Budget
May 12, 2020
How To Refresh Your Space Without Buying Anything New
With prolonged periods of time spent at home (read: staring at your rooms), the urge to redecorate and rearrange is at an all-time high. Before you start filling your online shopping carts with items you don’t need, see what some of our favorite designers have to say about sprucing up a space with the pieces you already have — and love! From using fashion accessories as accents to getting creative with your green thumb, click through for some fresh tips and tricks for upping your interiors. Bonus: all of these can be done in an afternoon.
Find Unique Ways To Use Kitchen Accessories
“Tableware isn’t just for eating,” says Toronto designer Sam Sacks. “We have a huge shallow wooden bowl that can easily house a stack of books as it can a full charcuterie at a dinner party. Again, if it’s pretty, use it! A footed bowl might be the perfect spot for cherry tomatoes on your kitchen counter, a pressed glass ice cream bowl can house a magnolia blossom, and a pretty tray is the perfect spot for a candle and a decorative match box. One of the first things I do when I’m styling my client’s bookshelves is open their kitchen cupboards!”
Look In Your Closet For Inspiration
“Fashion accessories are another styling favorite — a set of heavy beads spilling out of a bowl or a pretty embroidered purse both look great on a shelf,” says Sam. “A great textile can be folded and placed next to a ceramic vase or draped over a corner. If you can see the beauty in something, that item can be placed just about anywhere. Even a straw hat on the edge of a shelf can connote a breezy, summer vibe.”
Make Use Of Your Green Thumb
“I use plants, flowers and branches whenever I can,” she says. “Cut a few small branches from a tree in early spring, place them in water, and you’ll have buds in a few days. I love the drama and height they give my mantel. Right now, I’m using greens from a neighbor’s hedge — it’s sort of like an out-of-control boxwood that needs pruning anyway — and they look fresh on my dining room table. At the cottage, I use wild ferns in the summer and cut cedar branches in the winter. Greens are a way to play with height while bringing life to a vignette.”
Think Outside The Box
“When I’m feeling a little tired of my space, I just rearrange the furniture, swap out artwork or re-style my accessories,” says Calgary designer Amanda Hamilton. “The easiest way to do this is with your coffee table by introducing new color stories, books, florals, plantings or sculptures. Borrow from other areas of your home and reimagine a tired space without having to fork out money.”
Get Creative With A DIY Workstation
“For many people, working from home is a new reality and perhaps not one that is easy to accommodate,” says Amanda. “If you need a temporary solution, there is no need to buy new furniture. If you can find a clear surface in your house that’s about 30” off the ground, you can dedicate this to a work area. In this case, we’ve converted a console in a dining room into a temporary workspace. If you have adjustable shelves in a closet or library, you can set the height and pull up a chair. It might not be pretty, but it will give you a little spot to get your work done in the short term.”
Plan A Gallery Wall
“If you’ve been staring at blank walls, now is the perfect time to plan out a gallery wall,” says Toronto designer Vanessa Francis. “There are so many online art sites, and browsing through the pieces to see what catches your eye is a fun exercise. Couple that with photos from your travels, and you have a striking gallery wall in the making. I snapped the photo of the teal door while in Paris and bought the poster at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.”
Inject Drama With Paint
“Painting your walls a moody color like black is an inexpensive investment with a dramatic result,” says Vanessa. “And if you tire of it down the road, you can always paint over it with a lighter color. Think about painting just one wall – maybe behind your bed or on a fireplace wall if you can’t commit to an entire room.”
Master The Mix
“I love a good mix and match,” says Quebec designer Johanne Nadeau. “Combining different chairs is a fun way of reenergize a dining table. In this newly-renovated, century-old house, we blended chairs from different eras in the same neutral tones. The result is fantastic, and it fits the very stylish owners’ personalities.”
Paint Your Furniture
“The question comes up so often: to paint or not to paint?,” says Johanne. “Some old furniture pieces need thoughtful consideration before making the decision to refresh it with a good coat of paint. Sometimes, it’s better to invest in a professional and return it to its original look, but other times, paint is the best remedy. It’s an easy trick to bring a tired piece of furniture back to life.”
See more of this cozy family home on Maison et Demeure.
Switch Up The Fabric
“Because of our fluffy dog and busy family life, I still favor a washable slipcover sofa,” she says. “I like to buy two from the start in different colors — one dark and one light. This definitely gives us the freedom to change the mood at will in our living room.”
Display Cherished Family Photos
“If you have a collection of art, moving things around and re-locating them will add a fresh vibe to your space,” says Calgary designer Nyla Free. “Have minimal art but a million photos? With organization at its peak right now, gather family photos for a gallery wall as you stroll down memory lane. Now’s the perfect time to hone in on time with loved ones and remember those special moments.”
Switch Out Your Lightbulbs
“Lighting plays a big part in setting the mood and creating an overall feeling,” says Nyla. “Warmer light makes us feel good and offers a sense of comfort. LED is the way of the future, but they don’t all need to be harsh and cold. A 2,700k to 3,000k offers a warmer light and all the energy-saving benefits.”
Rearrange Your Furniture
“Moving things around can give you a fresh new perspective at how you look at a room,” says designer Natalie Chong. “Try a few different furniture arrangements without swapping out any of its elements. Rotate that sofa, separate those chairs. The benefit is you can always move things back to the way they were before!”
Make Your Own Art
“Use old frames to create your own art using some paint, watercolor and kraft paper,” says Natalie. “Or better yet, if you have little artists at home (your kids) frame their work! Instead of putting these into a box, put them on display. You can always change up the gallery occasionally with fresh new artwork or rotate through a few favorites.”
Tour this modern downtown condo on H&H TV.
Create Shelf Vignettes
“Move things around every now and again in order to give spots new life,” she says. “Creating little vignettes allow you to view your beloved objects in a new light. When grouping, look for objects that have a similar theme, color palette or texture. Groupings of odd numbers work best, but I like to keep it to three items. If you have a big collection, spread them out. We don’t want it to feel cluttered, but well-curated.”
Make Stylish Tablescapes
“Use pieces that may be hidden away to create tablescapes in entryways, coffee and dining tables,” says Quebec designer Milaré Turgeon. “For example, pieces brought back from travel or getaways, or linens, pottery, vases and artifacts. It doesn’t have to be perfect or thought through too much. Simply arranging them together will inspire memories of time well-travelled and give you a chance to get creative.”
Find Beauty In Family Heirlooms
“It doesn’t have to be antique or valuable to have a story,” says Milaré. “Find a piece or two that have family history or some meaning to you that may be tucked away. Place it in the entrance or living room of your home — wherever you make it the star or the supporting role.”
Gather Plants & Make Arrangements
“Plants can thrive when grouped together,” she says. “It gives more aesthetic impact and allows you to water in one go. You can take a walk around your backyard and gather a simple blooming tree branch to bring great natural beauty into a corner of your home. Design and decorating is about honing in on stories and getting great volumes and proportion.”
Start With A Clean Slate
“Before rearranging a space — whether it’s a bookshelf, coffee table or decor in a room — it’s always best to clear everything away before starting,” says Montreal designer Ashley Shaanan. “Sometimes it’s hard to move past objects that have been in a particular location for a long time.”
Learn more about this modern European-style kitchen.
Rethink Objects You Do Have
“Maybe you have an old vase that’s a nice shape, but you don’t love the color, so you don’t use it anymore,” says Ashley. “Consider spray painting it! Now you have a new decorative object. My go-to color for a fresh look is matte white.”
Play With Height On Shelves
“Use books and magazines, and mix the placement and orientation,” she says. “Add in decorative objects, but don’t over do it. I like to use an object at the end of a vertical stack or on top of a stack. Consider leaning or hanging pictures or artwork behind objects for depth. Create groupings and layer smaller objects in front.”