Last week, I watched a YouTube video on how to change out light fixtures, and my new favorite thing has been swapping out every light in my home. It really changes the feel of a room.
I became obsessed with other little home renovation tips and tricks that I could do myself to liven up my space. After hours of perusing Quora, I foundsomethreadsasking for home decor hacks and suggestions, and I can't wait to incorporate these into my living spaces!
1. "Frame unexpected things like unique shopping bags, textiles, or decorative papers. Most important, keep it personal. Make it a home you love to return to at the end of a day."
2. "Some of the artworks in a thrift store really are junk, but if the frame is nice, you can take out whatever is in it and replace it with art more to your liking at a lower cost than purchasing frames at full retail."
3. "If you have some spare wallpaper lying around, paste it on the inside of bookcases. This works particularly well on black or white shelves. Or, vintage style wallpaper will add some life to a block-color bookcase."
4. "Try your local salvage or used furniture stores. Look for shape and form because anything can be refinished with paint or stain. For decorative storage, look for shelves with brackets, trinket wall boxes, doorknobs, and vessels. Use a [spray] paint from your local hardware store to spray a coat of the desired color to coordinate with your space. Remember, they don't have to be neutrals. Spray a frame or shelf lime green for a pop of zany energy. You can find anything at a salvage or used furniture store to repurpose or refinish. Good luck and have fun!"
5."We buy so many things online and get cardboard boxes. We can upgrade it to beautiful boxes for storing towels or other accessories (especially great for guests). Just start tying and gluing a rope throughout the outer portion of the box, and cover the inside of the box with a large white pillow cover. Alternatively, you can also cover the cardboard box with a fancy paper."
One thing no one ever talks about being an adult is how much time you debate yourself on keeping a cardboard box because it's, like, a really good box.
6."I think that using chalk paint (or chalk stickers) is a great way to add a really neat-looking writeable surface to a kitchen."
7."I paint my own abstract paintings. I enhance my decor so easily this way. Inspiration could be from a pillow or a comforter or whatever. I either pick up gallery canvas on sale or simply repaint a design on flat and smooth framed canvasses that have been reduced greatly (from Walmart, Big Lots, TJ Maxx, etc.). I use cheap acrylic paint and do dirty pours or my own swirl 'n' whirls. I add multimedia sometimes for more texture. You can create your own gallery in your home easily this way. One masterpiece at a time."
8. "A bar cart makes a great nightstand. Keep a lamp and alarm clock up top, a carafe and glasses on the middle shelf, and extra linens and a catch-all basket underneath, so everything you could ever need is in reach."
9."Thrift shops are my personal favorite, though you need a good eye to ferret out quality items. I always take a magnet with me. Solid brass, bronze, and copper are non-ferrous metals, so a magnet will not stick to them. If the magnet sticks, it’s not solid brass, but rather painted or plated. I have some wonderful brass items as well as some copper and bronze decor items I picked up for next to nothing."
10. "Be sure to have the lighting you need to use the space as you desire. If it is a small den and you just plan to use it for relaxing, you don't want lots of bright harsh lighting. If it is an office space or kitchen, you may want it brighter. Keep window dressings light to take advantage of as much free sunlight as possible."
11. "Indoor plants not only make your living space more inviting and luxurious, they also make your home's air healthier. Placed anywhere in the home, they add greenery to your place and make it more breathable."
13. "Cut up magazines you already buy, buy a good bottle of glue and some poster board, and you can make collages that are more personalized than any art you can buy. And if you don't like it in six months, you don't feel guilty if you throw it away."
14."I've found that a badly dented or scratched item can really end up looking great by adding more dents and scratches. Grab some sand paper and start scratchin' and bangin'! Now, your item has become old and distressed, while you have released some unneeded stress. Works for me. Try it! It feels good!"
15. "A large mirror is a great addition to any space. It is highly versatile as it works pretty well in a bedroom, living room, entry way, or even in a bathroom or kitchen. A nice mirror may not only work as a focal point in a room but holds the magic to make small spaces look bigger and well lit."
16."One of my favorite low-cost decorating ideas is to give a new look to something you already have. I have many books that I love, but the colors of the book jackets are all different colors. These colors just don’t go with my color scheme. Using cute, black and white scrapbook paper, I made new jacket sleeves for my books. I just slipped them over the original slip covers. Now, these books are beautiful and functional (you can still read the book, same as before). I use these 'pretty' books to decorate all throughout my house."
17. "Try adding white Christmas lights with Polaroid pictures around them. Get a few matching frames, and put them up in a creative way."
18. "Carefully evaluate your placement of furniture and use of space. Start with big items, such as sofas and beds. Those items anchor a room and need to be placed correctly. Keep working like that, from big to small. No cost involved here."
19. "Adding new drawer handles, cabinet handles, and other odds and ends around the house can make a lot of difference. They have the ability to make something feel like new and give you the comfort of being able to use it properly."
20. Finally, "If you have a fairly large room, your bed doesn't need to lean up against the wall. If you add some space between the bed and the window, you'll create a cozy reading spot."
