Freshen Up Your Home for Under $100
When money is tight, we tend to spend more time at home, so we want it to be a stylish and fun place to be. But how can you give your home a fresh look without breaking the bank? If HGTV and decorating magazines have taught us anything, it's that we can make over a room without spending thousands of dollars!
There are plenty of ways to improve the look of your home without a big investment. Whether you're looking for ways to put the finishing touches on your room or just wanting to refresh your space, here are a few tricks and some well-picked accessories for under $100 that can go a long way to making your home look like a million bucks.
Paint
Nothing can transform a room as quickly as a great coat of paint. Splashing some color on the walls can bring together all the elements in a room and refresh the look of any space. Better yet, you can get a couple of gallons of paint and supplies for less than $50.
Welcome mats and small rugs
What an easy way to dress up the entrance to your home! A new welcome mat or small area rug (typically around $20) inside the door can add a nice punch of color and freshness to the room. Add a couple of large potted plants and your doorways look completely welcoming to all who enter.
Lamps
Liven up your space with light! An evenly lit room is boring - variations in brightness, highlight, and shadow make a room more interesting and livable. The key to a great design is a balance of task, accent, and general lighting that allow you to perform a variety of activities in one room.
Artwork
Displaying your favorite photos, painting or prints on the wall will dress up any room. Since so many of us have digital cameras now, it's easy to forget to make prints of some of your favorites, but it only costs a few cents per print! For under $10, you can enlarge some of your favorites and make a great focal point on a wall with a collection of framed photos in various sizes. Similarly, it's easy to find cheap vintage prints, posters and other artwork - gather a few and display them together, and you've got a great-looking collection and conversation piece! No matter how simple an object may be by itself, a grouping in the same scale or color scheme gives a polished look to your collection.
Pillows
Think of accent pillows like fun, trendy jewelry - they allow you to change up your dé cor seasonally and keep your room looking fresh and new throughout the year. Accent pillows enhance your existing home dé cor by bringing fun colors, patterns, shapes, and textures to your room. A little change can go a long way in creating a totally different style for your room. Glam it up with sequins and beads, or make it cozy with an antique floral. Depending on the amount of detail or hand-stitching, accent pillows can range from $15 to $99.
Mirrors
Mirrors can liven up a space by bouncing more light around the room. Whether you buy one large mirror to hang above a fireplace or piece of furniture, or a few small ones in a pattern on the wall, mirrors add interest and depth to any room.
New linens
Whether it's a new quilt draped over the end of a bed or sofa or some new hand towels for the bathroom, new linens can quickly make a room feel new again. You can find a set of new hand towels or colorful blanket for under $20, and a complete set of incredibly fine bed sheets for under $75.
Transform your old furniture
Even if you have older furniture or hand-me-downs that you can't replace yet, give them new life with a fresh coat of paint, a different wood stain, or new fabric. Similarly, transform your kitchen and bathroom cabinets and dresser drawers with new knobs. Decorative knobs range from simple versions that cost as little as $.50 to more unique ones that cost around $3 each.
Clean up the clutter
Perhaps the cheapest way to improve your home is to simply get organized. High shelves and mantles are great for dressing up a space and cleaning up clutter from books, magazines and knick knacks that don't really have a good home. Dress up lower shelves with several matching baskets or boxes for papers, colors, toys, DVDs, and games. Use large baskets or bins in an unused corner to serve as a toy storehouse that is both quick access and easy pick-up.
Change your window treatments
This simple change can create a totally different feel in a room. Create a cozy feeling in cold months with a velvet or brocade. Lighten up in the summer with a breezy sheer.
Bring the season inside
From fall leaves and gourds in the autumn to flowering branches in the spring, natural accessories enliven a room.
Mix it up
When you want a change, but don't have many options for furniture placement, try rethinking your accessories. Take everything out and start fresh. Look in other rooms of your home, your attic, your kitchen. Find objects with a common color or theme and cluster them together in small groupings throughout the room.
The best tip we can give is to have fun with your decorating. It's your home, and no one has to love your choices but you. Don't just buy things because they're cheap - make sure you buy things you really love and that reflect your personality. Otherwise, you'll simply end up spending more in the long run.
Sprucing up your home doesn't have to be pricey, and $100 can go a long way. With some well-chosen accessories and a little creativity, it's possible to make simple decorating changes that will help your home look like a million bucks.
