How do I freshen up a space without making any big changes?

Question

I like my surroundings to be constantly changing, the same stuff everyday makes me bored! What can I do without changing anything major? I.e- painting, new furniture, lots of money...? I'm a graphic designer so I am open to crazy stuff!

Answer 1

move your furniture around

plants, candles, and pitures are all inexpensive and easy

since your a graphic designer, do you do graphic art? If so, paint a square on your wall, as you do design pieces on your computer, print them out at kinko's or some place and hang them in the painted square on the wall, it will give you an ever changing original piece of artwork If you really want to get fancy, get some fabric and do a quick floor to ceiling, drape the middle, and down the side frame around the painted square on the wall, it will make it a huge focal point.

Answer 2

I use to love changing my room around when I was in college. I was very creative with it. I used milk crates to build a bed, make a desk and I could make a couch out of it. I think a lot of modular furniture out there helps. The best solution I think is thrift stores and garage sales. Second hand stuff is cheap and you can change the look for a very low cost. Plus when you are tired of it you can donate it back to goodwill. They have a home architect program that allows you to move your furniture around by creating a room exactly your size and then doing it on the computer before you move stuff. I have also found the Sims game gets that creative need out of my system. If you learn the cheats you can build a house with as much money as it takes. I also love reading magazines like Architectural Digest and Phoenix House and Garden to get ideas of ways to put my furniture.

Answer 3

I'm like you ... if I get 'bored' with my space it gets 'messier' much more quickly too ... try just rearranging your furniture, or buy some new 'throws' for different places ... and you can ALWAYS change your 'artwork' around. The thing is that you can do 'lots' of good stuff with very little or no money ... and since you are 'open to crazy stuff' try making a mobile of some of your 'favorite small things' or suspending them from the ceiling by 'fish line' so it look like they are 'floating in space' ... that really 'livens up a room' ... or you could get some nice sticks and put them into a container on the floor, like flowers in a vase and that can be moved and 'decorated' for Christmas, Easter, or whatever ...

Answer 4

Depending on the size of your space a single gallon on paint can go a long way. If that's out of the question, try moving furniture around from different rooms or changing the focal point of a room. Add a rug, or a plant, or even change up your lighting. Add some curtains to the windows (I just did mine for less than $30).

Answer 5

Paint one wall.

Rearrange the furniture--borrowing from the whole house. Consider changing the traffic flow, or angling major pieces so they're not parallel to any wall.

Throw bargain-bin fabric over the sofa, and a different fabric over a chair or two.

Change accessories (pillows, shades, throw rugs) to introduce a single strong color or visual element.

Move much of the furniture elsewhere, creating a minimalist, spartan room (fun for a while).

Create an unconventional coffee table out of anything sturdy and odd, plus a glass top. A trunk. Stacks of trashy paperbacks. A pair of sawed-off sawhorses painted green.

Maryn, who gets tired of a nice room, too

Answer 6

Buy some cheap frames at Target and create artwork on the computer. Print them out and change the pictures out in the frames every week or two. Keep to a different color scheme each week. It'll change the whole feel of the room. Color is powerful. A good re-arranging always works, too.

Answer 7

Change your color scheme, mix it up with new rugs and pillows, pick up a few new accessories or inexpensive lamps, change out your art work or better yet as a graphic artist....create your own. Then move the furniture around for a new look.

Answer 8

changing things like lampshades and accent pillows instantly update a room. also, picture frames and accessories (like shells or big garphic pieces) can change the feel of the room. try adding candles or a houseplant to the space.

Answer 9

Get a light, sheer coloered piece of fabric and make a giant floor to ceiling curtain and get a fancy, swirly, curtain rod to hang it on. Get or make a cool curtain tie back to spruce it up a bit.