Is it weird that John read my headline in passing and used it as an opportunity for a comedic performance? A few “room-crisping” suggestions from him? 1) Flambé it. 2) Put crunchy noodles on the floor. 3) Starch it.
Funny guy. Anyway, here are seven super affordable and easy ways to freshen up any space. They might seem simple and straightforward, but it’s amazing what a difference these little tweaks can really make. So if you don’t have the energy (or the money) for a full scale room makeover, these might be just the thing to give you a new look in a snap.
1. Paint your trim with crisp white semi-gloss paint. Whether you’re repainting dingy trim or converting it from a wood tone, there’s nothing like sleek white trim to make a space feel dimensional, polished, and fresh- even a hallway! Think of your window, door, and baseboard trim as giant picture frames that can really showcase an area- and we all know that sometimes it’s the frames that make the art.
2. Introduce new outlet covers and wall switchplates. Sometimes you inherit them in pretty bad condition (they could be painted over, faded or dated in color, or even wallpapered- eeks!). So switching out your covers for crisp clean white ones- or even stainless steel beauties if that fits your decor- can instantly make the whole house read as updated and oh so current. Bonus points for painting out the trim on your doors for even more architectural interest!
3. Paint a dingy and dark fireplace glossy white. Yup, more white paint is on the agenda here- but just look at how crisp and lovely it can look. And here’s a handy tutorial.
4. Hang breezy white floor to ceiling curtains. Ok, ok, so they don’t even have to be white- but if you have a flat looking neutral room with a tan sofa and a beige carpet, hanging long billowy white curtains (along with repainting your trim and switching out your outlet covers) will transform your room in ways that you almost won’t believe. And if your color scheme calls for off-white or linen colored curtains instead, as long as you hang them high and wide to frame the view, your room will instantly feel more airy and inviting.
5. Grab three to five punchy new pillows. Sure, safe neutral pillows are nice, but nothing pops like a bit of saturation in the form of plush pillows that really invite you in. And thanks to places like TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods, Target, and Etsy you can grab pillows for around $6-$12 each. That means thirty beans is all it takes to give your seating area a totally fresh look. If you have a flat looking neutral room like we described above, there really are limitless options for accent colors (turquoise, steel blue, eggplant, amber, cinnamon, celadon, ruby, raspberry, peony pink, persimmon, lemon yellow, lime, etc).
6. Bring in baskets. They’re such an easy way to wrangle things and create a much more polished and organized vibe- even when it comes to kid clutter.
7. Add one more dash of saturated color. You can spotlight a bright piece of art above the mantel or you can get an old mirror on Freecycle or Craigslist and spray paint it the same punchy tone that you introduced to your sofa with those new pillows (lime? raspberry? turquoise? celadon?). Heck, even grabbing a cheap thrift store lamp and spray painting the base or recovering the shade in that playful tone will have the same effect without draining your wallet.
So there you have seven quick and easy ways that you can make a room feel current and fresh (for everyone from potential home buyers to yourself). But we’re positive that we left something out. What small tweaks have you guys tried on for size when it comes to breathing new life into a stale or ho-hum space? Spill it.
All images (except for the curtain pic) from fun and fabulous House Crashings of yore.
Allison says
Your husband is a witty delight.
I like to add a shelf (the Ikea Lack wall shelf is my fave) and make a display of little objects like small vases, pretty books, or framed photos. It really adds a sweet punch to the room. Then later, if I’m tired of it, I can take some stuff from the shelves in the dining room and switch them out with the stuff on the mantle in the living room and rearrange it all and I have something new to catch my eye.
The best part is roaming around your house looking for unusual stuff to display (a cool drinking glass filled with movie ticket stubs, a little box, a stack of beaded coasters, a tiny globe) that take on a new life when they’re put together.
patti rash says
Found your site by accident…fell in love! Your ideas are terrific! I was wondering if one of your viewers had the time to discover the individual who hires ‘talent’ for the HGTV network. If all your readers began to bombard HGTV, they might be encouraged to give you guys a shot at your own show! You two would be great! Blessings!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Patti,
So far we’ve actually declined a few proposals for a TV show because we’re just two (well four counting the “kids”) homebodies and while we love sharing our projects via the blog, we’re not exactly driven to see our faces on TV- eeeks! Plus it would take weeks away from the blog, so we definitely couldn’t keep up with our projects or our posting schedule- so for now any TV gigs are on the backburner. Hope that explains our rationale though!
xo,
s
Audrey says
Hey guys!
A storage question – can you suggest some attractive options that aren’t woven? We’re low on closet space so a lot of our storage has to be ‘on display’ in boxes or baskets, but apparently my boyfriend is mortally offended by woven baskets (?!). I’m wondering if there’s anything out there that would do the same job that’s not one of those cheap (ugly) plastic ones?
YoungHouseLove says
Just check out places like Target, The Container Store, and Ikea (they have lots of leather and fabric boxes and bins that are clean-lined and lovely). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lisa says
I want to paint my brick fireplace white but i am so scared. I love how it looks on your house. My sofa is a dark green suede and i have two slipper chairs with coordinating floral fabric with reds, gold and green, do you think the white fireplace whould not look good? I would like to get the slipper chair you got from target but how would that look with the dark green sofa. I am trying to lighten up my living room.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, white would look crisp and lovely (and adding in white accessories around the room for balance will tie it in). Good luck!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I am new to your website and I love it. I am looking at painting my trim white. Would I have to sand it down first or can I just pain over the already finished wood?
YoungHouseLove says
You can just use oil-based primer followed by latex semi-gloss paint. Good luck!
xo,
s
Steph says
Hey Sherry,
Just need your opinion if you do not mind. I am seriously debating whether or not to paint our trim crisp white, I just love that look! However, our window frames and such are a off white/beigey color. They are newer windows so we don’t have any plans on replacing them. In your opinion do you suggest just leaving them as they are(off white/creamy color) or go for the white? Think it would look off with the window frames and sliding door color?
Thank you so much!!! ;D
YoungHouseLove says
Can you paint your window frames? That would be an easy way to crisp up everything if you prefer white to off-white!
xo,
s