Looking for a quick and stylish way to refresh every room in your home? These simple decorating projects show that a change really is as good as a holiday.
From easy outdoor projects to simple and affordable indoor styling ideas, here are 20 ways to update your home this weekend.
1. Make a move
Now is the time to break the rules and experiment with furniture arrangements you’ve never been game to try. In the living room, shift the sofa to face the window so you can soak up sunlight indoors. Armchair in the way? Move it to a different corner of your home to create a whole new reading nook.
2. Look to your books
Pull out your most stylish titles and put them on display – they make the perfect base for a coffee table vignette. Organise your remaining collection by colour – it’s always a great look. Prefer a more tonal aesthetic? Style your bookshelf with pages facing out to add a little more texture.
3. Style a shelfie
The most effective way to revamp your console table, desk or shelf is to take everything off and start from scratch. Pull out pieces you had hidden away and try a mix of old and new – it’s all about variation. Remember to mix up your heights, textures or shapes, share it on Instagram and then tag us at #HBShelfie.
4. Turn to nature
Pressing flowers between the pages of heavy books is a beautiful age-old craft that’s having a resurgence. Try displaying in modern glass-back frames for a floating effect.
5. Art attack
A simple swap of artworks between your rooms can have a big decorating impact. Place your favourite piece somewhere unexpected, such as sitting above a doorway or in a stairwell, to make you smile when it catches your eye. (Using removable picture hanging strips makes for easy, changeable placement anytime – try Command).
6. Two-minute makeover
Give tired cupboard doors and drawers new life with stylish drawer pulls – they’re simple to replace yourself and are a budget-friendly transformation, too. ABI Interiors and Schots Home Emporium both have stylish options.
7. Make a memo board
Upcycle an old picture frame or a plank of timber with a lick of blackboard paint to create a beautiful sign that can be displayed for a cute family meal planner, shopping list or notes.
8. Collect and gather
Forage foliage from your yard to display around the home. From lush oversized arrangements on a kitchen bench to small sprigs on a windowsill, you can’t beat the instant burst of freshness that greenery brings to a space.
9. (Wo)man your stations
Make your morning cup of coffee or tea that little bit more special by repurposing a console, buffet or empty bench space into a designated drinks station. Style your favourite crockery on a large tray with pretty canisters and some blooms, and it’s all ready to go! Of course, a flash coffee machine is always in style.
10. Perfect the pantry
Give your pantry an organisational upgrade. Stackable containers, label makers and pretty jars (try Ikea) will make this project all the more fun. Look to the Practa Solutions range at Bunnings for clever pantry pull-out systems that you can easily install yourself – great for those deep, hard-to-reach cupboards.
11. Make your bed
Mix up your bed styling and try a fresh new look, making the most of what you already have. Consider a mismatched sheet look, pairing different colours and patterns. Layer a variety of throws and bring out cushion covers you’d packed away to explore a brand new colour combination.
12. Spark joy
Find your inner Marie Kondo and declutter your home – the feeling of complete organisation is magic for the soul. Try Howards Storage World for clever drawer dividers that will bring order to those tricky catch-all drawers.
13. Set the mood
Light up those candles you’ve been hiding away for a special occasion and enjoy their soothing scents and cosy ambience in every room of your home – now. For a child and pet-friendly option, the flameless candles from Enjoy Living are ideal.
14. Treat yourself
Turn your bathroom into the ultimate at-home spa experience. Bring a stool or side table next to the bath and style as a special place to hold your glass of pinot and a book. Add a potted plant for a burst of freshness (Devil’s Ivy thrives in the bathroom), a waterproof speaker and have your best towels folded neatly nearby.
15. Soak it up
Create your own natural bath soak for a treat in the tub. A fave calming recipe: 3⁄4 cup epsom salt, 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds, a few drops of lavender essential oil and a few of lemon essential oil.
16. Wash in style
Handwashing is more important now than ever before, so make this a more indulgent moment in your day through a dedicated set-up, whether you have a large bathroom or a small one. Start out with a beautiful tray and then layer it with a stylish (and refillable) handwash bottle, a matching lotion and a luxe hand towel to finish the look.
17. Propagate your plants
Propagate some of your existing plants by simply cutting them just below a node and placing in water. Transfer to soil once some roots have formed, or keep in a pretty vase and make them a feature – a free greenery arrangement that never dies.
18. Outdoor ambience
Create outdoor ambience with an abundance of fairy lights, candles and outdoor heaters. Opt for citronella to keep uninvited pests at bay.
19. Grow your own
Start your own vegie patch for fresh produce at your fingertips. If you’re short on garden space, stick to [herbs in small pots] placed outside your door, or in the kitchen as a design feature.
20. Create a cosy outdoor hangout
Make the outdoors an extension of the indoors with cosy hangout spaces. Use layered decorative accessories such as lanterns and planters, while a jute rug will tie it all together.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
