The story below is from our March/April 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
These easy, budget-friendly ideas are a great way to make your space feel new again — just in time for open windows and fresh air!
Spring is the season of renewal, a time for growth and change in the natural world around us. This energy can often inspire us to alter our own surroundings, starting with the rooms we sleep, eat and live in. Making small changes to your home with high impact results doesn’t have to cost you thousands of dollars or months of time. We consulted with local design expert Tera Janelle to create an inspirational list of doable, budget-friendly tasks that instantly refresh any space.
Change out your art & photos (or have them reframed)
We only have so much wall space, so if you’re anything like me you might find that your collection of favorite photos and artwork has outgrown your home’s hanging spaces. So change them out! Think of your walls as galleries, rather than permanent fixtures: Swap out the photos in the current spots if you don’t want to worry about rearranging (and creating new holes) in the walls. Or take your art on tour! Move pieces from room to room to change up the look and feel of each space. If you really love a piece, consider having it professionally framed– the right combination of matting and frame can transform even a poster print into a powerful focal point.
Tera’s Tip: “Spring brings a fresh wave of antique markets, estate sales and gallery shows! It is a great time to hunt for new pieces to add to your collection, or to sell or donate those you have grown tired of. Looking for affordable art? We love to hunt for old books with beautiful imagery and frame the prints. Botanicals, landscapes and Audobon images are favorites.”
Rearrange your furniture.
If you can’t afford a full redesign, consider doing the furniture shuffle. Shifting large pieces like bed frames and sofas can make you see the room in a new light. In common areas, think about how the space is actually used, and adjust accordingly: Do you tend to take your Zoom meetings in the kitchen where the light is better, or do you prefer to work on the sofa? Do you have the living room centered around the TV, even though you prefer to spend the evenings reading by the fire? Adjust your furniture to reflect the way you actually use the space. Or if you can– consider switching around rooms! Dining rooms and living rooms in foursquare homes can often be swapped, giving your space a whole new perspective.
Tera’s Tip: “Start from scratch. One of the best ways to visualize a room’s new potential is to empty everything out and bring things back in one by one. Often we are so accustomed to seeing things in one spot in our own home, it can be difficult to imagine them anywhere else in the room. A blank slate can unlock new potential, and bonus, it makes it easier to tackle a deep spring cleaning.”
Upgrade your storage.
Storage is a necessary component that is often a visual bummer to most homes. If you’re anything like me, you might have accumulated a strange mix of shelves, bins, baskets and plastic containers that don’t exactly spark joy. Treat yourself to an upgrade! Start by assessing what you have that needs to be stored (books, clothes, formal dinnerware, outdoor hobby equipment, kids stuff) and the location you’d love to keep it (garage, basement, living areas). Next, ask yourself if the stuff is the kind of thing that needs to be displayed, or if you’d like to look at it more often. Are they easy to stack or showcase? Sounds like a candidate for open shelving! If it’s stuff that isn’t used as often or realistically is the kind of thing you prefer to dump out of sight, you are looking for cabinets, drawers or cute containers. Do not be lured by the siren song of carefully-styled open shelves if you are not excited about keeping the stuff you put there dusted, clean and organized.
Tera’s Tip: “Don’t forget the labels when storing items in closed bins and baskets. If you do not want to spend the time making your own labels, Etsy has great options that can be fully customized.”
Paint, touch up, or peel-and-stick strategically.
Nothing instantly perks up a room like fresh paint. This is the perfect, low-budget upgrade that is endlessly changeable–just don’t forget to swatch the walls so you can see how the hue and finish changes throughout the day. Not into a full paint job? Try an accent wall or an accent ceiling. Or go bold and paint the entire room in a single hue!
Tera’s Tip: “We love a tone on tone room, where walls, trim, doors and even ceilings are painted the same color. It offers a huge impact for a budget-friendly cost. If you opt to use the same color and sheen for walls, millwork and doors (to avoid cutting in when painting and to save cost), we recommend a satin finish. Just be aware it is more likely to highlight imperfections in drywall. Ceilings are best dressed in a flat finish.”
Don’t underestimate the effect of a touch-up job– baseboards and walls in high-traffic areas can get scuffed and smudged throughout the years, and going over them with a fresh coat of paint will instantly make the room feel clean and bright. Another high-impact, low-risk option is to experiment with peel-and-stick wallpaper in bold patterns. Closet interiors, powder rooms and stairwell nooks are all great accent locations to play with.
Tera’s Tip: “The old adage that dark colors make a room feel smaller is not always true. Small spaces can be a great place to take a risk with color! Consider the amount of natural light the room receives. Not much natural light? Layer in various types of task and decorative lighting to keep the room feeling cozy rather than dungeon.”
Paint or reupholster an older piece of furniture.
A classic DIY for a beloved but tired furniture piece is an ideal spring project. Repaint a dresser, nightstand or desk to give it a new life. You can even try color blocking, or simple handpainted patterns like dots to give the piece some character. If the budget allows, reupholster a favorite chair or sofa, and consider playing with the other textiles in the room like curtains and throw blankets for an even bigger effect. For a lower budget option, upgrade the cases for your throw pillows, or try new shapes like round and oblong pillows in complementary shades.
Deep clean.
While redecorating can scratch the itch for change, sometimes a good old-fashioned deep clean can be just as satisfying. There are so many things in your home you can deep clean for an instant wow: your kitchen sink, the fronts of all appliances (especially anything matte or metallic) and any high traffic area rugs. Since it’s Spring, it’s the season of throwing open the windows and letting in the light– so how about giving those windows a little TLC while you’re at it? Pop out the screen if you have it to give it a good wash too, and don’t forget to vacuum the window tracks, which are magnets for grime and dust.
Don’t forget the outside! Rent a power washer (you can even go in on this with your neighbor) and hit the exterior of your house, porch ceiling, sidewalks and driveway. You’ll be amazed at how bright and clean everything can be, with a little time and attention.
Tera’s favorite spring tip: bring the outside in!
A collection of oversized budding branches is one of my favorite ways to dress a kitchen island in the spring. You can find me year round with pruning shears in the yard, snipping everything from decorative grasses to blooms to branches for the home. It is cost effective and something fun to do together with our kids. They are very proud of their arrangements.
Every spring we pick up ferns from local nurseries and set them in large baskets or planters around the house, both indoors and out. Ferns are an affordable way to style a large dining table or kitchen island. Opt for one large fern, or a collection of smaller. The ferns can be a bit messy, but they always bring a sense of breezy spring and summer to the house. Ferns can also bring interest tucked in a fireplace out-of-use for the season.
I love bringing in fresh cut flowers to mundane rooms around the house, from the pantry to the laundry room. The blooms feel casual and inviting, and they bring a dose of fresh air to these workhorse rooms of the house.
Courtesy of Tera Janelle
Local design expert Tera Janelle
About Tera Janelle
With projects ranging from beach houses and new builds to mountain estates and historic homes, the Lynchburg-based Tera Janelle Design team specializes in large-scale renovations and ground-up new construction projects, guiding clients through every detail of the design, build and furnishing process.
The story above is from our March/April 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!