Upgrade Your Home with Simple Interior Design Updates

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Published on July 07, 2023

Upgrade Your Home with Simple Interior Design Updates

7 Steps to a Stylish and Comfortable Home

Your home is the place where you should feel comfortable and relaxed. But if your space is disorganized, outdated, or poorly decorated, it might be time for an upgrade.

For both renters and homeowners, there are a lot of things you can do to upgrade your home decor without spending a lot of money. In this blog post, we'll share how to make your home look more stylish and inviting, without breaking the bank!

Before you start, first consider what style or styles of interior design you tend to gravitate towards. If you’re unsure of the answer, run an image search for “interior design” plus the following options for some inspiration: traditional, contemporary, minimalist, Scandinavian, Japandi, bohemian, rustic, industrial, and eclectic.

Step 1: Declutter

Photo by Katja Rooke on Unsplash

The essential first step to upgrade your home decor is to declutter. Get rid of any furniture, accessories, or belongings that you don't use or love. Any pieces that don’t fit your target interior design style should also be moved on to a new home. This will have the immediate effect of freeing up space to make your home feel more open. You can donate unwanted items to a local charity, sell them online, or recycle them.

Step 2: Paint

Photo by LeeAnn Cline on Unsplash

A fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference in the look of your home. When choosing a paint color, it's important to consider the overall style of your apartment. If your apartment is on the traditional side, choose a neutral color like white, beige, gray or greige. If your apartment is more modern, you can choose a bolder color like blue, green, or yellow. Painting or wallpapering a single wall with a bold color or pattern creates an “accent wall” that also works well with modern styles.

Step 3: Add some plants

Photo by Laura Lauch on Unsplash

Adding plants to your home is a great way to add life and color. Plants can also help to reduce anxiety, sharpen attention, boost productivity, and speed up healing for people with injuries.

When choosing plants for your home, it's important to consider the amount of light that each plant needs and place it in an appropriate location. Some plants, like succulents, can thrive in low-light conditions, while others, like ferns, need bright, indirect sunlight.

Keep your indoor plants pest free with an eco-friendly DIY insecticidal soap!

Step 4: Update your furniture

Photo by Paul Weaver on Unsplash

Now that you’ve removed your old, mismatched furniture, revisit your chosen design style so you have an idea of what you need. You don't have to spend a lot of money on this, as there are a lot of great deals to be found at thrift stores, consignment shops, estate sales, and online marketplaces. If there are still budget concerns, try updating one room at a time.

Step 5: Decorate

gallery wall of framed decorative art and photos

Photo by Annette McGee on Unsplash

Once you have decluttered, painted, and acquired a few key pieces of furniture, it’s time to decorate!

Decorative objects are a great way to add personality and style to your home. There are a lot of different things to choose from, so you can find something that fits your taste and budget.

Some popular accessories include:

Curtains, blinds, and other window dressing
Bedspreads
Throw pillows
Vases
Candles
Artwork
Rugs
Mirrors
Once again, there is no need to break the bank here. You can get some incredible graphical maps or original art pieces from estate sales, online marketplaces, local art expos, and thrift shops. Grafomap, for example, makes stunning graphical city maps that would fit a variety of modern design styles. The Saatchi Gallery has original artwork that fits (almost) every budget. Many contemporary artists sell prints of their artwork at very affordable prices (e.g. Dave Pollot or Kevin Eslinger).

Step 6: Upgrade your lighting

Photo by Callum Hill on Unsplash

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The lighting in your home can make a big difference in the overall look and feel of the space. If your current lighting is too dark, too bright, or irregular across your space, you will want to consider changing it up.

Depending on your design style and lighting needs, you can choose from floor lamps, table lamps, pendant lights, sconces, and track lighting. Need some design inspiration? These Isamu Noguchi-inspired table and floor lamps will fit minimalist, Japandi, and eclectic styles. This wood tripod floor lamp is perfect for a mid-century modern look. LED light strips can provide back lighting behind or under furniture, art pieces, or tvs and can be adjusted to virtually any color or changed day by day.

When creating a lit space pay attention to the color “temperature” of your lighting. Work areas may want 3000K with living rooms at 2400K or 2700K. Many LED bulbs can have their temperature adjusted either manually or via an app.

Step 7: Make it personal

Your home design upgrade is nearly complete! Now for some finishing touches to make your home a reflection of your personality. This can include framed family photos (consider arranging them as a “gallery wall”), souvenirs from your world travels, collectibles, and handmade arts and crafts.

Many of the home upgrades above can be done without spending a lot of money. With a little effort, you can create a space that you love to come home to.

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