You’re not altogether happy about your home decor right now, but you’re not up for a complete redecorating project. Fear not! You can give your home a fresh start with a few low-cost basics that will provide it with that new look and feel you’re hoping for. Let’s explore a few budget-friendly ideas that go a long way towards making you feel proud of your home once more. Hint: it’s easier than you may have expected!
1. Awful Carpets can Be Beautiful Again
We have a love-hate relationship with carpets. The tiles are too cold. Wooden floors look nice and are warmer, but they’re not exactly soft and welcoming either. Carpets make things smoother and nicer, but they’re dirt magnets of note. Before you replace stained or grubby-looking carpets, ask cleaning experts like the guys at Woodard carpet cleaning whether deep-cleaning can renew them. A professional job can make old carpets look and smell like new ones. OK, so you don’t sniff your carpets, but you’ll be amazed at what odors they exude. Get them cleaned and experience the difference first-hand.
2. Dreadful Lounge Furniture? Time for a Cover-Up
Whether it’s getting old or you just furnished your place with what friends or family would give you for free, tired soft furnishings are going to bug you. Reupholstering can be more expensive than buying new – exactly why so many people are willing to give away chairs or sofas. You’re not ready to spend on a new lounge suite, so go for the tried and tested alternative. You can get gorgeous throws cheap if you shop around, and a little artful draping and tucking make them look like a statement rather than a cover-up job.
3. Water Stains on Wood: Try These Hacks
You were once proud of your lovely wooden tables, but people aren’t that good at using coasters, and accidents happen. Now you’ve got water stains and are wondering if you need to sand down and refinish. Sure, it’s not costly to do that, but an easy fix might do the job. Old-fashioned wax polish can work wonders, but if the stains are persistent, you might want to try a few simple and surprising water stain removal hacks that still beat the heck out of refinishing.
4. Brighten up Grout
Tiles are meant to be low maintenance, but the grout in between can get pretty yucky over time. Regrouting, or worse yet, retiling, may not be for you – and it may not be necessary either. A good old-fashioned scrubbing could do the trick, but if it doesn’t, use a few simple grout cleaning tips to help you give your tiled floors a fresh, new look. Beware of using harsh chemicals – results might look good, but they’ll shorten the life of your grout and may even damage your tiles.
5. When You Absolutely Have to Redecorate
Sometimes cost-effective decorating doesn’t mean cheap. If you’re painting, get a good-quality, washable coating. You’ll save in the long run because you won’t have to repaint as often. As for furniture, don’t shun second-hands. People less frugal than you are letting nearly-new stuff go for a fraction of the price they paid. Know what you want and keep an eye out for great deals. If you’re buying online, ensure that you can view in person before committing – pictures can look way better than reality, as anyone who has used photo editing apps will know!
Refreshing your home decor doesn’t have to be a costly exercise. A little maintenance and an eye to a good deal will do the trick. So put on your thinking cap: reinvent, refurbish, or look for bargains.
