After you’ve lived in your home for awhile, there’s a need to update to bring decorating styles up to date, or just for a fresh look. That can be done by painting walls, adding furniture, or decorative pieces, or sometimes just by rearranging. But, if your budget doesn’t cover the cost to update your entire home, you’ll need to prioritize what comes first and find some cost-effective ways to refresh your home’s interior. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.
Update the living room
For most of us, the living room gets a lot of traffic. It may be the most used room in the house, or just behind the kitchen. It’s also where guests will likely spend the majority of their time. So, investing in the design of your living room will be a worthwhile endeavor. This could mean a complete overhaul, or just adding and removing a couple key pieces. Your walls are always a good starting place. If it’s been more than three years since you’ve painted, changing the color or just repainting with a fresh coat of the same color is a good option. You’d be surprised how much different a room can look just by freshening up the paint so it looks its brightest again. Be careful about your choices, however. Wilder, or more personalized design choices will go out of style faster and often make your home more difficult to sell. The same idea goes for furniture, although obviously it’s not a concern when selling your home. Some styles are timeless, while others will quickly be out of style and require another update. Your lowest cost option would be to simply remove some things from your living room to make it more open and less cluttered. If you have lots of pictures hung on walls, knick knacks or artifacts on shelves and too much furniture for the space, removing some of it could make a significant difference.
Kitchen refresh
As mentioned, your kitchen is another high traffic area. If you do a lot of cooking or baking, it’s also a room you’ll find yourself in quite a bit, which means it’s worth it to update it. If you don’t currently spend much time in the kitchen, creating a more modern look for it could make it more inviting for you. A new paint job is a good start in the kitchen too, but you’ll also want to assess the shape of your appliances. Replacing refrigerators, ovens, stoves and dishwashers can be a bit pricey up front, but with more efficient models available, you could actually pay significantly less each month in energy costs. Depending on the age and look of your appliances, replacing them could also immediately invigorate your kitchen’s look. Consider stainless steel appliances to give your kitchen the modern look. If you can, new counters or a new backsplash can also have a profound impact and make your home more attractive to potential buyers.
Restyling your bedroom
Taking a critical eye to your bedroom can help you create a more relaxing, personal space for you to start and end your day. Unlike other areas of your home, your room gives you an opportunity to fully express your personal style with paint colors and wall hangings. You’ll still want to consider what decoration has the chance to last, and what will quickly be out of style. This is for the sake of your own budget so you aren’t wanting to refresh the look again in a matter of months. Thinking about how you use your bedroom typically will help inform your design decisions. If you only spend time in your room to sleep, you’ll want to be sure to create a tranquil, relaxing space. But, if you watch TV, exercise, read, or commit time to other hobbies, you’ll want to incorporate that into the design as well. And, if you have a master bathroom attached to your bedroom, consider creating a look that can be replicated and adapted for the bathroom too.
If you decide that you’re ready for a new home to decorate, contact us at Perry Hood Properties. We have a variety of floor plans and availability in some of the most popular neighborhoods in Tulsa, Bixby and Broken Arrow to help you create your next home, or have available homes that are move-in ready.