7 Practical Ways to Refresh Your Home

I don’t know about you guys, but the new year has me itching to make some changes. And not necessarily big changes, just more like little tweaks and adjustments that can improve my life and home. There’s just something about January and the fresh start to the year that makes me want to mix things up. I’ve actually put myself on a new daily schedule, which involves waking up at 5AM like a crazy person. Seriously, do you know how dark and cold it is at 5AM in January? It’s awful. But as painful as those early mornings are, it’s actually been a really good thing for me so far. I have lots to share about my new schedule, so I’ll get into that more in a different post. Today I’m here to talk about 7 practical ways to refresh your home. This is such a fun post because it’s all about giving some love to your home and sprucing things up that need a change. Now is it just me or do you ever just get bored with the same old things in your house? Especially after the start of the new year, with Christmas decor put away and the house feeling kinda blah, I always crave a bit of a freshening up. Sometimes a girl just needs a change, you know? I thought you might be feeling the same way, so I’ve come up with some great ideas that will not only bring a fresh look to your home, but they’re all things you can do in an afternoon!

1. Rearrange Your Furniture

Anytime I’m craving a bit of a fresh start in our home I rearrange the furniture. Whether in the living room, bedroom, or even the dining room, moving things around is a surefire way to refresh any space without spending a dime. I remember doing this as a young girl–I loved rearranging the furniture in my bedroom and I was always begging my mom to let me do it in the living room. I’d get so excited because the “new way” looked so much better. Apparently it’s always been one of my favorite things to do!

2. Paint Something You Don’t Like. Really.

Sounds a little odd, right? Let me explain. Let’s say you’ve grown tired of something like your dining table, dresser, or TV console. You’d love to buy a new one but it just hasn’t happened for whatever reason. This is the perfect opportunity to get busy with a paint brush. Trust me, even if you’ve never done it before, it’s not hard to paint furniture. I promise, you can do it. I have numerous tutorials, both with chalk paint and with regular paint. Heck you can even use spray paint. Really, there’s no reason not to give it a try. Take this little cabinet for example.

I hated it. The dark blue just wasn’t working for me anymore. Honestly, it was in the donation pile when I realized I could probably salvage it with a little time and effort. So I grabbed my white chalk paint and went to work. An hour later I had a whole new cabinet.

3. Switch Out a Light Fixture

It wasn’t until about three years ago that I realized the amazing impact a good light fixture can have on a room. Honestly, I had never really paid much attention to them. Shame on me, I know. I just kind of accepted them as a piece of function, rather than decor. But when I started to transition to farmhouse style, I began noticing how a light fixture can really make or break a room. I think of them now as a statement piece, almost like a piece of artwork you’d hang on the wall. Changing your outdated light fixture, or even just switching to one that better suits your style, is going to completely alter the tone of any room. Guaranteed. We recently did this in our dining room. Here’s the light fixture before:

I actually bought this one off Craigslist and chalk painted it. Sorry I don’t have a better picture of it. It worked for us for about a year and a half, but it sure wasn’t winning any awards and it was definitely time for a change.

I was practically giddy about replacing it with this one from World Market. And boy, did it make an amazing difference. Not much time or investment goes into changing out a light fixture, but the payoff is HUGE.

4. The Great Purge

Sometimes the answer isn’t putting something new into your home, it’s taking away the junk. There are few things that are more satisfying than de-cluttering and purging old crap that you no longer need. Clear out some extra space in your living room and the whole room will feel bigger. Or if you have a jam-packed closet, messy drawers, or an out of control pantry, just follow this easy 3 step process: 1) crank up the music 2) grab a trash bag 3) start throwing stuff away. Trust me, you’ll feel like a million bucks afterwards.

5. Change Out Your Window Treatments

I promise, curtains make a HUGE difference in any room and this is probably one of the easiest and fastest ways to freshen things up. No installation, no fuss, it literally takes 10 minutes to change your curtains. You guys know how much I love my DIY drop cloth curtains, these things are the bomb and they make a great option if you’re on a budget. And if you’re looking to get that soft, farmhouse look I’d recommend going for something on the neutral side–that ideally brings warmth and coziness without being too flashy or in your face. I used to think curtains needed to make a big statement, but I sure did learn my lesson with over-the-top curtains. You can see the proof for yourself in this post. But beware, it ain’t pretty.

6. Paint & More Paint

I’ve said it a million times, but paint has magical powers. Superhero, ninja powers. It’s true, it really does. I’ve already talked about painting furniture, but if you have a room that just seems off, try giving it a fresh coat of paint. I did this in our powder bathroom, which was painted a dark cherry red, and it now it’s a completely different room. I’m still shocked at how much better it looks and it only took a few hours to do. You can see that quick transformation here.

7. Invest in a New Rug

If you want to refresh any room in your home, one of the best things you can do is to invest in a nice area rug–it makes a huge difference in the overall feel of the room. Take our front room for instance. I haven’t had a rug in here since we moved in. Honestly, it was driving me crazy, but I just kept putting off making the investment. Well it finally happened and the difference in the room is amazing! Here it is before:

And this is what it looks like now with a new rug:

It’s just more pulled together, right? It looks finished now. Cozy. Inviting. Balanced. Area rugs are complete game changers. They’re like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. Sure, it’s tasty without the cherry. But adding that cherry takes it to a whole new level of sophistication. The sundae is not completely without the cherry. You can’t skip the cherry.

I hope this post was helpful if you’ve been in a bit of a rut lately and need a fresh look to start the year. All of these changes I’ve suggested today are totally do-able, budget friendly, and each one has the potential to make a big impact in any room. Like I always say, home is what you make it. It’s your safe haven, your place to relax and recharge. Make it what you want and if you don’t like something, work to change it. Do what you can and love the home you have. Here are some recommendations to get you started:

Essentials to Refresh for Your Home:

Rugs:

Curtains:

Light Fixtures:

Thank you soooooo much for stopping by the blog today. And don’t be a stranger, let’s have a chat in the comments below. My favorite thing about this blog is interacting with all of you!