Easy, Affordable Ways to Refresh Your Home for the Holidays

New year, new look!

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As the year comes to an end, many homeowners will perform a yearly house cleaning and refresh to get into the holiday spirit and to kick off the new year on the right foot.

If you’re feeling the pinch of a budget stretched too far over the holiday season and can’t afford a large remodel right now, fret not! With that in mind, we've compiled a list of some of our favourite and simplest ways to give your home an instant refresh without the need to spend much (or any!). Take a look at them below!

1. Start with deep cleaning and decluttering

It's natural for homes to accumulate clutter over time; therefore, the end of the year is the best time to declutter and clean every nook and cranny in your home so you can enjoy the holiday season with a positive attitude and give the new year a fresh start with a spotlessly clean home.

If you're not sure where to start, use the house cleaning schedule below as a guide. You'll be able to delegate your cleaning hours more effectively with this yearly cleaning routine, and you'll notice that your home looks better and runs more smoothly as a result!

Explore: Follow This Schedule For A Clean & Neat Home All Year Round

2. Rearrange your furniture

One of the simplest ways to instantly refresh the look and feel of your home is to rearrange your furniture. Don't be afraid to experiment and move things around and see what it does to your space. Sometimes, you might find you have more room than you thought after rearranging your furniture. And the best part is that you won't have to spend any money to refresh your space!

Unless you live in a very small home, you should always place your furniture in the centre of the room rather than pushing it all against the walls. It will make the room appear larger, and grouping your furniture in the centre will improve walking flow around the house.

3. Switch up your wall art

Another super-impactful and affordable way to instantly refresh the interior of your home is to replace or rearrange the placement of your wall art and decor. If you already have several pieces of art hanging on a gallery wall or around your home, you can simply rearrange them or replace them with new ones. You don’t have to spend a lot as there is a plethora of art that you can purchase, ranging from old movie posters at flea markets to online sources at affordable prices.

As a general rule, when hanging art, be sure to play with height by pairing taller items with shorter items. When you mix in items that have different shapes, sizes, and especially height, you create interest and depth.

If you keep your children's drawings and paintings, you can also consider framing and displaying them on open shelves as shown below. Kids' artwork is often colourful and candid, and it can make for great wall décor that can easily be swapped out anytime.

4. Restyle old furniture

Repainting old furniture is another inexpensive and simple way to update the interior of your home. Dip-dye the legs of a wooden chair, paint your TV console table or give a new colour to your old kitchen cabinet. You might look at your old furniture in a whole new light after you've given it a fresh coat of paint!

Besides painting, you can also consider reupholstering your bedroom's headboard to add texture or pattern to your room. This method also works well for tired accent chairs or worn-out sofas to give old furniture a new lease on life!

5. Change up your lighting fixtures

Don’t overlook the smallest details available in your home. Even teeny-tiny elements like light switches, light bulbs, outlet covers, or lampshades, when upgraded, can completely transform the look and feel of your home for a fraction of the cost of purchasing an entirely new lamp. So, instead of the drab shades that came with the lamp, incorporate lampshades with eye-catching shapes, designs, and patterns to create the ideal accent for your living room.

To brighten up your living room, you should also consider replacing existing bulbs with LED versions.

6. Spruce up your home with some plants

Filling your home with plants is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to transform it. Furthermore, it can conceal flaws in your home, such as wiring cords from your TV or a weathered hardwood floor.

If taking care of plants isn't your thing, keep in mind that live plants aren't your only option. For a touch of nature in your home, consider faux flowers or potted plants, branches, or dried flowers.

7. Swap your soft furnishings

Furniture can be difficult (and costly) to replace once a year, but soft furnishings such as curtains, throw pillows, and blankets are much easier to swap out at any time of year and can make an equally big impact in your home without breaking the bank.

Plus, there are truly limitless options available to you. If your space is feeling a little drab, consider adding a few throw pillows in bright colours to bring more uplifting vibes. If you're going for a bohemian look, add pillows with organic hues and textures.

Explore: A Guide to Selecting Window Treatments for Your Living Room

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