Ways to breathe new life into a room

This post is written by guest author, Helen Bradford.  More information on Helen can be found at the end of the post.

Sometime after my ex moved out, I decided to redecorate my home, to freshen up my life a bit if you will. But doing any major work was out of the question, so I had to resort to my own creativity to do it on a tight budget and still get the results I wanted. Through conversations with my friends and acquaintances I realised how many people would like to do just that – refresh the interior décor with as little expense as possible and with maximum result. Here is some advice which helped me get things into perspective and achieve what I wanted.  

Change the colour

The easiest thing to do is change the colour, not only of the walls but also of furniture and accessories such as curtains, shutters and carpets. Wall paint can be expensive, depending on the manufacturer and type, but there are also quality kinds on the market at very affordable prices. If your walls are in good shape, and just need some small touching up and painting, make a party out of it and do it yourself. Call your friends, put on some old clothes, make hats out of newspaper and have fun. Wallpaper is another option, and this way you can add some patterns and motifs to your walls.

Redesign the furniture

Another big item here is to change the furniture. You can either use covers and overlays or change the upholstery and repaint the woodwork. This may sound like a lot of work, but it can actually be done in a couple of days if you hire professionals. If you do it yourself, it may take longer if you’ve never done it before, but if you follow instructions, you can have some fun and creativity will boost your spirit. Buying new furniture is the easiest way, and you can make it more affordable by selling your old one and checking out sales and discounts.

Accessorise

This one you may find tricky because every home already has accessories which are either there for their ornamental or sentimental value, or both. The best manner to replace the old ones from your home and not feel regret or additionally clutter your home, is to place them in some cheap storage. When it comes to buying new accessories, try not to go overboard and fit them in with the rest of the design. Add something organic, like a vase of flowers or a potted plant. Change the pillows on the sofa and give it layers with different patterns and textures.

 

Revive your windows

Several things are noticeable right away when you walk into the room and one of them are the windows. Besides the usual, like painting the frame and changing the curtains, there are some other things you can do to change their appearance. Consider painting the wall around your windows in a different colour than the rest of the walls so you accentuate their position. You can place some potted plants on their sill and even add some stickers to your windowpane.

Add art

When you think about adding some art to your home, it usually means hanging paintings on the wall and placing some figurines here and there. But it is actually much more because art is personal and it represents your sentiments and emotions. That’s why you can make some of your own if you are the creative type, or you can turn it into a vintage collection. You can hang an old map, needlepoint projects or decorated plates, but no matter how fantastic you think it is, try not to create a museum but a warm room dedicated to your interests. 

Consider different lighting

Light is very important for the room and overall mood of its occupants. It’s best if you can bring lots of natural light to the room, but you can also use some of the tricks with lights to set the mood of the room during evenings. One of the ways to bring in more sunlight is to place a mirror across from a window so it reflects the light. You can change the chandelier or opt out from using any and instead install wall-mounted or floor lamps in different designs and shapes.

Finally

Breathing new life into your old room will change you, too. It will symbolise the new chapter in your life and create much needed space to reinvent yourself in any capacity you need. And although it may seem like a lot of work, this kind of activity will actually make you feel invigorated rather than tired, as well as ready for the new challenges tomorrow will bring.

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Author Bio:  Helen Bradford is a literature enthusiast whose current interests are business and interior design so she tends to combine those things when writing. She spends her spare time reading, traveling and doing fitness. You can find her on Twitter. 

This post is linked up with Kylie Purtell’s Capturing Life for #IBOT