Bring New Life to Your Home {for little to nothing}

Sometimes sticking to your budget isn’t fun… I like to think if I had a limitless budget my home would be decorated exactly the way I like! Well… if I had enough time to hunt through flea markets. Sometimes I get tired of our stuff. We’ve been married for nearly 10 years, and haven’t bought a ton of things. A lot of things are hand me downs, or inexpensive finds. Sometimes you think you will have it all figured out at some magical moment {aka I’m almost 30} but as much as I love aesthetics, I am quite practical and frugal. We are always working miracles with whats in the bank {at least thats how it feels} and find ourselves investing in the more permanent fixtures in the home, rather then the moveable things like furniture. It will be easier to replace something we may not like very much {like tables or chairs} vs something permanent like flooring, cabinets or tile… Those things can be updated, but it requires more time, and money.

I do think that it is possible to create a space you love on a limited budget, you just need to get a little bit creative and think outside the box. There is something about the changing of the seasons that ignites in me a desire for a fresh, clean home! Sometimes I wish I could buy new things, but I can’t. {or at least I can’t spend much!}

Today I thought I would share a few of my fave go to ideas {probably not new to most} that help me to breathe new life into our home! They are all either free! or cheap!

1. Fresh Flowers

I love to decorate with fresh flowers! And I am not talking about $25 bouquets. I can grab a small bunch of tulips at the grocery store for a few dollars, or a brightly coloured  house plant from a garden centre. I have bought plants for as little as $2… it’s amazing how fresh they can make a room feel. I pepper them all over the house…

2. Create a Collection

Whether its something specific like jars or books, or more general such as items from the same color palette… this can be a fun way to look at your items differently. You can do this for kids toys too… a red themed box of cars, lego and?

3. Use Color

I love neutral themed rooms {in theory} but to be honest, I use A LOT of color. I especially seem to gravitate towards blues and yellows… I prefer to use neutral paint colors, and then that way I am free to move back and forth from colorful to neutral. This is our office space from our last house. The frames house inexpensive scrap book paper, I grabbed some brightly colored dishes out of the cupboard… I put my thread on display organized with the colors I wanted. It’s amazing what you can find in your house if you just dig a little.

4. Paint Something

A tester of paint can cost as little as $4… you can add color to a wall, paint a small piece of furniture, frames, or a lamp. Introducing a new color can make something you have had for an eternity feel new. Not to mention all of the fun colors available in Spray Cans! I’ve painted stripes on a wall, a door, a dresser… my kitchen cabinets {that cost $17.99 not $4…} You can even just have some fun with craft paint!

5. Re-Arrange the Furniture

I’m sure every husband everywhere wants me to erase those 3 words. But re-arranging doesn’t cost a thing… except perhaps a little sanity. Matt is not a fan of re-arranging… I on the other hand LOVE to re-arrange. Move a couch, a chair, turn your dining room table…. move the fridge… {sorry babe} It’s actually amazing what happens when I am home alone. I get really crazy strong, move things, usually hate it because I am left with an extra thing that has no place, and move it all back in time for Matt to come home. I’m kidding. {kind of}

 6. Shop your House

I love to change out things like blankets and pillows. It’s so easy to do! You can change the color scheme, or just make it feel “new” for that room.

 8. Use Food

I think this is pretty self explanatory… but, it can be different items in glass jars {which I have thrifted and found at the dollar store for next to nothing} or some fruit tossed in a bowl!9. Invite a friend over

It’s amazing how someone else can imagine a room differently when seeing a room through different eyes. Move a chair, flip a picture… Maybe you might even be able to trade something that you’ve grown tired of or outgrown as your style has evolved. And at the very least, you can have some coffee 😉

What are your go to free/inexpensive ways to bring new life into your home?

-Miss Ash