Hello all. I hope this finds you warm and healthy today. It is another cold morning here and we have been having light flurries most of the morning. I went out to feed, and boy are there a lot of birdies out there - so much singing going on. Many, many cardinals, bluejays, sparrows, juncos (lots), finches and about a dozen doves. So happy to get food! Squirrels are just waking up.
Bitsy slept in the bed with me almost all last night - in the spot! I know he is lonesome and misses his buddy. He sure sticks by me!
It can often be done for very little money. There are just a ton of small things you can do to change up the look of a room, a porch, or even the yard.
PAINT - is an easy way to refresh and change up a look. It takes a little labor, but not a ton of money. Just touching up places helps. A color change, or a slight color change can change the feeling of a room.
I darkened a couple walls in the living room (same color scheme) a couple years ago, and I love it still.
You can paint the exterior of your front door or side or back doors - and change the outside look a ton! A bright door is always so inviting.
WATER - yep, that sounds silly - but just washing down walls and baseboards makes a room feel better. Washing down the porch or the outside of a house changes up the look dramatically. I hose down the porch regularly in the summer. Being covered it collects dust from the road. You know when drive by THAT house that just looks grimy and dirty, it doesn't leave a good impression.
Clean you carpets or area rugs - you might be amazed how they change!
MOVE the FURNITURE around a little if you can. It can change up the look for no money - same stuff but arranged differently. Move pictures and knick-knacks around, maybe from a different room, or things that might be packed away.
Check out thrift stores or yard sales for a new picture that would look 'just right'. Make new pillows or get or make a furniture throw/cover. A new throw rug or area rug changes up the whole room.
Paint your picture frames a new color - to match or accent each other.
KITCHEN - you can sand and paint cabinets a different color to brighten things up. New hardware changes things up. Now I know hardware can be expensive - but if that is the only change you make - it is affordable. Maybe make new hardware - so many cute ideas on the Internet. New curtains or a valance can cheer things up. They have some really neat items available now that lets you change up the backsplash. They don't have to be permanent and can be change out if you get tired of them. I have seen many done with these products and they look so nice! I am thinking about it myself!
Maybe add some open front shelving for collectables.
BATH - make it feel more spa like. New towels are always lovely, add plants or candles.
WINDOWS - change out blinds (they aren't real expensive), valances, curtains. Do something cute to make a valance. Hankies, sparkly strands of beads, gingham checked towels/material - so many options.
OUTDOORS - again, washing things and painting things makes such a difference. Have fun with your yard and your flower gardens. Use items you have around to spruce up things. Old boots for flowers, a red wagon for flowers/decoration, pretty chimes, lots of flowers in pots and planted.......
Add solar lighting to accent certain areas. Solar lights can be had for not a lot of money, and they make such a difference.
Paint an old metal bucket or water can, an old chair painted for an accent or flowerpot holder, paint out lawn furniture (add new cushions), the list goes on and on.
Add a gazing globe - they are so pretty. You can make a platform for it yourself, using flowerpots!
Not everything has to be seen by others to make your home more comfortable for you. Turn your mattresses, change out the furnace filters, get an air purifier, let in the fresh air, let in the sunshine in.
Spring clean - get those corners and behind and under things all cleaned. Just knowing that things have been deeply cleaned can change your mindset.
Simple things can have a really big impact. It doesn't have to cost a lot. I know we are all in the mood and frame of mind for SPRING! I want the house all cleaned and ready for me to spend more time outdoors!!!!!
I believe I am going to paint my outside doors an accent color (been talking about it forever) that brightens the house from the road.
Going to get windows washed (always makes me feel good) and wash down the porch - as weather allows. I am ready. How about you?
What have you done that has changed up your home and brightened it up - for little money? Do you have any good ideas to share with us all.
Have a safe and warm day.
Smile and spread a kind word!
I am more than ready for a change in seasons. I have had a huge clean out of my wardrobe, its something I have wanted to do for a while but kept on putting it off. I really dislike throwing away things that could be used/might be useful one day..... but where was I going to wear most of it ???? And if I donated it, who was going to buy it ???? Hard decisions needed to be made......it took three days but I finally have a wardrobe that is halved and contains things I WILL wear and not things that are badly dated, ill fitting ( or in some cases not fitting at all), colours that don't suit now I am grey or things that were no longer "me". Some has been donated, some taken to the Free Table, and lots will have buttons and zips removed and cut up for rags. It was dusty work, and the house looked like a clothes bomb had gone off, piles everywhere, but now its all clean and fresh smelling and FEELS so much better. I am on a roll now and will hopefully get all those long put off jobs done, next the hallway coat cupboard !!!!! Take care, Louise
ReplyDeleteYou never know - someone may buy it. Some folks like 'retro'!
DeleteYou sound like you did a great job of it. Using up those pieces makes it worth losing an item. I am the same - have so much I don't wear and probably never will. Much too small.
It is amazing how messy a house gets when you are cleaning up! You go gal!!!!!!
It seems every night I am making my lists for Spring, I have to do things in a certain order so I am not backtracking over a previous job....but I am so ready! Just being able to open windows will be a lift to the spirit.
ReplyDeleteJC
The lists get longer and longer! I hear that. Plan your work and work your plan.
DeleteFresh air is just so wonderful!
This post has made me antsy for spring weather! It is supposed to warm up in a few days, so we shall see if the weather gurus are correct. I got a big chuckle out of Miss Louise's comment..."clothes bomb". Have to make a big mess in order to clean up. @JD, yes, we need to be able to open the windows!
ReplyDeleteDid you see that Gray Brothers in Mooresville is selling their building? (10M) I get the impression they are looking for another location, and they recently set up a shop to sell baked goods in Avon. Erin has been there, along with most of folks around that area. The last time we ate there, the food was very expensive and actually not up to their usual standards.
Kitties and dogs don't do well as only children. At least IMHO.
Ugh, snowing again. At least it is not a flood or wildfire. Stay warm!
I am so ready for spring, I almost can't stand it! Yep, a mess is made to clean-up - happens all the time here.
DeleteYes, I heard they are planning on moving closer in the city to attract even more folks. We will see. You know I have never been in my life. It is a landmark of sorts, yet I have never gone. 10M is a lot of money!
I will take the flurries over the weather that so many others are getting. So looking forward to the beginning of next week and better temps.
Oh dear, I've got to start weeding my house again. Things have gotten out of hand completely. I did so much before and during Covid and then it all just fizzled. Since the hurricane my local charity shop has been closed for repairs, apparently major ones as it flooded. I am making a collection of things to take there when they open - last I heard was April.
ReplyDeleteJust a good weeding will do so much for the looks of things. I do need to paint, but I'm too old to be getting up on ladders and tyring to paint walls, it's tricky enopugh trying to clean the gutters from my deck, so I'll need to hire someone.
MaryB
I bet your decluttering will sure be appreciated at the thrift store.
DeleteYou are right, just basics, like washing down the house, clearing weeds, keeping the grass mowed, picking up trash and stuff - makes a house look like a home. Yes, don't climb up high, just not safe.
I think I'm ready to come out of hibernation and start my spring cleaning in March before gardening season starts. I do have a number of painting projects on the list for this year to get done too. We took our front door to a friend of ours who owns an automotive painting shop. He spray painted it with automotive paint and that thing has held up perfectly for 13 years now. Best 100.00 I ever spent. Little details can add a lot for just a little money. Stay warm!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a smart idea for getting the doors painted. That paint sure would hold up. Yes, getting to that time to start digging in and cleaning and getting super ready for spring day!
DeleteNothing like a fresh cot of paint to brightened up the place. And stenciling is beautiful as well and doesn't cost very much.
ReplyDeleteWe had snow overnight here too, not much, but enough to call off school for remote learning instead. Poor kids, they don't get snow days like they used to get.
Paint is a great way to freshen any space and really does not cost much at all. I like paper too - many don't.
DeleteAmazing you got snow. We have to have a good bit, before they call off school here - but it does seem to happen a lot more than when I was a kid. I can't remember ever getting time off for snow.
We are coming to the end of summer down here and I am aiming on making the house as cosy as possible for winter. Thinking of rearranging the bedroom - moving the bed away from the window and getting a chair for the bedroom.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago I spent a bit on new cushions/pillows for the arm chairs. Expensive ones yes, but way cheaper than any new furniture and the room was really brightened up.
Behind with blogs.. So sorry to hear about your cat.
It seems so strange that on the same day - we can talk about such different things. Of course, your winter doesn't probably get like ours do here - but still, it will be colder. I always forget half of the world is getting ready for fall.
DeleteI bet the cushions are lovely. That is smart and yes, much cheaper than a whole new set of furniture.
Thank you.
What great ideas! Hardware can be ordered in bulk on Amazon for much, much less than a store.
ReplyDeleteLittle things can make a big difference.
DeleteThanks!
I so want spring to arrive, just so tired of the cold. Decluttering is also something a person can do to spruce up their home.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I know - winter is just so blah. I am over it. Yes indeed, that is a great way to refresh your home!
DeleteWe were sub-zero again overnight and only in the single digits all day. I am soooooo ready for Spring! For me, I begin a rotation of small decor changes, starting with St. Patrick's Day in March. Living on Chicago's south side for so many years, and being in a neighborhood that had heavy Irish roots and a parade bigger than the one downtown, parade day was celebrated as a MAJOR holiday and family gathering. I traditionally host a get-together with family and friends, and that gives me a chance to get out the "green" items, swap out winter for shamrocks in centerpieces, tablecloths, bathroom and kitchen towels, some serving pieces for the celebration, and a shamrock laden wreath for the front door. Once that holiday is over, out comes the Easter table linens to replace the shamrocks, an Easter / Spring wreath for the front door, and different candles and accent pieces on the side tables. The Easter egg and bunny items will be put away, but the pastels will stay out for awhile, before swapping out for Independence Day and more summer-themed decor. Little changes, but they can certainly change the atmosphere of a room.
ReplyDeleteMy husband was quite ill last summer and watching a lot of TV. He wanted a bigger set and, most of all, to take the TV off the wall above the fireplace. We did it, rearranged the furniture, and it's like a whole new room.
ReplyDeleteA few months later, I rearranged most of the pictures. I liked them before but I like them a lot better now. My dilemma was what to put over the fireplace with the TV gone. I remembered a square quilt I bought at an Amish auction years ago and never really had a good place to display it. (It was in the guest room). I hung it diagonally over the fireplace and it *makes* the room. Didn't spend a cent, either.
My husband had been sick for 3-4 years and my whole house needed a good deep cleaning. At 79, with a lot of arthritis, I knew I'd never do that kind of physical work again. I hired it done and it was worth every penny! I think a good cleaning does more for a home's appearance than anything else you can do...and if you can DIY, it's also the cheapest.
Louise is right about needing new clothes when your hair goes gray. I was always an "autumn girl" and now those colors don't work for me at all. Now I am wearing a lot of pastels, especially pink and lavender. Red still looks good, though!
ReplyDeleteOh Max, thank you for agreeing. I find it’s not even colours that I have difficulty with. I used to wear a lot of patterned tops and dresses but now because I have such a drab mess going on the top of my head, I’m choosing plains instead of patterns. I wish I was more a true salt and pepper colour rather than a salt and Mousey brown. Goodness I sound like such a vain woman !!!!
DeleteBTW your quilt sounds like a fabulous solution to a problem.
Take care, Louise
Spring cleaning is definitely something that not only freshens the house up, but getting rid of clutter seems to clear my mind too.
ReplyDeleteWhen I return to my son's in March, I'm planning to paint the basement. It is currently a blue, not really dark, but it does make the space feel closed in. I plan to go with a very light green (one of my favorite colors. It should brighten it up a lot!
You are so right on both counts. That will really brighten the basement up. Seems most of my rooms are some sort of light green. I never intended that - it just sort of happened. It is a cheerful color.
DeleteI like to keep a couple of different throws to hand for rotating around in the bedroom. The winter one is faux fur, so cosy! The summer one is lighter and brighter. The bed covers a big area of the room, so changing the covering makes a big difference.
ReplyDeleteI also like to keep a selection of pots by the front door. I plant them up with flowers, often grown from seed, in the summer, then in the autumn I swap them for pots holding colourful succulents that I have had for years. It still gives a nice welcoming effect during the cold months, but with less maintenance and no cost.
Those are great ideas. I like the throw idea. I also change out bed coverings for the seasons. It not only helps in sleep time, but it helps in wake time!
DeleteHow neat on the flowerpots - that is another neat idea. Such a lovely welcoming.
I am queen of spray paints outdoors. I painted the mailbox red and the rusty post it was on glossy black. The letters are gold. Tommy even likes it. I repaint lawn furniture on a whim. There is paint that can be used on outdoor pillows! I want that.
ReplyDeleteA little paint can totally change the look of things and just brighten up about anything. I have painted many a flowerpot and stands for them to sit on. My neighbor was a prof. painter and he took my shutters down and my security doors and painted them for me. Looked brand new after so many years.
DeleteYes, yes and yes...to all of this! I love changing things in my home. Especially moving furniture around. You've given so many great ideas here and now I'm inspired to do something :) I can't wait for warmer weather so we can start sprucing up the outside areas. Thanks for all the tips!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much we need some change in our lives, and how it can sure brighten our moods.
DeleteI am with you, on being excited. Glad you got some ideas and it won't be too long!!!!