Decorating & Design
Emma Reddington Shares 11 Big And Little Ways To Refresh Your Home
Published on May 30, 2025
These major moves and easy updates will inspire you to rejuvenate your spaces this season. From foyers to bedrooms, Emma Reddington breaks down the best ways to brighten up your rooms, sharing both mini reno ideas and small tweaks you can make to achieve a variety of looks. Read on to learn 11 ways to refresh your home.
1. Pretty in Pink
Major Moves: Add a graphic wallpaper to one wall of your laundry room and refinish your cabinets in a colour pulled from the pattern. Upgrade your faucet to a brass or gold-toned gooseneck model and install a matching hanging bar for added flair. If you want to go all the way, update the cabinet hardware at the same time.
Easy Updates: The quickest way to bring a bit of cheer to your laundry room is to add new accessories. Look for velvet and padded hangers for sweaters and delicate fabrics, and consider new baskets, laundry soaps and sprays.
2. Banquette Build-out
Major Moves: Construct a wall with panelling and a ceiling cornice, and paint it in a shade that complements your existing walls. Consider custom designing or purchasing a kitchen banquette, and stain or spray-paint your chairs and reupholster the seat cushions for a refreshed look.
Easy Updates: Mount a large tray with a graphic pattern directly on a wall, find a grouping of art that coordinates, then place a bar cart underneath. For a final touch, add a leafy plant.
3. Granny-Chic Corner
Major Moves: To create a DIY banquette, install 24-inch-deep upper cabinets (look for the ones used for above refrigerators) and paint them out in a vibrant shade. Top them with upholstered cushions and patterned throw pillows.
Easy Updates: Refresh vintage chairs and stools with new seat cushions and slipcovers. A gallery wall that includes found art and plates updates the look.
4. A Touch of Blue
Major Moves: Enhance your living room with custom drapes in a vibrant blue pattern, then use that colour scheme as the foundation for the room’s design. Introduce two new end tables and top them with coordinating table lamps.
Easy Updates: Hang new art in shades of blue. If you don’t have a single piece large enough to fill the space, consider mounting two frames, one above the other. Layer in complementary throw pillows, books and small objets, and add a tall ginger jar or vase filled with spring flowers.
5. Botanical Beauty
Major Moves: Start by papering your walls in an exuberant print and painting out your trim to match. Mount new drapes close to the ceiling to add softness and draw the eye upward. Finally, add two new sconces to the focal wall.
Easy Updates: Invest in a new duvet cover and top it with a loose-knit throw and accent pillows. Shop your house — shifting accessories to different rooms can make a huge difference.
6. Fireplace Focal Point
Major Moves: If your electric or gas fireplace has a basic drywall surround, consider installing a striking tile to transform the ambience of your living room. Complete the area above the fireplace with straightforward wood panelling to enhance the overall aesthetic.
Easy Updates: Layer in art, pillows and throws in colours that work with your current room and existing fireplace. This will make the space feel fresh and pulled together
7. Make an Entrance
Major Moves: Install a pendant that measures one-third the width of the room and be sure to hang it high enough for easy clearance. Retiling a small area like a foyer can have a significant impact and can be done without disrupting the entire house.
Easy Updates: Refresh your entry with a new mirror, table lamp and pretty accessories from around your house. Try out something new below the console. If you always reach for baskets, give ottomans or small stools a go.
8. Monochrome Moment
Major Moves: Install floating shelves in a niche adjacent to an existing fireplace. Custom-fit broadloom carpeting with a small border to cover a substantial portion of the floor, enhancing the monochrome scheme. Invest in full, heavy drapes.
Easy Updates: Arrange items on existing surfaces to match the colour scheme; flip books backwards to show pages instead of spines. Create an elegant reading area with a comfortable armchair, magazine rack and drinks table in similar hues.
9. Pattern Power
Major Moves: Highlight your bed by installing a new headboard and base with a bold pattern. Paint the bedroom walls in a shade pulled from the fabric.
Easy Updates: Replace your rug with a different one, or rearrange your current rugs to create a fresh look. Adding a lumbar pillow in a custom fabric can unify your existing bed linens and rejuvenate your bedroom.
10. Chaos Controlled
Major Moves: Consider undertaking a small renovation by constructing a compact bench with storage space beneath for shoes and incorporating hooks and baskets above. Or, you could opt to purchase a pre-assembled mudroom set.
Easy Updates: Splurge on a roll of your favourite wallpaper and cover one wall. Refresh the room with wicker storage baskets and an umbrella stand.
11. Lounge Zone
Major Moves: Placing a sofa instead of a bench at the foot of your bed creates an intimate spot for relaxing and reading. Top a small coffee table with an upholstered cushion to rest your feet on.
Easy Updates: For a quick bedroom update, layer in new throw pillows with summer colours and themes, and add vases of fresh blooms.
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