Fresh Without Fuss: Home Improvements Without A Full Renovation

We all go through those moments when we’re just a little bit fed up of our house as it is. 

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with the house. It’s still standing; the walls aren’t crumbling; the decor isn’t in an obvious state of disrepair. However, it still feels a bit too samey, a few years since anything was changed -- and you find yourself itching for something different. 

For many people, the idea of something different involves an entire full-scale renovation. That will give you something different; something hugely different, almost akin to having a new house rather than just revamping a couple of rooms. While renovating is stressful, it also undoubtedly fixes the problem of being bored by your existing home -- however... 

Yes, there’s always a “however”, isn’t there? The “however” against renovations is a pretty powerful one, unfortunately: The cost. Going through a full renovation can have a disastrous impact on your finances, potentially even being so high you can’t even realistically consider it.

So is that the end of the line? Are you doomed to have to put up with your house as it is, even though everything feels a little stale and in dire need of an update? Of course not -- you just need to work a little makeover magic. 

Living Room

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As the main functional point of the house, changes to your living room are probably the most sought-after. This is the room where you spend a lot of your time, where you relax and unwind from the day -- so making changes here will have a big impact. 

• If fully replacing the living room furniture is outside of your budget, that doesn’t mean you can’t change the look of your existing furniture. The cheapest -- and most effective -- way of doing this is to use throws and blankets, along with a fresh set of cushions. This is a small change that you can reverse should you choose to in future; but it’s still a change that packs a significant punch. 
• One of the best ways of improving the look of a living room is to add plants. You could choose one large, potted plant, or opt for a row of smaller succulents. This makes the room look fresher and healthier, even though the change itself is relatively minor. Such a change might also benefit your health; some indoor plants are known to improve air quality in the rooms they are placed in. 
• If you don’t have the time or funds to re-paint or re-wallpaper the entire room, then why not just change one wall? This gives you a feature wall, so you can be adventurous with the color choice, and will make the whole room feel instantly more interesting. 

Bedroom

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The master bedroom is one of the lesser-used rooms in the house, but it’s vitally important. The bedroom should be a sanctuary from the rest of the world, somewhere you can relax, and ensure you get the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Keeping these things in mind, here are a few bedroom-based changes you could make to the master bedroom.

• A rug can make a huge difference to your bedroom, especially in winter. Choose something fluffy or with a deep pile and slide it under the bed, with some overhanging for you to step onto in the mornings. Doing this brings a little sense of luxury from the moment you wake up. 
• A lighting change can give your bedroom a cosy feel without costing a fortune. Rather than relying on the ceiling light -- which has a tendency to flood the room with bright, almost clinical light -- opting for something simpler, like a floor lamp, can improve the feel of the whole room. Choose a laser-cut shade and the result is interesting shadow patterns on the wall when the light is on. 
• If you want to keep it really simple, brand new bed linen can change how your bedroom looks and feels for the better. Such a change will also help to make your bedroom even more sleep-friendly, which will have huge benefits to your life and overall health.

Kitchen

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A full kitchen renovation tends to include new flooring, new cabinets, new paint, new window coverings, and new counter tops. Your kitchen will look incredible if you’re able to invest in an entirely new design -- but your budget most definitely won’t. 

• Perhaps the most dramatic change you can make in this room involves your kitchen cabinets. If you are happy to stick with your existing layout, then it’s relatively easy to source new cabinets without having to worry about the expense of relocating them. The cabinets are usually independent from the rest of the room as they’re suspended on the wall, thus lending themselves well to a change that won’t impact the rest of the room. A cabinet change is the most dramatic kitchen change you can make -- with the least amount of work. 
• Unlike the cabinets, changing a floor in a kitchen is more a job for a full renovation. Removing and replacing a floor tends to require other aspects of the room to change, such as the counters to be moved or appliances pushed to one side. So it’s unwise to completely replace the floor the way you can with the cabinets, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make some flooring changes. Rugs are a good option, provided you use a rug gripper beneath to ensure they don’t slip if the floor gets wet. If there is an area of the floor that is ripped or damaged, then a rug is perfect for covering that too! 
• Everyone stores items in their kitchen differently. Some like to display their pots and pans almost as if they are artwork; others tuck everything away in the cabinets built for that purpose. One way to make your kitchen feel like new is to do the opposite to what you usually do. So if your cooking implements are currently in cabinets, display them instead -- and vice versa. This might sound small, but it’s a change that is actually rather drastic, and can impact the entire feel of the room. It’s worth giving a go to see if it makes enough of a difference; it’s inexpensive, simple, and can be done in an afternoon. 

Bathroom

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The bathroom is one of the most functional rooms in the house, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. However, second only to the kitchen, it’s also the most expensive to renovate. So how can you improve the entire room without spending a fortune?

• Change the vanity if you want to make a drastic alteration to your bathroom. As with the kitchen cabinets, the vanity tends to be separated from the rest of the room -- so you won’t have to worry about fiddling with plumbing or damaging the floor. If you can’t afford a full change of the vanity, then why not consider using sticky plastic to cover it? This looks surprisingly good if you do it right, and there are thousands of different designs to choose from. 
• One problem that many bathrooms suffer from is that they are cluttered. Bathrooms often don’t have a lot of storage space, which means that lotions and potions required for bathing usually get stacked up on any available surface. This looks messy, so for an instant improvement to the overall look of the room, add shelving or a bathroom cabinet. A cabinet is the best option if you have a lot of items to store; open shelving can still look a little messy, especially if you’re cramming multiple items onto one shelf. Pick the option that works best for you; the effect on the overall room is startlingly good.

Hallways

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The hallway probably isn’t an area you would pay much attention to when it comes to a renovation. However, as one of the most used areas in the house, it’s worth making a few improvements to these transitional areas. 

• Choose the right colors and repaint your hallway for a huge impact. You will be surprised by how much better the area looks, and how it can improve the overall feel of your home as a whole. An uncared-for, shabby hallway is oddly depressing, especially given how often you’ll pass through it as you go about your time at home. Brightening and freshening the area up will make a big difference. 
• Hallway flooring is vitally important due to the sheer number of footsteps it has to deal with. It’s best to use a rug, regardless of what type of flooring you have. Both carpet and wood floors will wear very quickly due to the constant usage of hallways; rugs can help protect the floor beneath and ensure you don’t need to do a full-scale replacement every few years.
• Shelving or a piece of furniture in a hallway can give the area a functional, homely look. It might be worth scouring eBay and second hand stores to see if you can find anything that would suit the space you have available. 

In Conclusion

It is obvious that you can make dynamic and exciting changes to your home without having to resort to a full renovation. If you want to free yourself of that unpleasant same-old same-old feeling, then implementing a few of the above suggestions could be just the change you need.