Give Your Room a Makeover on a Budget
Since the pandemic has you inside your home a lot, you might enjoy changing up a room or two to make them feel new again. There’s a lot that you can do with what you already have. Our last blog post was about art. Today we’re diving into furniture and accessories. We’ve got ideas for using what you already own, and tips for buying one or two new pieces. Read on.
FLIP YOUR FURNITURE
If you’ve never moved your furniture around to make your space feel different, you’ll be surprised at what an impact it makes. This can be as simple as relocating your couch and coffee table, or as extreme as moving everything. Regardless, always start with your big pieces. If you have your sofa under the window, try swapping it with your side chairs. Another easy change is to face your sofa with your fireplace or bookshelf, as opposed to flanking them. Think outside of the room too: bring the chairs you have been using in the family room into the living room.
THINK SMALL
Relocating your couch makes a big impact, but so does changing smaller furniture pieces. Adding a different side table can give a completely new personality to your room. So try moving small furniture from room to room.
If your furniture covering is in neutral tones (grey, beige, white, cream, black) you can dramatically change the colour palette of the entire room with cushions, throws and a few finishing pieces like vases, or books of the same hue. If you’re going to shop for new throw pillows, here’s a tip: if you already have standard size throw pillows you can often find the pillow covers for sale (versus buying new pillows). This will save you money now and storage room down the road. Likewise, changing the accessories or art can dramatically change the mood of the room without breaking the bank.
Final touches are what make a space feel polished. If you have accessories that are dated or simply not working in your room, give them a facelift with a fresh coat of paint. Many hardware stores are open for curbside pick up and you can grab a couple of small cans of paint in the colours of the room. We like a modern matte finish, but a glossy finish is also fantastic—it just depends on the look you're going for.
SHOP LIKE A DESIGNER
You don’t have to spend much to achieve a new look in a room, but knowing where to shop goes a long way. Here are some of our favourite small-scale pieces available locally right now:
Other Toronto stores you can order from are commonhousestudio.ca, stylegarage.com/products/ and eltemkt.com.
Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to update a room or two. If you do, please share your before and after photos with us by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram. We can’t wait to see them!