Room Redux: Update Your Space on the Cheap
Think of room accessories as jewelry. Sometimes all you need to revamp an old outfit is a bold cuff and a sparkly pair of earrings. The same goes for rooms. There are plenty of ways to change up your home on the cheap. Here are a few of my favorite ways to mix it up and give a room an entirely new personality without breaking the bank:
Paint. Believe it or not, I used to paint my room several times a year. Why? It made everything feel fresh and brand new. Paint is also an inexpensive way to transform a space based on the season.
Pillows. Swap out accent pillows for an instant pick me up. For example, a few crimson throw pillows can instantly take your bedroom from summer to fall. 
Artwork. Swap out your wall art for something that's seasonally relevant. Or you can even try rotating artwork around within your home. I adore AllPosters.com since you can buy pieces that are framed and ready to go. New artwork is like a mini facelift for rooms.
Flowers. This is another inexpensive yet effective method for changing up a room. Flowers not only add a lovely splash of color, they offer a seasonal vibe as well.
Candles. Did you know scent is one of the strongest senses? A particular smell can completely change your perception of a space. Scented candles are an excellent way to change the ambience of a room.
Curtains. Give new life to a basic space by spicing it up with pretty drapes. Or update your curtains based on the season. Create a cozy atmosphere by subbing in heavier materials during the colder months. As for spring and summer, opt for lighter fabrics that are diaphanous or lightweight.
The best piece of advice I can offer is to make your space "update friendly" by furnishing your home with neutral colors such as white, beige, camel or grey. Having a neutral backdrop to work with will grant you the freedom to make simple updates with greater ease. In Laguna, I did my room mostly white with turquoise accents. The white setting allowed me to swap out the turquoise pieces for other colors depending on the season.
What's your favorite way to breathe new life into a room when you're on a budget?
Share photos of your favorite "update items" in the comments below.
XO Lauren
P.S. A special thank you to everyone at At Home in Arkansas and Bear-Hill Interiors for sharing the beautiful photograph of the bedroom!
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Photos: labellevie, theglamlamb, At Home in Arkansas, Bear-Hill Interiors
56 comments
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Awesome advice, I love your ideas! I'm going to start with the flowers. I love flowers. Thanks Lauren!
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If you are going to a second hand shop you can find nice vases or vintage teacups and you can put fake flowers in them so you don't have to give them water or buy new ones.
I also get old furniture and paint them myself. Buy nice door knobs ( you can find them online in a second hand shop) like the porcelain ones and they look so nice on your furniture!
What's also nice. Just buy an old nature book, with butterflies for example and just frame the pages. This is so cheap and it looks beautiful!
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When i need to revamp my room I tend to rearrange it a little or completely. It feels and looks so nice when theres a change xoxoxo
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i soon get a new apartment. i have to decorate it all from the begining. thanks for all the tips. i love it!
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Check out my blog post with tons of tips on how to change the entire look of a room in 20 minutes with little to no money.
http://trubeautygems.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-change-entire-look-of-room-in-20.html
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omg such great ideas! i love the color pink, and i have my curtains and everything else, but my walls are so plain! i have been searching for the perfect wall decor but i havent found my right match yet! any suggestions?
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I love this so much. I just redocrated my room using your tips. Thanks you <3
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I hope that you have a window or windows. Be sure to hang your curtains up next to the line of the ceiling so that the room looks taller. Try using all one colour - all white, all pale peach or pink or all pale blue can be gorgeous. Don't use dark colours unless you go for the cocoon look - then do everything dark (this can get oppressive in the summer though) including the walls. You usually can't go wrong with pale. Also, use big artwork or posters in a dramatic way. Mirrours are great and the bigger they are, the better. If you could mirror a wall opposite a window or use a very large mirrour there, that would be great!
Good luck!
Donna Cluny
The Cluny Chronicles
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I have a teeny tiny bedroom that used to be just a spare sort of junk room-like I don't even have a closet in there. (however about a year ago I convinced my father to turn a linen closet down the hall into my closet-although it's not in my room, I still now have a closet!)
Anyway, does anybody have any suggestions on how to make my room look BIGGER? Like, what paint colors are fun, yet would still make the room seem bigger? Any tips on how to arrange my furniture? Help!
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Love these ideas! Another idea is to buy plain quilted covers in cream or white for your bed. Inexpensive and they can really change the look!
The Cluny Chronicles
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What I love to do to change my room is put some art on the walls and put some new curtains, if gives automatically a new vision of the room.
Lauren I loved your tips to uptade a room without spending a lot of money. These days we must save money!
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Lauren! Where did you get your bed? I'm obsessed with it...
Also, did you decorate your house? I love how feminie and light it is.
xoxo,
Sara
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Very nice tips thankyou Lauren! i have a new room not so long. with a picture of my dead granddad next my bed. that's the most important thing in my room. X
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I need this ... my boudoir is chaotic from too many shoes, bags, clothes. Well not toooo many, just lots xx
http://mediamarmalade.blogspot.com/2011/11/junk-in-my-trunk.html
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This tip might seem too simple but by reducing clutter it alway seems to help make a room more appealing to the eye. I like to have a place for everything and everything in it's place. Have a special basket or box to put magazines in (toss old magazines every other week to keep it clutter free). Thinking outside the box and repurposing items is a creative way to change up the look of a room. Maybe that old cork board can be painted to add a pop of color to the kitchen to pin up your recipes or hang fun photos of family, friends, or your pets :o)
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I love framing flowers ... its cheap and a cute way of revamping your room!
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I love adding flowers and candles to rooms to spruse them up. Everything will smell so yummy! Scent is really important to me.
Kindness is the best accessory,
Rebecca -
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Pillows are my obsession; Ikat ones especially. Also lately I've been taking glass vases from the dollar store and putting rubberbands around them in different patterns before I spray them with frost spray paint. They are going to be part of gifts for christmas.
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I definitely change out pillows & update the accents per season!
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I am pretty crafty so I am always doing a new DIY project! One of my favorite projects has been making covers for some ottomans. I also like making my own signs and such for my bedroom. Oh and one of my new favorites is going to antique stores and buying vinage books for decoration, especially my circa 1942 girls scout hand book! You can check out some of my DIY projects at my blog http://shabbyshae.wordpress.com/
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I love this! Have just moved into a new place and have been thinking about how to make it my own on the cheap! Great tips! Thanks!
Sarah
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The cheapest way for a new room feel is to rearrange! Rearrange a few furniture pieces first and then follow by switching out accessories or giving them new spot in your space-- you'd be amazed at how different your room will feel. It makes things feel updated and fresh without costing a dime--plus it gives you the opportunity to vacuum underneath/behind all of that furniture you've had in the same place all year! It's one of my favorite things to do, but it does take a while and requires quite a bit of work. The end result is totally worth the effort!
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