9 Designer-Approved Ways to Redecorate Your Entire Home Without Breaking the Bank

After the rush of spring cleaning, decluttering, and reorganizing, you might then consider redecorating. It’s easy to dream big about what you can do in your space once you look at it with fresh eyes, but a lack of budget can be instantly disheartening.

Rather than fret over all the ways your space can’t live up to your fantasy, try and think outside the home decor box.

We turned to two of our favorite home design and decor experts to ask for their top tips when it comes to redecorating your space with a strict budget in mind.

Remove Anything Seasonal

According to Amanda Wiss, founder of Urban Staging, the first thing you can do to make a room feel fresh and ready for a new season isn’t necessarily by adding anything. Instead, it can start with removing seasonal items.

“I swap heavier throw blankets and velvet pillows for lighter cottons and linens,” she eays. “I may even get rid of candles, as I prefer their comfort in the colder seasons, and they gather dust in the summer months.”

Just Add Paint

If a room is feeling drab, Libs Lewis, founder of Domestic Science, says her favorite solution will always be to focus on the current paint job.

“Paint is probably the simplest and most impactful change to make, especially in a smaller room like the bathroom,” she says.

While new paint can be an improvement, Lewis also notes that sometimes, it’s more about cleaning up the job that’s already been done. In larger, open-plan rooms, a good wipedown with sugar soap can really help seemingly tired painted woodwork, she says.

Wiss agrees that paintwork is a major way to transform a room, and she says this can also be done in small doses and surprising ways.

“Consider painting an accent wall, or just painting your trim,” she says. “White walls and colored trim are a trend I hope never goes away.”

Try a Pop of Red

Thanks to TikTok, we’re all aware of the ‘unexpected red’ theory, and Lewis says it really is a great way to upgrade a room with one, easy change.

“I love a pop of red in a living room to create a considered and effortless look,” she says.  “The red has to be the right shade though. Personally, I like a good old Pillar box red.”

Greens Are Always Good

If you want to breathe new life into a space, you can easily add new life to a space with plants. Bringing the outside in brings a sense of calm to any room, says Wiss. You can start with small, hearty houseplants, or go big with a palm or monstera.

Along with changing the feel of space, Wiss points to another benefit of incorporating plants. Adding live plants to your home might also enhance your own self-care routine, thanks to the proven mental health benefits of gardening.

Move the Furniture

Sometimes, a room doesn’t look drab, it only feels boring because you're used to it. Wiss says this means it could be time to rearrange the furniture. You might be surprised to find just how impactful this shift can be.

“Try to walk through a room as a potential buyer,” she says. “Is your couch hurting the flow? Shift it around for a day and see if it sticks.”

Move Things Between Rooms

Sure, you can go out and buy a few new home accessories and see if that does the trick. But it’s also possible the answer you need is already in your home. For example, take the kitchen.

“Add a plant to an open shelf or window ledge and replace the kitchen dish towels,” Wiss says. “Hang a painting or simple drawing.”

Just these small changes can feel like an update in a mostly neutral room, no spending required.

Focus On Your Statement Piece

It sounds both daunting and impossible to update an entire room. Instead, Lewis suggests picking the one key item in a room and focusing on that. Take, for example, the kitchen table.

“Simple updates like changing the position of the table, or even replacing the table can transform the room,” she says. “A new table cloth or a statement vintage vase can boost the mood of a room without costing the earth.”

Assess and Address the Windows

One category that’s often ignored, says Wiss, is window treatments. In truth, swapping, adding, or updating these can be an instant upgrade. They can add color and texture, and also change the visual height of a space.

“Especially in smaller apartments, I often see windows missing curtains,” she says. “Curtains hung close to the ceiling that hang down to the floor create the illusion of taller ceilings, and add an element of elegance and sophistication.”

Shop Secondhand

If your budget is preventing you from buying new items, now could be the perfect time to instead look at secondhand steals.

“A lot of stores offer discounts on open-box—but unused—items, and thrift and secondhand stores offer gently used furniture,” Wiss says. “You want to be wary of pests, but a lot of good quality wood furniture can be found and cleaned secondhand.”

Read Next: This Budget-Luxury Kitchen Makeover Came Together in Just 2 Days

Read the original article on The Spruce.