Looking for an easy home refresh without breaking the bank? Whether for Spring or any time of the year, these 8 easy ideas will give your home an instant makeover.

How to Refresh Your Home

From time to time, you might look around a particular room in your home and think it’s looking a bit stale.  Or maybe it just doesn’t reflect your personal style anymore! 

Sometimes, to bring a room back to a space you love, you need to refresh your home a bit.  If a full renovation isn’t what you need or want, maybe it’s time for a “quick fix”.

While a new coat of paint is usually the go-to advice, painting can sometimes create a snowball effect of needing to paint other room in the house and it all gets to be too expensive.  Instead, try one of these 8 budget-friendly fixes to do a home refresh with little effort.

1. Change out the Pillows

Changing {or adding} some throw pillows is an easy way to bring a new color or pattern into the space and instantly change the look of the room.  Some people change out pillows seasonally, but changing them “just because” can instantly spice up the room and make it feel new. 

And don’t be afraid to try a new pattern or even mix patterns!

grouping of coloring throw pillows on sofa with a mix of patterns

2. Invest in an Area Rug

Similar to throw pillows, the addition of an area rug allows you to add a different color and/or texture to a room.  Yes I know area rugs can be pricey.  But if this is just a fun area rug you plan to keep for a short while, you don’t need to worry about quality quite as much. 

Or, if you already have a rug {or even wall-to-wall carpeting}, you can add a small rug on top!  Yes, layering rugs is a thing. 

formal living room with arched entryway and layered rugs
{via Joy Tribout}

3. Add Artwork

Whether it’s a statement piece or a gallery wall, adding or changing your artwork can bring an entirely different feel to the room.  Art is very personal, though, so never sacrifice your style just because it’s the right size or color.  You have to truly love what hangs on your wall. 

Art doesn’t mean just paintings or picture, though.  You could hang plates, shutters, or even woven baskets {in keeping with 2020’s decor trend}.

contemporary living room with yellow oversized art above the fireplace
{via JenniButtonInterior.com}

Here are some tips on how to choose the right artwork for your home!

4. Include Something Organic

Be default, bringing something live into your home will liven up the room!  I am a huge fan of including something organic in every single room.  Items taken from nature help to make a space feel less manufactured and add a sense of freshness.  

Organic doesn’t necessarily mean a live plant or flowers, though.  Other options include branches, feathers, berries, nuts, aged paper, candlelight, rocks, etc.  Truly, it means anything taken from nature and put on display in your home.

While faux is sometimes frowned upon in the design world, sometimes it’s the only option! If you choose a faux plant, though, make sure it’s a really high-quality one that could pass as real.  Here are some of my favorite faux options.

5. Install a New Light Fixture

Want to instantly brighten up a room? Switch out an old light fixture for a new one! If that’s not in your budget, try just changing out the bulbs for a different shape, like Edison bulbs, or a different wattage. 

Alternatively, you can swap out table lamps for a different shape or color, or change up the lamp shade.  It’s amazing how different a room can look when it’s lit differently.

french style master bedroom nightstand with antique rococo mirror and crystal lamp

6. Cut the Clutter

Now this can have two meanings.  First, it never hurts to straighten up this time of year by sorting paperwork, recycling magazines, donating items, and just generally organizing.

A busy mom's guide simple way of organizing paperwork in just 5 minutes or less!

Second, and maybe less obvious, it’s always good to look around your home and edit the room.  Curating a look over time is a process of adding meaningful things here and there as you find them, but unless you are building a room from scratch, you’ll need to take out as much as you bring in or risk creating clutter.  The goal of editing is to allow us to focus on the beauty!

7. Change out the Window Treatments

Window treatments help to reinforce your decorating style, soften a room, and frame the view beyond the glass.  The truly do help a room look “finished” and make it look more high end. 

If it’s been a while since you changed your window treatments, you might need to look at them objectively and decide whether you still really love them and whether they still fit with your current style and taste. 

I loved my old gray/blue window treatments in my dining room, but decided to brighten the room with white ones a couple of years ago and am so happy with the new look!

french style dining room with numbered chairs and crystal chandelier

Curtains can be expensive, so here are some of my favorite budget-friendly options to refresh your home.

8. Rearrange your Accessories

Changing your accessories doesn’t mean you have to buy new.  Yes, you might find an item or two to add to your home and give it a refreshed look.  But you can also shop your own home and move things around to give it a whole new look and feel!

Spring vignette with purple flowers, ironstone and feathers

Ready to refresh you home?  What room do you think could use a little a little help?  Look around and see how you could apply some of the ideas above to freshen it up and make it a place you love!

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2 Comments

  1. Kathleen Unsell says:

    Great ideas…Funny, I’ve actually been doing those very things you suggested this past week! Swapped out some pillows, rearranged a few things, edited out some, and am getting ready to paint our master bedroom a soft taupe color (it’s been a seafoam green for several years), and will remove and old wallpaper border. I also bought a new quilt and sham set. I only spent money on the quilt and two gallons of paint!

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