Subscribe to stay up to date plus get 5 Free Home Productivity Printable Planners!
Decor & DIY

20 Budget-Friendly Ways to Refresh Your Home

Thanks for Sharing!

Do you ever get to a point where you feel the need to refresh your home or just a room or items in your home? I know I do. I think it’s fair to say that most homemakers get to that point sometime or another. The ‘things’ in our home have gotten worn and tired, some seem to lack interest, some do not bring us joy, and others may just need a little touch up. Whatever the reason, you’ve grown to dislike something about an item or a space in your home. You may want to fix it but have no idea what to do. Or maybe the options you are looking at seem too pricey for what you could afford. I get it. Our home has a few rooms, areas, and decorative pieces that could use some refresh. I’ve been refreshing our space little by little because little changes could also have some big impact. I do have to add furniture to some of the rooms because they are currently empty but that all takes time.20 Budget-Friendly Ways to Refresh Your Home

If you are looking for easy inexpensive ways to refresh and liven up a space or an item in your home without overspending, never fear. I’ve put together this list of twenty ways to do so. These ideas are not meant to break the bank. In fact, some of them are free and others will cost less than $100 or maybe even less than $50. Try one or two for your space and you’ll find that they make such a difference in the look and feel of your home.

Note: The images below are meant for inspiration and not for intimidation. It’s fun to gather inspiration to see how others used this roundup in their homes. But our homes are all different and it’s always best to customize ideas to suit our own spaces.

  1. Clear out the clutter – I know you are probably tired of hearing about decluttering but IT IS ONE of the easiest ways to make your home feel lighter. If you think your home has too much stuff, you could always try to sell some or give them away to others who may be in need. Donation centers will sell them to the public for a very low price. Image via Julie Blannerentryway-bench Julie Blanner
  2. Clean your home thoroughly – There is something about cleaning the home that makes it feel fresh and “clean”. I love how our house looks and feels on days when I do a thorough cleaning (walls, boards, cupboards, etc.). Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve deep cleaned your home. Try to find some time to do so. Here is a quick tip for cleaning and deordorizing a dishwasher. Image via BHG101661810.jpg.rendition.largest bhg
  3. Organize a frustrating area – It’s so easy to feel dysfunctional by unorganized areas around the home. Taking some time to focus on organizing one area can really make a difference and help you be more productive. Image via The Sunny Side Up Blog decorated-office-craft-room-7 Sunny Side Up
  4. Rearrange Furniture – Nothing makes a home feel ‘new’ like changing around furniture. If you are feeling like you need something new, simply changing things around may give that new feeling without spending a cent. Image via Love Your Abodeliving-room-makeover-loveyourabode-29
  5. Add Color – I know there are so many neutral homes these days so if that is what you desire, then that is OK. I tried it and it did not work out too well for me. Adding color to a space will take it to the next level of making it look refreshed. Image via Style Your SensesGuestRoomReveal_16-700x944 Style Your Senses
  6. Spruce up your coffee table – Coffee tables usually take center stage in a room. Add some pretty accessories to your table to beautify the space. Use a few items of varying heights and shapes for visual attraction. Image via The Pink DreamProcessed with VSCO with c2 preset
  7. Change out the mantel decor – Like coffee tables, mantels are focal points of a room. It’s good to change out the decor every once in a while. Image via Censational Girlcentsational-girl-living-room Censational Girl  
  8. Switch out your throw pillow covers – Throw pillows can instantly transform the look of a room. If you are tired of the ones you have (looking a bit worn, or not such a fan of their colors), try switching out the covers. Try not to buy too many varying colors of throw pillows. Instead invest in some good fillers and covers to change them out. I made the mistake of wanting every throw pillow I see. Now our home has way too many that we’re not even using. Lesson learned. Image via BHG101865187.jpg.rendition.largest bhg
  9. Rotate Bedding – As with throw pillows, the same thing goes with bedding. Switching out your bedding or adding a pretty spread or throw will help give the room a fresh look. Try it. Image via Bliss At Homebedroom-makeover-2 bliss at home
  10. New window curtains – I love love love window curtains! I will search long and hard for the right pieces. Currently, I have some all white ones and I am not sure they are the right pieces. While all white is light and bright, I have always loved colorful curtains so I’m looking into a few options. But new window curtains will definitely make a room look ‘new’ and feel complete. Image via Katelyn James Blogmint-and-coral-decor-inspiration_1218 Katelyn James Blog
  11. Add some pretty towels or small area rug to your kitchen and bathroom – We have a bunch of white towels but I love throwing in a few colorful ones to the mix. I can’t seem to get rid of them. You may even consider adding just one dish towel to the handle of your stove or a few coordinating colors of towels to display in a bathroom. A small gorgeous rug or floor mat will also help liven up a bathroom or kitchen. Image via BHG101503806.jpg.rendition.largest bhg
  12. Add new art – I LOVE a good piece of art but the better the art, the pricier they tend to be. I’m currently doing my search around to find some good pieces of art for our home. There are so many ‘art’ out there to quickly spruce up a space. If you love gallery walls, you can add a new piece to the mix or switch out something for a new look. Image via Style By Emily HendersonShot_7_001-1 style by Emily Henderson
  13. Fresh Flowers -Nothing like flowers to instantly brighten up a space. I know I’ve said the same thing for quite a few of these but it is true. Bring in some fresh or even pretty fake flowers to soften up one of your rooms. Aren’t these pretty? Image via Decor Gold DesignsKitchen-Flowers-in-Glass-Vases_ Decor Gold Designs
  14. Set a pretty table – Do you have a separate dinning table that you could set up with some pretty dishes? Or white dishes with pretty place cards? Even a beautiful centerpiece would be great. Every time you walk by the dinning room it will put a smile on your face. Image via House Beautifulgallery-54c14614e9b53-02-hbx-mimi-mcmakin-tablescape-0713-s2 house beautiful
  15. Add an accent rug – OK. So rug prices may be overated but you can definitely find some good inexpensive ones out there. If you find the floors of your living or family room is looking a tad bare, an accent rug would be a quick fix. Image via At Charlotte’s HouseBright-and-Colorful-Living-Room-Refresh-6 At Charlotte's House
  16. Change out a light fixture – Changing out a light in a room is a great way to refresh that room. I can’t find any before and after photos to show but when we bought our first home, we changed out all the lights and that really made an impact on the look of the rooms. It does not have to be the priciest of them all – there are so many beautiful modern light fixtures to choose. Focus on one room at a time to cut cost and maybe save some overwhelm. Image via Studio Mcgee Streamlined+Traditional+in+our+Mountainside+remodel+--+Studio+McGee
  17. Give a fresh coat of paint to something – I don’t know who invent paint but what would we do without it? It itanstantly transforms and makes new, it’s inexpensive, and not to mention it is fast. How about repainting a room or an accent wall or maybe a piece of tired-looking furniture? If you already love your colors you can always add a fresh coat of the same color to make the space look and feel new again. Look at this door; I love the contrast between it and the rest of the room. Image via The Inspired RoomCoastal-Entry The Inspired Room
  18. Changing out hardware – Hardware is not very expensive. A good firm piece of furniture may only need the hardware changed out to make it look like something new. Even the hardware on the kitchen cupboards or bathroom drawers could be switched out for a mini makeover and easy upgrade. Or along with a paint job, the hardware of a pice could also be switched out for a complete makeover. Image via Brittany MakesKitchen-2016-2-1-1000x1400 Brittany Makes
  19. Spruce up your porch and the outdoors – Don’t forget the outside parts of your house is still your home. Brighten up the outside by cleaning up around it, planting some pretty flowers, dressing up the porch, etc. I mean, doesn’t this space look so inviting? Image via Country Livinggallery-1461355293-porchs Country Living
  20. Get creative – What can you make for your home? Can you sew or craft? We don’t have to spend money buying everything already made for our homes. If you have the time and a little creativity (which I think we all do), try making something. How pretty and easy to make are these planters? I think they would brighten up both the outside and inside of a home. Image via Place of My TasteDecoupaged-Terra-Cotta-Pots-19 Place of My Taste

I hope these gave you some ideas of how you could quickly refresh a space in your home to give it some new life or to change up the look a bit. If you are wondering what is the budgeted part of what I listed, think free or low priced. Just think, we’re not revamping rooms, tearing down or adding on walls, purchasing expensive appliances, etc. Small changes could really make some big impacts. What else could we add to the list? I’d love to know in the comments. 

Thanks for Sharing!
Join the Conversation

15 thoughts on “20 Budget-Friendly Ways to Refresh Your Home

  1. Great tips!! I especially love the add fresh flowers (who doesn’t love those), give a fresh coat of paint to something (always my go to when I need a budget-friendly change) and rearrange furniture! It’s amazing what small changes can do. Better than breaking the bank ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Wow, Zan, this is a great list! I definitely get to the point that I want to change up rooms. When I was growing up, I was always moving the furniture in my room around. Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury anymore with many of our spaces but I really want to implement some of your other tips.

    1. Something about furniture moving around really helps a space to look different. So glad I could help with some other ideas! I’m in the process of refreshing rooms too and using some of these myself!!

  3. I LOVE the bed in front of the window. We were considering moving it there to make the space look more put together but we have the radiator right under the window and probably it will not warm up the room properly if it’s covered. We live in the UK so put the heating on a lot haha are the radiators in the us in under the window?

    1. Yes, the ones here are under the window too!! Not sure why they do that! In our previous home, we had moved the bed next to the window but it required us getting a customized something to put over the vent so the air could still circulate the room.

Read previous post:
Food Jar Labels – Organize Your Pantry & Food Cupboards

Get your kitchen organized with these clean and simple food jar labels. You'll know exactly what you have and your...

Close