For a lot of people (even designers like us!) it’s tough figuring out how to refresh your home and elevate it to that next level you dream of, similar to the home magazines. Where do you even start?! Here are some quick and simple ways to spruce up your home in 2024.
Paint & Wallpaper
Paint is the perfect place to start when refreshing your home. Whether you are in a new house, or a place you’ve lived in for 20 years- paint infuses your home new life! We are also big fans of wallcoverings – back in the day, installing wallpaper yourself was a grueling task (and my 75-year-old grandmother used to wallpaper her house and ours… crawling up on a ladder and working that wallpaper! She was something else, but that’s a story for another day) – but these days there’s a wide range of peel-and-stick wallcoverings that are perfect for an easy update for anyone.
Pillows
Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE custom pillows, but they can be pricey! If you are on a budget, there are still plenty of ready-made options available to you. When shopping for pillows here are a few tips:
- A down-fill will give you that designer feel and tends to last longer. Poly-fill pillows tend to lose their shape more quickly.
- Size matters! Make sure to get varying sizes of pillows – for example for a sofa, you can do 2- 22×22 layered behind 2- 20×20 pillows and can accent with a small decorative pillow in the very front. This creates a layered effect that adds a level of elegance.
- We recommend finding pillows with removable shams – this makes them much easier to clean. Another tip is to order pillow inserts 1 size larger than your pillow sham size. For example, you can order a 20” sham and a 22” insert. This will give you a fuller and more luxurious look.
- Play with Pattern! Pillows are a great way to add a little pizazz to your space. Don’t be afraid to use some pattern. Learn more about how to mix patterns in this previous blog post.
Window Treatments
Window Treatments are another one of those items that can get pricey. But when it comes to design, we feel that a room is never finished without some good window coverings! If you are on a budget, go check out our post on how to save money on window treatments.
Change Out Hardware
This is a quick and somewhat inexpensive thing to do when revamping your home. A lot of the homes here in our area have standard brass builder-grade doorknobs original with the house. Wow, it is most certainly time to upgrade those knobs and cabinet pulls. Change the style and finish to whatever your heart desires.
This is also a pretty reasonable update for your kitchen hardware. A full kitchen reno can be pricey, but if your cabinets are in good shape, changing the cabinet hardware is a quick way to elevate your kitchen without being too costly. If you are on a budget but your cabinets themselves are looking tired and worn, consider refinishing before replacing.
Wall Art & Accessories
This can be anything from finally framing and hanging your favorite family photos to starting the process of curating unique and personal pieces to showcase in your spaces. If you are looking for advice on curating collections and gallery walls in particular, go check out our previous article here.
How are you planning to elevate your home? We’d love to hear!
Stay Inspired,
The Margery Wedderburn Interiors Team