Refresh Your Home on a Budget

In the days after Christmas, after the tree has been removed, homes often look bare and dark. Fortunately, these low or no-cost home decorating tips can restore your home’s beauty.  

Touch Up Walls. Use leftover wall paint to touch up scuffs and make your walls look fresh and new. Before applying paint, use a microfiber cloth to remove dust and cobwebs. With just a little effort, your rooms will look clean and newly painted.

Remove Heavy Curtains. Heavy curtains can cast your home’s interior into darkness. At this low-light time of year, this can make your house seem a little grim. To freshen and brighten rooms, remove heavy curtains, but leave sheers in place. Sheers provide privacy while allowing sunlight to filter into the home.

Install Lamps. Lamps provide an inexpensive way to bring back some of the cheer and warmth from the Christmas tree. Install lamps in rooms where shadows are prominent to make spending time inside more enjoyable.

Declutter Rooms. Clutter can make your home seem messy and cramped. Removing clutter can help. To declutter your home, start by sorting through papers and bills on counters, then organize your closets. Buy budget shelves and modular storage containers to make this task easier. Decluttering can be overwhelming and takes time. Break down this project into smaller tasks and create a timeline to keep yourself on task.

Refinish Furniture. Use wall paint that you have on hand to refinish some of your older pieces of furniture. To achieve a distressed look, paint one color on top of another, then use sandpaper to reveal glimpses of the undercoat. This gives your furniture a casual, rustic appearance.

Make the best of these cold winter days by following these tips, and you will be on your way to enjoying the new year in your refreshed, and possibly even transformed, home.