3 Tips to Update Your Space Without Renovating

Renovating your home can be an exciting undertaking, with the hopes and dreams of significant changes coming together to form your ideal home. However, living through a construction process is not for the faint of heart... 

Day 1...it's all exciting! Day 30...it's beginning to feel a bit more like an inconvenience, but "we are handling it." Day 65? Day 90? We are sick to death of the noise, mess, and trades in our homes. And the exercise of writing weekly checks to the contractor? Please make it all stop! Construction fatigue is a THING, people.

Once you've begun a renovation, there's no going back. However, before moving forward on a remodel, consider whether or not you can achieve a complete change of function and style from a few impactful changes that can be much easier on your nerves than a full-on construction project. 

Here are 3 tips to update your space if you want a significant style change without any construction.

Tip #1: Renew Your Room With a Fresh Coat of Paint

Simply changing the color of our walls can completely change the way we feel in a space. Is your room feeling dark and dated? Does it lack interest & warmth? Does it feel sterile or boring? Paint is a great foundation for any and all upcoming changes that could be made. It's the canvas upon which everything else will live, and putting careful thought into its overall impact will transform a space.

Painting walls is not the only thing that can make a difference; for example, painting outdated cabinetry can make it feel like you have fresh new built-ins. Be sure to rely on professionals here, though, as painting cabinetry is definitely a specialty area and can be easily done incorrectly if not working with experienced trades.

Tip #2: Transform Your Space with New Lighting 

Light fixtures are such a wonderful way to transform a space. We often live with fixtures that the builder put in years and years ago. These are usually very generic styles made of inexpensive materials and don't bring any personality to our homes. 

Just imagine if your entry fixture was interesting enough to catch someone's attention. What about the chandelier and kitchen fixtures? And the lamps in the living and bedrooms? These areas can easily transform from merely a light source to an actual statement with form and structure. Not every fixture should be an eye-catcher, but some should be.  

The other benefit to upgrading our light fixtures is the actual ability to plan for the proper amount of light a room/home needs. I say it all the time: you can have the most beautiful and most expensive furniture/accents/art in the world, but if it's lit poorly, it will look boring.

Tip #3: Set The Tone With Window Treatments & Furnishings

This next category is where my heart lies:  furnishings and window treatments. The soul of a room is defined by these items. Finding new furniture that properly fits a space, fulfilling the desired use for the family who lives there, and combining pattern/texture/color is an exercise that can't be diminished.  

Another thing I say all the time is that "window treatments can set the tone of the entire room." I'm not talking about heavy draperies here, and in fact, sometimes the most appropriate window treatment for a space can be "nothing" at all. The point is that we have to carefully consider what will have the most impact on our desired style and living requirements. 

Sometimes, simply removing drapery, blinds, or shutters can make a room feel reborn. Other times, it's adding simple panels or replacing an outdated shade with a more functional option. Either way, the impact can be great. Investing in furnishings, accents, and window treatments can be a much less stressful alternative to a full remodel.

If you're tired of waiting around for that full home reno and want to make changes now, reach out to us. We want to help you achieve those dreams.

Warmly,
Kelly