BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

WITH many household budgets stretched to the limit it giving your home a facelift can often seem like an unaffordable able luxury.

However there’s no need to despair even if your home looks drab and your bank balance looks bleak there are plenty of quick, easy and inexpensive things you can do to your home that will make it look bright and fresh.

The following are just a few ideas that can help you spruce up your home without having to break the bank.

The walls of any house are almost always the backdrop for any decorating schemes. One of the cheapest, simplest ways to change the look of a room is to change the color of the walls. If you don’t feel like painting a whole room, paint less. Pick one wall and give it a coat of a contrasting color.

If that’s still too much or maybe you just have a nice tin of leftover paint lying round the shed just paint the door. Use an unexpected color for pop, or use two colors to bring out the contours of paneled doors. Even just painting the interior panels of your bookcase or an aging but still useful side table will give you decorator style on a minimal budget. If you’d like to create a big effect in one fast move simply throw down a bold area rug.

Rugs may be underrated just because they’re underfoot, but a big, bright rug adds interest and an irresistible focal point to a room. Don’t leave your area rug floating around, though. Anchor it with a coffee table or chair so it looks like it belongs there.

One of the best, no-cost ways to redecorate is to repurpose things you already have. Look around your home and think of how items from one room could change the setting in another room. Maybe there’s and old chest in the garage that might make an ideal coffee table for your living room.

Try clustering items together, like candlesticks or colored glassware, to create a focal point. Seeing your old ornaments and decorations with new eyes can be fun, and the only thing you’ll spend by moving it around is a few calories. Sometimes, a touch of color is all you need. Choose an accent color, two at the most, that either complements or contrasts with your current color scheme. Then, let that color flash at different points around the room. If, for example, you choose red, toss a couple of red throw pillows on your bed or the sofa. Put red shades on your lamps. Tie back your curtains with cords in your accent color. And use small accessories, like candles, picture frames, vases and book spines, to bring your accent color to tables and shelves.

Finally small accessories make big impressions Changing the cabinet handles and drawer pulls in your kitchen and bathroom can bring a whole new style to your existing cabinetry. It’s a great fix for outdated furniture, too.

We take light switch and electrical outlet covers for granted, but they’re important decorating points. Try upgrading from builder’s plastic to something stylish from your DIY store. In the bathroom, add interesting shower curtain holders and towel hooks. Some types of faucet handles are also easy and inexpensive to change.