It tends to happen gradually. One day, you're sitting having breakfast when you notice there's a chip on the kitchen tile. Then it picks up; you see stains on the bathroom ceiling, worn paintwork in the hall and torn carpet where the cat has objected to being shut out of a room. Before you know it, you're longing for the delicious freshness of a newly decorated home. You spend hours looking online, admiring wide open spaces with white walls that are impractical but beautiful. Your current decor looks tired, and you want it to change. Of course, at some point in this idealistic thought process, you find yourself facing the reality. Save getting yourself on a tacky daytime TV show, a renovation is going to be costly. That's both in terms of the financial sense - how much for new bathroom tiles? Surely they lay themselves for that price? - but in time as well.
So perhaps a full scale renovation and remodel is out of the question. Does that mean that you have to stick with the decor you once loved so much, but is now a constant source of irritation? No. What you need is a facelift - and that's not a comment on the appearance of your skin. That's fabulous. Well done you for all that moisturising. No, you need to give your home a facelift. It's still going to cost a little, but nowhere near a full factor change.
1. Professional Cleaning
For most people, the idea of a cleaner is a pipe dream in the "something nice that I can't afford" pile. Once in awhile though, it's worth bringing in the pros to get to the bottom of tough stains. A proper professional will be able to make things look like new. Start with carpet cleaning and a thorough descale of taps and other areas prone to water damage. You may find things you assumed needed replacing actually only need a good spruce up.
2. Simple Replacements
Replacing your entire kitchen would be a nightmare that would stretch your budget, not to mention the inconvenience. But if you're desperate for a new look, consider replacing the cabinet doors. The change will instantly update the area. You can apply this same philosophy throughout the house. Doors can be sanded and repainted; tiles can be cleaned and have vinyl transfers attached.
3. Focus On The Small Things
We're constantly being told not to sweat the small stuff, but sometimes, the little things are what count. You may look at a room and see the big changes that need to happen, but you can actually give a facelift by looking deeper. For example, plastic light switches are never going to look good and attract dirty like anything. Switch them out for metal for an instant update. Light pulls can also be updated relatively inexpensive, as can toilet seats, curtains and cabinet handles.
You might not quite be able to achieve the look of your dreams right now, but that doesn't mean you have to compromise on your style ideals.
