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How to Freshen Up Your Home Using What You Have

There it was, my beautiful yard sale find was now sitting in the garage, with anything and everything piled on top of it.

I decided it was too big and bulky where I had it, needed a new paint job, and didn’t need it anymore.

I was in a minimalist mood.

Oh, be careful if you are in a minimalist mood. Spending money on furniture usually isn’t cheap and requires a good hunt if you want to get something used.

So before tossing everything out or pawning it off to your siblings, save it.

Today as I hauled this buffet table back into the house, being careful not to put any weight on the busted leg, I couldn’t believe I was ready to toss it a few months ago.

It added more depth to the dining room, gave the room a change I needed, and didn’t cost a dime.

If you feel like you need a makeover in one of the rooms in your house, rearrange your furniture.  I know easier said than done, just like spend less money than you make, suitable?

Try it. Check out my tips to inspire you today. 

 

PRACTICAL WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR HOME

See if you can move your primary focus to your living room. For example, your TV.

how to update your home using what you already have

I switched the TV against a wall to a slight curve in the corner. This allowed me to move the other couch down a little bit.

I took the bench out of the living room and put it in the dining room.

Taking one piece of furniture out of one room and into another can give you enough chance to look for it without costing you a penny.

freshen up your home using what you already have

KEEP YOUR STUFF FRESH

As a parent, one of the pieces of advice I heard and am always amazed at how well it works is to hide half your kid’s toys and bring them out later on and hide the other half.

They play with those toys, again and again, every time they are “fresh.”

As adults, we need to do the same thing with our furniture. We don’t necessarily need to go out and get a new chair or couch; we need to shift each piece.

You can even try changing your dining room table to an angle and see how much of a different feel it adds.

So if you are feeling the winter blues and want to give your home a fresh feel try these tips below.

Try swapping your furniture pieces into different areas of your home.

This concept of using what you have before you go out and buy new is the same mind shift when I share about shopping from your pantry FIRST before going grocery shopping.

Here are some examples of how I  switched up the living and dining room and our porch/mudroom.

how to update your home using what you already have

 

OUT WITH THE OLD AND BACK IN WITH THE OLD

I brought in two new pieces of furniture- that I already owned. The buffet table was in the garage all summer and feels fresh again. I have considered a new table and chair set, but I wouldn’t say I like the price.

Of course, right now, we are still finishing the kitchen. We are just now putting in the flooring, and the same flooring from the kitchen will carry through the dining room and living room.

How to Freshen Up Your Home Using What You Have

We got our current table used at Habit for Humanity for $200 with all six chairs. The chairs are pretty beat now, but I have been thinking about reholstering the cushion part.

how to freshen up your home using what you have

Adding a tablecloth in the winter months gives my table a different feel. However, adding a table cloth any time of the year can freshen up your home.

I have a table cloth for each season. In addition, you can add a table runner or a couple of horizontal table runners to feel different.

I find great prices on tablecloths and runners at Big Lots.

CREATE MORE COUNTER SPACE

If you need more counter space, it’s probably so you can move stuff from one table to the next, right?! This is a common scenario in our house, “Kids set the table.”

Everything from the table comes off and goes to the following closest table.

The buffet table I would love to be white, but it also goes with the dining room table. So for Christmas, I can sit on this table now when I need the extra space to set up the Nativity scene or any more little Christmas trinkets.

How to Freshen Up Your Home Using What You Have

USE WHOLESALE CLUBS FOR FURNITURE

I liked bringing the bench into the dining room for an easier way to add quick seating for guests at the table. It is the perfect height, and since two of our chair bottoms are gone, we have enough seating when we use the bench. This bench was in our living room.

I got a deal on this bench at BJ’s Wholesale Club. If you haven’t heard, it’s my favorite place to shop. Target is a close second. So you can see why I love it so much here.  I paid under $60 for the bench! 

It has sliding doors and the two shelves you see. Wholesale clubs are a great place to pick up affordable furniture.

Need to update your office on a budget? Try this.

how to freshen up your home using what you have

The table on this wall is now in the living room, and you can see from the pictures it gives it a different feel. Soon this floor will be replaced, providing the whole house a warm and cozy feeling.

The table above my husband made out of pallets!

how to freshen up your home for cheap

Now the table is filled in the living room. Having a piece with this raw pallet wood allows me to move it anywhere in our home, and it will still match.

how to update your home using what you already have

The porch/mudroom, which should be called the dog’s room, changes with the weather.   In the summertime, I put the coat rack near the back corner where the fern is. The fern I just purchased this summer with my awesome Tractor Supply Planters here.

How to Freshen Up Your Home Using What You Have

I want us to use the coat rack in the winter instead of throwing everything on the hot tub, so I put it in the corner closest to the door and moved Jake’s recliner over by Daisy’s crate.

The bunny is still up in the air where she will officially stay, but she’s enjoying bunking with Daisy for now.

Switching the pieces around in this room gives you a fresh feel each time you enter.

Any simple home furniture swap can give you the instant gratification of seeing new furniture.

Let me know what you are going to switch around in your home in the comments below. 

I hope this helps you think outside the box when decorating your home using what you already have.

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