Many of us wish we could redecorate our homes into something entirely new. But realistically, not all of us can afford it, except maybe once in a lifetime.
Thankfully, there are many things you can do yourself that are low-cost and low-effort but highly effective. Implementing little changes here and there can give you great satisfaction when you sit back to enjoy the fruits of your labor. In this guide, we bring you a selection of tips to transform your home quickly with minimal cost. All you need is the right tools and a dollop of motivation.
Paint your wall(s)
A lick of paint is the best way to revitalize your home on a budget, and you can do it yourself! You don’t need to repaint the entire house from top to bottom. However, once armed with a paintbrush and your painter’s caulk for those fiddly bits, you can go crazy with feature walls, ceilings, color panels, and more.
You can even get your hands on second-hand tester pots and create mosaics of color. Or go for swirled and daubed effects using sponges or brushes. Friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors can also be good sources of paint and brushes. Many will have unused pots clogging up their cupboards and garages. All you have to do is ask!
Upcycle furniture
Is your furniture looking tired? Have you been meaning to polish that dresser or repaint that chest of drawers? Well, what are you waiting for? Sprucing up your existing furniture is a great way to change the look and feel of your home completely. Wooden items can be sanded down, stained, or painted, either with block color, paint effects, or stencils if you are feeling particularly adventurous.
You can try taking doors off cabinets to open them up, adding doors to cubby holes, or putting in rails to hang clothing and create better use of space. For non-wooden items, some paints and finishes can be applied to help you overhaul them and match your new aesthetic.
Another great tip is to change your cushion covers. You can do so by rustling up your own or reupholstering dining chairs with fabric from a thrift store. Even simple tricks like changing handles or door knobs can make a huge difference.
Tackle the kitchen
We spend a lot of our time in kitchens, and they can quickly look tired, dated, and cluttered. Thankfully, there are several easy fixes you can do to bring it up to date. Firstly, you can think about whipping the cupboard fronts off and exposing the shelves. You can add wallpaper or even wrapping paper with a top coat to the back wall to bring some color or pattern to the look. Updating the backsplash is another option.
If you cannot afford to replace the tiles, consider painting the ones you have or using another finish, such as a lino with adhesive. Clearing counters of clutter and putting everything out of site can make a considerable difference in opening up the space and making it appear bigger and brighter. Another nice idea is to put some plants on shelves, above cabinets, or in some of the space you have cleared. A little greenery can make a huge difference for not much money at all.
Declutter
Never, ever underestimate the power of decluttering. While you do not have to go fully Marie Kondo, organizing your stuff will make a tremendous difference to your space.
If your bookshelves are full, get rid of what you don’t need and organize the rest in order of size, color, type, or author. You can even experiment with putting some horizontally and some vertically to add a bit of visual variety.
Move ornaments to different rooms for a change of scenery, and even consider delegating some of the less lovely ones to a box in the attic. Aim to find a home for everything and pack clutter in boxes and trays. By reducing visual clutter, you can change the feel of your space and let your other design features, such as revamped furniture, shine through.
Do swaps
You have all heard of clothes swaps, so what about furniture swaps? One man’s trash is another’s treasure, so get on social media and local community groups to see if anyone is up for trading items. Sofas, cabinets, drawers, shelves, and tables can all be swapped with other people.
If swapping isn’t your thing, join lots of freebie groups and prowl the streets on trash day to find absolute gems that would otherwise be thrown out. While you may need to put in a bit of work to beautify them, some incredible things can be found by the side of the road at zero cost.
