HGTV's Sabrina Soto Shares Her Easiest Trick for Refreshing a Room (Hint: It Involves a 'Big Sticker')
Sabrina Soto knows all about reinventing a room.
Growing up in Miami, the HGTV host constantly experimented with her childhood bedroom’s design, transforming it to reflect her ever-changing tastes.
“When I was younger it was tulips,” she says in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “And then in high school I was really into stars and suns. I thought they were so cool.”
As an adult, Soto, 40, still plays with the style of the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Studio City, California, that she shares with her partner Steve, 45, and their one-year-old daughter, Olivia.
“I would say every room gets refreshed every few months with one or two new things here or there,” she says.
Swapping in accessories like throw pillows — “I’m addicted. It’s seriously a problem,” she says — repurposing pieces from previous apartments and thrift stores and a adding a fresh coat of paint are a few of the ways Soto likes to give her spaces an update on a budget. But her quickest trick to rehabbing a room requires just a few materials and an afternoon of DIY time.
“Removable wallpaper is like a big sticker,” she says. “It’s like the most beautiful, big statement you can make and when you take it down the wall remains the exact same.”
Soto, who recently released her own temporary wallpaper collection for Chasing Paper, is an expert on the painless process and promises weekend warriors of all skill levels can ace the project. Here, some of her best tips for incorporating the trendy look of wallpaper without the fear of a permanent and expensive project:
Stock up on these secret weapons. “I always recommend having a credit card to smooth out bubbles and an X-Acto knife to cut the access,” she advises.
Don’t stress the prep. “You just have to make sure [the wall] is dust free,” she says. “But that’s all you have to do.” Unlike traditional wallpaper processes, there’s no priming or paste involved.
Opt for a more forgiving pattern if you’re a first-timer. “The busier the pattern, the easier it is,” she says. “Sometimes with stripes or things like that it’s a bit more difficult because you have to make sure that it’s level.”
Take it beyond the wall. The sticky paper has far more creative applications than just dressing up a bare wall. “You can use it in bookcases, inside drawers or going up your stairs,” she says. “You could also make it a big piece of art by framing it.”
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Whether you try out a colorful covering or decide adding a few new throw pillows is update enough, Soto says the most important thing when decorating your space is that you look around and like what you see.
“At the end of the day your home should tell your story,” she says. “And if you love what you’re surrounded with then you’ve succeeded.”
For more of Soto’s tips, and to see inside her family home, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.
