No matter which corner of the world you call home, I am sure that you’ve never spent so much time in it.
Suddenly, our homes have become the place where besides eating, sleeping, and resting, we now work, we learn, our kids learn, we connect to the world, we have our social life. In a nutshell, our “everything” place.
While our homes got a much bigger role in our lives, everything around us got more uncertain. The economy, the future, and even the silliest plan for vacation or work has been questioned so, in this article I will invite you to renovate your “everything place” in a simple way.
No need to panic. Have you heard creativity generally flows when we are constrained?* From your own place and just with the things you already have, or very very affordable solutions you can grace your home with upgrades that I am sure it desperately needs with either very low or no budget at all.
1. Use your groceries and natural accessories
Like all of us, you have been eating at home much more often, this means many more groceries, so your fruit and veggies can make gorgeous pieces of decoration. A collection of citrusy fruits arranged in a large bowl will not only add color to your space but also bring in some fresh scents. Natural accessories such as decorative stones or shells picked from nature can be used as accents to display trays or racks.
2. Upgrade your art gallery with the latest work of your kids
All the hard work they put lately on their new art projects should be rewarded, don’t you think? Choose some nice art frames of different sizes, have the kids pick their favorite drawings for their bedrooms, you pick a couple for another bare walls and voilá! Art gallery is renewed!
Nelson Hancock
3. Switch the rugs from one room to the other or overlay them
You think your rugs are old and outdated? You could totally change your opinion just by seeing them in a different room. Another great trick is to buy a small rug and place it diagonally on top of your old one. The look will change completely.
PIKDO.BIZ.COM
4. Turn your bathroom into a spa
If you have a partner also working from home and/or if you have kids doing homeschooling, chances are that your only really relaxing personal minutes lately must have been when you are taking a shower or a bath right?
So, try adding a couple of indulgent items to your bathroom. It can be a small indoor plant, some candle, and a lush new hand towel to bring some luxury feeling to your bathroom. Small details like this will make those relaxing minutes even more precious.
5. Pay a tribute to your travel mementos
Start by looking for a nice tray or bowl where you can put together some travel mementos you’ve collected. Everything can be included: old tickets, magnets, maps, etc. Organize them by trip and display the whole collection. It can be some temporary décor but surely it can be a piece of family conversation and will bring you all some nice memories.
6. Cover your furniture
Salvage couches, armchairs, and dining chairs that have minor wear and tear: dress them with slipcovers. Slipcovers (I am talking about the good ones!) can give a “new look with an old soul to your home” that is quite unique and full of personality while helping you to save big bucks.
Laurelberninterios.com
7. Honor your tables
Rearranging the décor piece on your tables (coffee table, side tables ad kitchen table countertop) is a quick and effective way to change the feeling of the room. If you have been doing some spring cleaning in your closets, I am sure you found some of your favorite books you could display. Your tables are waiting for it. Try to add a candle or some plant and voila! You have a new look for an old piece of furniture.
I hope these tips are helpful and fun to make your home more rewarding.
You can engage your partner or family in this project. If anything since all days seems similar nowadays, it might help brush away the boredom of daily sameness.
When all is said and done, if I can give you one final piece of advice: it is always good to “shake things up” around you. Change is good. Change gives you energy. Change makes us feel alive. So go for it: try new furniture layouts, new décor arrangements, new artwork design… you will feel the energy flowing better around your place and you might have a brand-new appreciation for your items when it’s in a new and unexpected location.
Drop me a line if you had a great idea. As TED talks motto: Great ideas are worth sharing.
Stay home, stay creative, stay comfortable.
PS: If you are interested in the theory of creativity with constraints check out The Beautiful Constraint. A resource on everyday, practical inventiveness, designed for the constrained times in which we live.
