5 Ways to Design Your Home in the New Year

So, it’s a New Year – 2016!  I’ve taken down my decorations, the parties are over and guests have left.  As I walk around my house, it just looks, well… it looks a little bare, and maybe a little tired.  I’m not ready for a major redecorating project, but I just want to do a little sprucing up.  Here are some projects that I am considering, and maybe they may help you in giving your home a 2016 facelift!

 

Give Old Furniture New Life

There’s no getting around it, sofas are expensive.  A good sofa is an investment, one of the best you can make in your home.  Once you make that investment it can be with you for many, many years.  But what do you do in the meantime with the tired, stained sofa that you currently own?  Consider simple slipcovers.  A crisp, white slipcover may seem like an odd choice if you’re looking for low maintenance, but white can be removed and bleached and return your sofa to looking as good as new!

 

A gallon of paint and a weekend can give your room a whole new look.  Consider highlighting moldings and raised panels!

 

Jillian and I are planning to chalk paint her kitchen table on my next trip to San Diego.  She has a beautiful solid wood table but Rocco decided to use the legs as a teething ring when he was a puppy.  We’re hoping a good sanding and some fresh paint will give it a few more years!!  (Look for before and after pics in a future blog!)

 

 

Freshen Up Your Linens

I have so many linens that I have accumulated over the years, but I always end up using the same ones.  This month I am pulling them all out and purging any table lines with stains, getting out the iron and breathing some new life into what’s left.  Maybe I’ll even pick up a few new ones to add to the mix.

 

 

Who doesn’t love fresh, new, crisp bed linens.  Go for the splurge on this one!!  You spend a third of you life under the sheets so be good to yourself!

 

 

Fluff Up New Throw Pillows

One of the quickest, least expensive ways to freshen things up is to change your throw pillows.  Add a pop of color, or a little glitz.  This is an easy way to be adventurous and try something a little outside your comfort zone.

 

 

 

 

 

Change Out Your Mats

Let’s face it, entry mats take a beating.  Durable wovens have made it so much easier to find the perfect rug.  A nice and clean entry is the best way to greet your guests.

 

 

 

 

 

And Don’t forget to Accessorize!

Go through your drawers and closets, take out all those treasures that you have hidden away.  Antiques, heirlooms, collectibles – show them off!  This is the single most interesting and unique addition you can make to your New Year design, and it doesn’t cost a penny!

 

 

 

 

 

What are your favorite ways to spruce up your home for the New Year?