If you have been pondering a room update or redo, you might have so many different reasons to do so. Updating the rooms in your house can increase your home’s resale value when it comes time to sell. Doing room updates can also increase your enjoyment of your home space.
You might also want to do a room update so you can change the look and/or feel of a room without having to do a full-scale renovation to achieve the same.
These seven fun room updates can accomplish just this – giving you a whole new experience of any room in your house for a fraction of the cost of a remodel.
Update 1: Add Splashes of Color
You can achieve this update just by adding a few accent pillows, a colorful photo or painting, a vase of fresh flowers, or a new throw rug. First you need to evaluate the room’s current color scheme and identify complementary colors. Next, take a look at current furnishings. If you are handy, you might recover a favorite couch that has become faded or repaint a desk or cabinet. The key here is splashes of color – not an overall color redesign.
Update 2: Repaint
Sometimes all a room really needs is a fresh coat of paint. You could repaint just a single wall in a varying color or repaint the whole room. You can even repaint seasonally if you enjoy changing the look and feel of your room frequently. You can start by gathering color swatches. Next, paint a small section on the wall and see how you like it. Finally, you can choose the new color, prime the wall (if needed), and get to work. You will have a fresh new room update in no time! (NOTE: this can be an especially great option when selling a home, as nothing says “new” like a fresh coat of paint.)
Update 3: Window Treatments
Window treatments speak more loudly than you might expect them to about the room’s overall character and personality. For instance, moving from heavy, thick curtains to light bamboo shades will change the light in the room and therefore the overall color of the paint and furnishings. Window treatments can take your room from traditional to modern and back again in the blink of an eye. First, decide how much light you want in the room. Next, you can choose a window treatment to help you control the light in the room, such as adjustable shades, blinds, or a curtain with an inner night liner.
Update 4: Lighting Fixtures
Small changes to lighting can have the same level of impact as changes to window treatments or paint. Add track lighting, and you can control the mood of the room for day to night. Overhead lighting can often feel too bright, so consider some floor or table lamps to soften the mood.
Update 5: Rearrange the Furniture
If you have a room that feels overly sparse, or conversely, too cluttered, why not try rearranging the furniture? This might mean repurposing or removing an item or two, or even adding a new item for a homier feel. As you move about the room, notice where you feel frustrated about the flow of traffic. Then rearrange accordingly.
Update 6: Add Patterns
Patterns, like paint, can liven up any room. The key with patterns is that “less is more.” Rather than wallpapering a whole wall, try a border. Or add a piece of patterned art or a few patterned cushions on a plain sofa. Choose a complementary color to your room’s decor, but one that will “pop” when you enter the room – for instance, bright orange spirals in a pure white room.
Update 7: Consider Indoor Plants and Flowers
Not only do indoor plants and flowers add lovely oxygen to the air and keep it filtered and clean, but they add vibrancy, life, and color as well. The key to success here is to select plants commensurate with your level of gardening ability – if that is low, pick plants known to thrive even under conditions of less frequent care.
Robert Cordray
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