If your lived-in spaces are going through a lull style-wise, there’s no need to pull out your credit card. Instead, get creative with what is already in your home. A little ingenuity goes a long way to make your old items feel like new.
Is there a way to rearrange furniture that you haven’t considered before? Or unexpected items you can place in frames you already own? Chances are, the answers are yes and yes.
1. Rearrange your furniture
It’s simply unrealistic (not to mention expensive and wasteful) to buy a new couch every time your living room’s design feels stale. Your wallet will sigh with relief if you get creative with a room’s layout instead.
For example, swap out your entryway console table for a bench and potted plant instead. Perhaps that console table will find a new home in your dining room as a mini buffet table. While you’re at it, consider moving your bed to another wall and if your couch could be positioned in another direction too. Your impulse to buy new furniture will immediately dissipate—trust us.
2. Declutter
Don’t overwhelm yourself, though. Take the decluttering process one room (or one shelf or one drawer) at a time, asking yourself if you still enjoy certain items, or if both you and the pieces themselves would be better off if they found a new home. Give your most meaningful items a front-and-center spot to display, rotate others out seasonally, and donate whatever doesn’t spark joy anymore.
3. Rotate your decorative pieces
The vase full of pampas grass that’s been adding height and texture to your fireplace mantel would likely look just as inviting in your entryway. The same goes for your collection of tapered candles. Try moving them—and all of your small, versatile decorative items—to a new, well, home within your home.
4. Forage your yard
Whether you’re a full-on green thumb or an aspiring no-longer-black thumb, plants are invaluable to a home’s design. They bring color and life to a space, and with a little TLC, they are constantly evolving. Anyone with a house full of monsteras, birds of paradises, and snake plants knows that a trip to your local nursery can be rough on your budget, though.
Plants aren’t cheap, so instead of dropping serious cash on a new green friend, grab a pair of shears and head outside. Place flowers from your yard or spindly, textured branches in a vase—that’ll bring the texture and color you’re looking for without the price tag of a new plant.
5. Create a gallery wall with unexpected art
There’s no rule that says your gallery wall—or any artwork—has to stay static. Routinely switch out what’s in the frames to keep it fresh, and keep it fresh with unexpected items. Uncover your grandma’s handkerchief from the back of your closet to display it in a frame or show off your children’s artwork.
(Source: TheSpruce)
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Home-Dzine share 5 thrift store necessities
If you are looking to decorate a brand new home or give your home an update, it's not always easy or inexpensive to make the necessary changes to alter the look of a room - or your home. Buying brand new items can work out very expensive, even if you shop at discount home stores. One way to add a unique touch to your home interior is by shopping around for secondhand bargains.
Brass or copper lighting
Popular in the 70s and 80s and recently become trendy again to add a metallic touch to room, most people toss these out or sell them to secondhand stores for a bit of cash back on items they no longer need. You will commonly find items like candle sticks, pendant lights, and knicknacks that you can pick up at bargain prices.
While it might not be an item you would generally consider for your home, look at this purchase into a fun DIY project that you can transform with a few craft accessories.
Chalked paint is easy to apply and requires very little prep work and can be used to give your brass accessories a fresh look. And since it doesn't require much preparation when using chalk paint you can simply apply and transform for a unique fitting that will add to the decor of a room, or introduce a vintage feel..
Table and standing lamps
Every room needs a little light to brighten up the space and a little light may be just what your home needs. Once thing that's great about giving a table or standing lamp a makeover is that it is easy to buy new lampshades. Buy a new shade in a colour and design that will complement the existing decor in the room.
Spray paint or chalk paint is an easy way to give any table lamp a new look, plus you can choose the right colour to match your colour scheme. When looking for inexpensive table or standing lamps, choose one that will be easy to work with and easy to keep clean.
Coffee tables and side tables
Side table, coffee tables and end tables are great secondhand store bargains if you find them. When you come across good buys - check before you take to make sure the bones (framework) are good. You don't have to have to spend too much to give these a makeover, otherwise it isn't worth it. Make sure drawers are in good condition and that any superficial damage will be easy to repair.
Giving this type of furniture a new look is relatively simple - even if it has seen better days. You only need a few basic tools (drill / driver, jigsaw and sander) to make them look good. As with other items we discuss here, you can quite easily paint with spray paint or chalk paint to match your existing room decor and theme.
Looking good with mirrors
Whether you find some old picture frames or vintage mirrors, you can give these a quick makeover with paint. You will find plenty of ideas for making your own picture frames in our Craft section, so go ahead and add a good looking mirror to your home. A fun idea is to collect an assortment of different sized and shaped mirrors to create a statement wall.
Breakfast trays, serving trays or trolleys
Many people associate serving trays with something grandma would have, but these items have come back into fashion and are considered versatile pieces that every home should have. While they may not fit in with your style, you can give them a simple makeover or restore the metal finish to match what you already have.
Think out of the box with serving trays - they look great as a decorative centrepiece on a coffee table or dining table, or even on a server or consol table.
Give new life to secondhand
With shopping for bargains at secondhand stores there’s always room for improvement, and you get to buy at affordable prices. Don’t be afraid to browse your local secondhand stores in search of must-have bargains.
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