen up is ample to give your space a lift, but if you are in the mood for a big change, give the colour blocking or colour drenching trends a go.
The former is all about layering items of similar colour to your walls against or around it, whereas the latter entails painting walls, skirting or panelling, ceilings and doors the same shade. Bold and certain to give you a new perspective!
18. Add a wall hanging
Art with texture – macramé, woven or stitched wall hangings can add a bohemian element to your living space and soften a room for a cosier, more welcoming feel.
Try this free crochet wall hanging tutorial by Becky Skuse.
19. Paint a mural
In a similar way, a hand-painted design on your walls adds interest and quirk, not to mention being a one-off. See @househomo, @mollymural and @lucytiffney on Instagram for inspiration.
20. Dye your linen
Refresh your bedroom furnishings with new-look sheets. Dylon comes in a range of fun shades and will work on any natural fibres, including cotton, linen and viscose – you can machine wash for a uniform look (or knot, twist and bind your items to try your hand at tie dye), or use the hand-wash range to dip-dye for an ombré effect.
Alternatively, explore the ever-growing trend for natural dyes using everyday kitchen waste, such as avocado stones and onion skins.
Check out our guide to creating different tie dye patterns.
21. Upcycle furniture
Maybe you’ve got an old desk or bedside table that can be reimagined with wood stain, paint or découpage? There are so many creative ways to give pieces like this a new lease of life. Head to our home paint guide to find the right one for the job, or check out @marciekdesigns and @joannecondon on Instagram.
22. Create a cosy corner
Carve out a little corner or nook as a place to think. This could be an under-stair armchair, a table for one under your favourite garden view, seating in a bay window or a mini desk on the landing.
Your new spot to read or write, knit or crochet with a cosy blanket, items that inspire you and space to place a cuppa.
23. Branch out into the garden
If you have space outside, give it some love. Can you fit some seating in? Or perhaps some potted trees? Make it easier to actually get out into the garden by decluttering any back or side doors.
Tidying the space up and doing a spot of weeding or pressure washing can make a huge difference.
Make your garden glow with our illuminating garden lighting ideas.
24. Add playful details
Silly prints such as funny sayings, character vases or classic children’s books on display add an irresistible personality to your four walls and will raise a smile on a dull day.
25. Invite colour
In the same way, colour can work wonders to lift your mood and view your home afresh. Spend some time looking at our colour trends guide to get some ideas for cool colour combinations – whether it’s for your walls or how to pair furnishings and accessories.
26. Make a rug
Flooring a bit of a nightmare? Rugs or removable lino can lift any space – it’s easy to make woven rugs yourself from old T-shirts or, if you crochet, grab your biggest hook and stitch up something squishy.
Make a rag rug with our fun tutorial.
No reproduction without permission.
27. Add period features
Even if your home is quite new! Panelling and ceiling roses, picture rails and cornicing add interest to walls giving a great base for a new colourway or style.
Check out Facebook Marketplace for ornate fireplaces, stair post caps and more.
28. Add lighting to create mood
It’s never been easier to add bespoke lighting to your rooms without having to call the electrician. As well as carefully placed lamps, you can now get all manner of battery-powered lighting from sconces to spots and strips that can be adhered to walls or inside cupboards easily.
There’s now nothing stopping you getting the mood lighting you’ve been pining for.
