When you move into any new space, you usually want more than just four walls and a roof. Really, what you want is a home that you can feel comfortable in. A home should, in many ways, be a reflection of yourself—in its layout and design, it should demonstrate your likes, your interests, what’s important to you, and so on.
But when most people move into a new place, it isn’t their customized dream house, already built to their specifications. Most people have to work to make their house feel like a home. This list offers a few ideas of how you can go about doing that, without breaking the bank.
- Decorate the walls
Probably the easiest and most affordable way to give your home some personality is by hanging up posters, prints, and other art. This will make the space more visually appealing, in addition to making it more reflective of yourself and your interests.
Hang up a poster of your favorite band or a print of a painting you love. You can also decorate a wall with photographs of you and your friends and family.
The possibilities are endless and, if you’re smart about it, it’s a design option that can cost next to nothing. In fact, sometimes it may cost nothing at all—if you visit the CanvasPeople website, you can snag an 11×14 canvas for free.
- Apply a fresh coat of paint
A fresh paint job is a fantastic way to make any space feel like it’s brand new. Not only does it look fresh, but changing the color of a room changes the general atmosphere.
You can brighten a room up or tone it down just by painting it. You could even create an accent wall by painting one wall a bold color, and leaving the rest neutral.
If you live in a house and you’re willing to commit more time and money to a project, you might even consider painting the exterior. It can be a tough endeavor, but you’ll end up with some dramatic results. Or, if you don’t want to paint the whole exterior, maybe just try touching up the trim.
- Get some plants
Real houseplants are a welcome addition to almost any room. They provide a space with some natural greenery and breathe life into any room.
Besides looking nice, houseplants also have important practical benefits. They help to filter the air in a room and can also play a role in reducing stress and anxiety by creating a relaxing environment.
There are also just so many different plants you can choose from. Depending on how green your thumb is, you might opt for a houseplant that is high- or low-maintenance. Regardless of what you choose, houseplants tend to be a very affordable option when looking to decorate a space.
- Switch out knobs and handles
The details are ultimately what makes any space, so you’ll want to play around with those if you want to create a home that’s truly your own. One way to get started in doing this is by switching out the knobs on your drawers, or the cabinet handles in your kitchen and elsewhere.
Replace the boring standard one with something more sleek, like an oil rubbed bronze handle by BirdRock. It’s a small, simple change that has the potential to make more of an impact than you might think.
- Add storage
Believe it or not, items that add storage to a room can also add character. And there are so many different ways that you can introduce extra storage into any room.
For example, you could place a bookcase in the room and fill it with not only books, but other trinkets like photographs, small plants, and souvenirs from past trips. You can get a very simple and inexpensive bookcase from IKEA, or shop around at your local thrift stores for a good deal on a vintage one.
Another storage option is to install some floating shelves in your living space, which can make the room feel more modern and give you a place to store all your favorite things. You can find cheap floating shelves if you look online and installing them is generally a pretty straightforward process.
It seems like there’s a million ways to personalize a home, some more expensive than others. But in the end, it’s your home, so how you go about designing it is up to you.