1. Clean
This is the most tedious but necessary step you can make. Go room by room and take everything off your surfaces. You must dust all wood, wipe down all glass and mirrors with a good glass cleaner and vacuum. When you vacuum don't just vacuum around the furniture...move the furniture and get all the gritty dust and crumbs that have found their way into the small crevices (I am sure you'll find some change too).
Make sure you wipe down all your baseboards and doorway moldings with a wet towel. It will give that coat of trim paint a fresh clean look.
2. Put Accessories Back..with caution
The accessories you had on the coffee table, dining room table, and end tables need to be put back but which ones? I recommend only keeping on display the items that visually appeal to the room. If you have a picture in a frame out that you really don't like or a bowl of potpourri that hasn't released the scent in months, don't put it back. It will just take up space and frustrate you. That goes for magazines too. Recycle them! Only keep the ones you haven't read yet. If you are holding onto magazines because there was a great article or recipe in it you wanted to keep then tear out that page and place it in a folder.
3. Restyle Your Space
Go into other rooms in your home. Do you have a vase that would look great in the family room or on the dining room table but it's in a bedroom where it just collects dust? Move it! Same rule applies to furniture. An Armoire in a bedroom may hold clothes that you don't wear anymore, donate those clothes and use that Armoire to hold linens in a bathroom. This would also work for a burrow you have that is old and too large for a bedroom. Paint it the color of your choice that matches your decor and place it behind a sofa as a sofa table. It will give you more storage too!
4. Purchase New Decorative Pillows
Throw pillows are one of the easiest ways to update a room. You can bring in different colors, new patterns and even add lots of texture with just a few new throw pillows! Mix and match prints.
Not sure where to get new pillows? Well, your in luck! I make custom pillows and you can find them here with an array of colors and patterns available.
5. Replace Your Area Rug
Area rugs tend to stay stagnant in rooms for years, overstaying their welcome and really giving the room a drowning feeling. When purchasing an area rug for a dining room or living room space make sure the size is right. For dining room rugs you want to make sure the rug is large enough so that when all chairs are pulled out they are still on the rug. I usually suggest an 8x10 or 8x11 size for most rectangular tables. If you have a round table I would say 6"in diameter would be the smallest you should go. For living rooms it can be vastly different. If you just want the rug to sit under the coffee table then I would suggest a 5x8 but if you want it to ground your sofa area and make a bigger impact in the space then 8x10 or larger is your best bet.
Pick a rug that has movement or texture but it's not overwhelming. One that compliments the colors of the room and will give the space a fresh bright look.
6. Give Your Bedroom A New Duvet or Comforter
A fresh set of sheets is the best thing for your bedroom. Clean, cozy and a whole new look to the room. I tend to lean towards duvet covers more so than comforters because you can interchange them each season if you want and they fold up nicely for storage when you aren't using them. Best part is you can wash them in your own washer and dryer! Anyone with a king size comforter that needs to constantly bring it to the Laundromat or dry cleaners knows what I am talking about..such a pain!
I like solid covers in brightly painted rooms & vivid color in neutral rooms. If you use a solid cover make sure you use patterned pillows and vice verse.
7. New Paint
I know it's hard to paint your entire house and who really does that? Over time, yes but unless you are doing a complete remodel/ redesign or moved into a new home no one is painting their entire house at once. Most of my clients paint 3 rooms at a time and work their way from there. I suggest giving your main living spaces a fresh coat of paint. When I say fresh coat, I don't mean the same color you had it before...change it up. It doesn't have to be a bold red or green but you can add some color or take color away. There are so many beautiful paint colors out there. Neutrals are great if you aren't sure or afraid to take a risk. Maybe base your paint off the new pillow covers you are going to get! Find a color you love and go for it!
8. Stay Organized
I recommend baskets and storage items for every room in the house. Keep your kitchen cabinets and drawers organized with separators, shelving stackers and bins for the fridge. Closets can be neatly kept with no slip, slim hangers. Do you have a spot where all the mail goes? Get a nice basket and make that the place where the unopened mail goes instead of having it all over the newly organized tables. I am not saying you have to be Martha Stewart or be neurotic about it but if everything has a place then your home won't get cluttered so easily.
9. Last Step....Put out some fresh flowers
They are always an immediate mood booster!
I hope this gave you some guidance. Believe me, once you take these steps to clean up your home you will love your surroundings. It will feel like a new home but your home and it doesn't take lots of money to do. All designing can be done on a budget. My advice, take your time. Decide exactly what you want your space to be and feel like. If you don't know where to begin don't worry just take the first step and clean up the house and that will get you motivated to do the rest. If you are too busy and really don't have time you should invest in a designer/decorator. I happen to know one ;) So when in doubt call me!
XO,
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