Quick & Easy ways to Makeover your Home

[Julie-Ann]

Because we don't always have a lot of time and money to makeover a room, I thought maybe together we could come with quick and inexpensive ways to spruce up a room.
My favourite is for a bedroom or lounge area to add some cushions, a throw rug and a bunch of flowers.
My next idea is to clear out the clutter and just put back a few special ornaments. Doing just that can make a huge difference to a room.
So do have any suggestions?

http://i852.photobucket.com/albums/ab86/jamhind/cushionsstack.jpg

[Lorraine]

How about a painting a feature wall? Love the cushions and throw. :)

[Bake&Bloom]

My favorite idea for a room you can't paint is either using curtains or big painted canvasses to decorate walls. Changing the accessories is definantly the easiest way to change the feel of a room, if you have fairly basic furniture you can change the look every year by replacing cushions, throws, rugs & ornimental peices in a new colour scheme.

[Elements]

Get different sized canvas'(blank) and find your favourite fabric or go to your local wallpaper shop and buy run out rolls of wallpaper and just do a really large canvas of wallpaper........cheaper than a whole wall and easy to change if your colour preferance changes....
use an unused quilt cover ironed and folded as your throw or way to add to your quilt if you want to add another colour or accessorise your quilt....saves on storage aswell.:)

[James Waggle]

Eco-renovation is a great process of renovation and refurbishment of your house, with the proper care of eco-friendly materials and this involves the maximum and an effective utilization of all those materials which are not harmful to health as well as it also saves energy expenditure to a more extent.

[daphadills]

Canvases (wall art) indeed, Cushions and throw rugs easy...

candles, a plant, a feature ornament are others i can think of.

[Elements]

Another idea I have just remembered and its another way to mix things up in your home.......ebay....I have picked up a few cheaper itmes, coffee tables etc that are still in perfect condition but add a new dimension to your room.

[Julie-Ann]

Wow I didn't think you would get too much on ebay being here in little old Perth:D. My DH is an ebay addict so might have to get him to look out for some pieces for me. Good idea.

[Elements]

Very cheap rugs that post to Perth, I found a great coffee table, kids furniture and cushions....:D, and we all like cushions:D

[rachel]

I love cushions (lots of them) but my husband hates them.

He hates sitting on couches with lots of fussy cushions and he thinks they're expensive and pointless! Argh.

Our house has a bit of a "cold" feeling at times. We don't have a lot of stuff and our house is usually insanely tidy.

I have expensive tastes when it comes to art and I just don't know how to reconcile our style with our budget.

I did recently fill a 5 slot frame with photographic postcards from our last trip. Cheap and it looks nice.

[Lanne]

Rachel- I can totally empathize... my quest for clean... and my hatred of clutter means our rooms don't always have the warmth in them I wish they did. I am working my way through the house, one room at a time ensuring it has some warmth and personality in it. Even if it is a simple whimiscal addition or a repurposed item.

One of my fave decorating items is the decal. Cheap, easy to apply and remove...

I have just ordered this for our ensuite -

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41901248

We have a chandelier on an oversized canvas in the dining room and I have covered a wall in our media room with floor to ceiling birch trees. They cover the wall like wallpaper.. stretching the full width of a 4.5 m long wall.

I think the trick with these is to be bold. A tiny decal stuck on the wall is very early 90s nursery LOL. You need to go big or go home... something classy, classic and a real statement. I got the custom birch trees for only $140? the chandelier was only $30 (and another $150 for the canvas and paint).. and the sticker for the bathroom (in custom colours at no extra charge) was $50AUD delivered.

After that.. a simple rearrangement of furniture... and a bit of thought to placement. We have a simple Ikea bookcase collection in a narrow hallway. It is cheap, works well and easy to dust... but everyone comments on it. Not for it's own fabulousness LOL But because we have arranged all the books/dvds and cds by colour. it is a gorgeous rainbow .. and ohhh so much nicer than just a jumble of books (i should add he who owns the majority of the books was less than amused at first but has gotten over it).

[Julie-Ann]

Lanne I love that decal (excuse the pun). That will look so good.
Rachel my DH hates cushions too. So I only put 2 on each sofa and 2 on the bed as a compromise. But he usually throws them on the floor. I have told him I need cushions on the couch as I am short and it is uncomfortable otherwise. It has nothing to do with I need them when I fall asleep on the sofa late at night:D

[rachel]

That decal is great Lanne, what a good find!

I think I'd go completely batty if someone arranged my books by colour. We have a lot of books (legal textbooks, bound legislation, other reference books and that's just the non-fiction...!) and they're all arranged by subject-matter.

I don't think I've got ANY chance of being allowed to spend money on "useless stuff" as he calls it. We're trying to live small after a month of 5 star accommodation and business class flights. oops.

I will need to hit Etsy and see what I can find for small change!