How to Make an Old Space Feel New
We’ve all been caught daydreaming about what our dream kitchen would look like, or how our ideal living room would feel. It’s easy to do, but sooner or later you’re snapped back into reality, and you remember that you don’t have that space yet and you won’t until you find the right house or start that reno. Until the time comes where you are living in your dream home, you have a choice to make: you can keep living in the space you have, daydreaming about what it would be like to finally renovate… OR you can follow some of these easy tips to breathe some new life into your space while you bide the time between now and your dream. Since you probably think the latter option is better, we’ve made a list of our top picks for actionable, easy to complete ways that will spruce up your living situation until the day you get to swing a sledgehammer around:
Clean Up
Bet you didn’t see this one coming. Just clean up, and you may find that what you have is actually pretty nice. Mind you, we don’t just mean tidy up and dust, we mean deep clean. Get out that crazy stain, change that lightbulb, throw out that dead succulent, and get all the way into the corner with the vacuum. As you clean, take inventory of what you have. When was the last time you used the things you have around, and what purpose do they serve? If you haven’t used something in months and it’s a bit of an eyesore, consider donating it. Part of the tantalizing idea that’s associated with a big move or reno is starting from scratch. Having an open space that isn’t being bogged down with ugly stuff you don’t need anymore is appealing to many people. Who says that experience needs to be unique to a reno? By no means are we suggesting that you go full minimalist and get rid of half of your stuff, but often clutter can make a room feel smaller, less pleasing to the eye, and less sophisticated. If you simply deep clean the exact space you’re in and discard any useless items that don't fit the look that you are going through, then you may find yourself falling in love with your home all over again. If not, you may like to move on to step two.
Rearrange
Admittedly, this is far harder to do in a kitchen, but the rules apply to almost any other area of the house. Sometimes it’s not what you have that’s the problem, it’s just the fact that it’s not new anymore. Now that you have a clean room that is free of unnecessary clutter, you can renew the space by reorganizing and moving your furniture around. A simple rearrangement can make a room feel brand new, and often it’s all you need to hold you over for a few months. When you finally get bored, you can rinse and repeat, or move on to our third technique.
Plants and Decorations
If you’ve done everything you can with what you have already, and you’re still not satisfied, it may be time for you to invest (a little) money in some decorations to spruce the place up a bit. It could be as simple as a throw pillow, coasters, or lamp. It could also be as big as a new rug, coffee table, or couch. Regardless of price, it’s important that you choose something that matters to you, and that you’ll love. Otherwise, what’s the point? Our go-to easy decoration is plants. Not only do they look great, but they are super easy to find and easy to personalize and change up from time to time. If you like the idea but are nervous because you are a serial killer of plants, fear not. If you’d like to read about plants that are ridiculously easy to care for, and can withstand weeks of neglect, check out our previous post here. Now... if you have done everything we’ve recommended so far, and you still haven’t found the will not to rip down the walls of your house and start from scratch, we have one more tip for you.
Coat of Paint
Although simple, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for rejuvenating a room and making it pop again. If you choose the route of sticking with the same colour, you won’t be disappointed. It’s hard to believe how dirty and chipped your walls get without you even noticing, but when you throw on that fresh coat of paint, your room will instantly look cleaner and more inviting. You may also pick the route of changing the colour you use. In this scenario, not only will you receive all of the benefits that were previously mentioned, but you will also get to look at a brand new wall colour, and that will surely spice up your space enough to last a bit longer till that reno.
Feeling inspired by your home is important. Since you spend the most time there than anywhere else, why not make it something worth looking at. The more time you invest in making it the way you like it now, the more time you’ll want to spend relaxing, and the happier you’ll be long term. Regardless of if you’re actively planning a move or remodel, daydreaming about what it would be like, or are just bored of looking at the same bland space every day, putting some love back into your home is always important. Whether you’re just doing a deep clean or repainting the entire house doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re taking the time to turn something that used to have you daydreaming about other houses, into something that brings you joy to live in.