There comes a time around the early days of Autumn when a décor refresh becomes not only necessary but also imminent. Only, our wallets don’t always follow our heart’s desires. This is why we came up with some fresh ways to update your décor without spending a dime. Keep scrolling for our favourite hacks to make your home feel new again—for free.
Decorate With Greenery From Outside
Get out in the backyard, go for a walk, and find pretty branches to decorate with. Greenery adds life and sculptural elements. All you need is a standard florist’s vase and some fresh water.
Flip Your Rug Upside Down
This only works with certain rugs, usually oriental ones—but here’s a quick designer tip: Flipping your rug upside down will expose the textural weave and more muted colors than its flipside. So if you’re growing a little tired or your rug, take a peek at what’s on the back, and turn it around.
Rethink Your Layout
With a pen, a paper, and a little arm power, you can completely transform the flow of a room. Plan a completely new layout with your existing furniture: Move your sofa by the window, or move furniture away from the walls and closer together. Don’t hesitate to bring accent furniture from other rooms or swap artwork from room to room.
Strip Something Back to Its Original Texture
If you live in an older home, chances are some things have been painted over and refinished dozens of times—but do you know what lies beneath? Try stripping a door back to its original wood, or do the same with wooden beams or moldings. Do your research before tackling anything major, but remember that a little work can go a long way in making a home feel lived-in but fresh.
Use Your Leftover Paint
We’ve all had those leftover paint cans lying around that are essentially 95% empty, but we keep them just in case. Why not use some of that paint to refinish a piece of furniture that looks a little tired? Dip-dye the legs of a chair or stool for an instant refresh.
Style a Piece of Furniture Before Throwing It Out
Context has a huge influence on how we perceive items. This is why retail stores put so much effort in presentation, compared to their discount counterparts. If you have an old rusty piece of furniture lying around, channel your inner decorator and give it the best overhaul you can: Style it with your ultimate favourite books, mirrors, and vases. Worst-case scenario: It still looks terrible and you end up throwing it out. But you just might also look at it in a whole new light.
Edit Down to a Minimum
Sometimes when décor feels a little tired, you don’t need to add anything to make it better. In fact, you just might need to remove the elements that are making it less than spectacular. By editing down your décor to a minimum, you’re able to reintroduce your favorite pieces, and those ones only. The rest can go to storage or charity, and you’re left with a fresh, well-edited space.
Hang Your Kids’ Artwork
Granted, children aren’t all Picassos, but their art is coloruful and candid, and it makes for great artwork that you can easily swap around.
Think Like a Stylist
Hop on Pinterest, gather inspiration of your favourite styled homes, and try replicating the vignettes you love most. Interior stylists often spend very little money on accessories and props to make homes look great for a photo shoot: Think vintage pottery, a couple of trays, and strategic placement.
Re-Cover Your Old Headboard With a Throw
It’s possible that you’ve grown tired of your headboard or you simply feel that your bedroom is lacking a little texture. Grab a throw or blanket lying around the house, and effortlessly re-cover your headboard by simply draping the throw over it.
Rearrange Your Bookcase
I can guarantee that even the owners of the most impeccably styled homes in magazines can’t keep their houses looking remotely as pristine as they did on the day of the photo shoot. It’s only natural for homes to amass clutter and for objects to get displaced. Take a moment to re-style a bookcase or a console table.
Create a Reading Nook
Chances are you have a lounge chair, accent table, and task lamp somewhere in your home, though not necessarily styled together. Gather them and assemble a comfortable reading nook. Add pillows and a throw to complete the look.
Do you have any clever tricks to refresh your home for free? Share them with us in the comments below.