Excited to share this helpful article from Redfin on 13 DIY home decor projects for the weekend. Here is the link to the original article.
June 2nd, 2020 by Lexi Klinkenberg Since we have been spending more time in our homes lately, now may be the perfect time to declutter, reorganize, or revamp your space. Though these tasks can seem overwhelming if you think about them in the context of your entire home, instead, set some specific and achievable goals that will help refresh your home and give you a sense of renewal. Simple things like organizing your pantry, decorating your home, or framing some art can have a surprisingly big effect on how you feel in your space. Check out 13 DIY home decor projects you could attempt this weekend. 1. Get new curtains Curtains can add texture, color, and vibrance to a room. Whether you are looking for a neutral color to balance out the rest of your room or want to use color to make your windows the focal point, curtains are a great way to do so. Readymade curtains are ideal if you have a smaller budget; just make sure to measure the windows first and be sure they won’t be too difficult to put up. 2. Refresh your bedside table A well-styled nightstand can set the tone for your bedroom, but it can also be a practical addition for sleep. Assess your needs. Maybe it should include things like an eye mask, water bottle, and a book. Keep the essentials close and remove anything you don’t need. Keeping your bedside table neat and adding small decorations, such as a plant or candle can give your room a fresh new look. 3. Replace your pillow covers You will be amazed at the impact new pillow covers can have on a space. Pillows are an easy, fast, and cheap DIY home decor project that can spruce up your home in no time. You can add pops of color, texture, and contrast on a small budget that leaves a big impact. They don’t need to be matching — contrasting colors and patterns often look great together. If you’re looking for more calm and clarity, go for more subdued tones like pastels and neutrals. If vibrancy is what you’re after, choose bright patterns. New decorative pillow covers can bring a pop of color or be a great start to changing your interior design. If the pillows themselves are getting a bit lumpy or old, it might be time to replace those too. Try this: “Revamp your surroundings with an accent pillow that speaks to you. Filter out the noise and the trends, and instead find a color, or texture, or a print on a pillow that resonates with you. By doing so, you’ll feel revitalized every time you step into that space. When searching for pillows to personalize your space, invest in pillows that have removable covers that can be laundered in the washer. More than ever, our home is a reflection of who we are. ” – Poetic Pillow 4. Hang mirrors Mirrors are great budget-friendly accessories to add to any home. Mirrors can give the illusion that a room is bigger or has more space. They can also increase light in your home by reflecting light from a natural source or other sources of light in your home. This can be especially important if you live somewhere like Portland, OR or Seattle, WA where there are many gloomy days. If you already have mirrors up, you could try repositioning them in different ways to make your space look bigger or bring in more light. If you don’t, you could buy mirrors in many different shapes and sizes and hang them anywhere in your home. 5. Change your duvet cover A duvet cover is often the first thing the eye is drawn to in a bedroom. If you want the focus of the room to be on the walls, art, or furniture, go for a white or neutral cover. If the rest of the room is simple, then you might opt for a bright or patterned cover. Choose a good quality duvet – you spend so much time sleeping in your bed that it’s worth the investment. 6. Put down a colorful rug Stripes, especially black and white, can give the illusion of a larger room, while other patterns inject life into a space. Take the room’s function into consideration. If you’ll be walking on the rug or eating over it, then lighter colors may show spills and footprints. Generally, it is better to go for a slightly oversized rug rather than one that’s too small for the space. Rugs are a great DIY home decor upgrade that can give your home some color or tie everything together. Try this: “Invest in an authentic, hand-knotted wool area rug. This will not only add functional beauty to your home, but it is also the most sustainable choice; a quality hand-knotted area rug can last well over 50 years.” – Main Street Oriental Rugs “Just like your other decor, your rug should either be the pop of color, texture, or pattern OR the subdued item complementing other bold elements (like bright walls or patterned wallpaper). If you start with the rug in terms of design, it can sometimes be the largest focal point in the room. Vintage rugs are our go-to because they have character, even when going with a neutral, bright, or patterned rug, you are going to get more interest and intrigue in their aesthetic.” – Old New House “Take rough dimensions of your room and take photos to share with a salesperson at your local rug store. Find out what size of rug you’ll need for your space. Even for a small room, a rug shouldn’t be smaller than 8 x 10. As you’re shopping keep in mind what room the new rug is for and what fiber is best for wearability and cleanability.” – Rug News andDesign 7. Take advantage of indoor plants Indoor plants help you connect to nature even if you don’t have an outdoor space. Plants can complement any decor and really add personality to your home. Other than plants having the ability to spruce up any space, they also have other benefits. Indoor plants are great for providing a pleasant and tranquil environment for living, working, and relaxing. Learn more about your favorite species — like the amount of maintenance and sun the various types of plants need— and choose the indoor plants that would be best suited for you and your home. Try this: “First, make sure you buy the right plant for the light conditions. Don’t expect a ‘high light’ plant to thrive in the corner of your darkest room. Position your new plant in the right light and earn your first ‘green thumb’ up. Next, don’t water your plant unless it needs it – overwatering kills more indoor plants than any other well-intentioned practice. Try using a soil probe to gauge your watering routine will earn you the two-green-thumbs-up designation.” – Plantz “When choosing houseplants, consider how you’ll be watering them. Hanging plants can be a challenge to water, so make sure you choose the right plant and pot for your space!” – Pretty In Green “Instantly upgrade your look from overgrown jungle to chic with a DIY plant stand. In just a few simple steps, you can repurpose an old ladder into a perfectly tiered stand to display your houseplants.” – Clean Water Grow “Adapt your watering to the season. The increased light exposure of the summer months dries your plants out faster, so increase your watering frequency during summer. Make sure your plant pot has drainage holes to drain any excess water that might occur. – Invincible House Plants 8. Organize your pantry It’s no surprise that pantries become messy and disorganized with how frequently we’re using them. Organizing this space is a great DIY project that can make all the difference. Putting dry food such as cereal, cookies, flour, and sugar in containers helps them stay fresh longer and make everything easier to find. If you display foods in clear plastic or glass containers, you’ll be able to see exactly what you have and know when you’re about to run out of something. Check expiration dates to make sure you’re not storing items you should discard. Try this: “Keep your pantry organized by storing items in zones and keeping similar items together in categories. Try making zones for baking, breakfast, snacks, condiments, canned goods, grains and pasta, and spices to start. Then add containers to help keep the items together in a tidy way. Incorporate baskets, bins, lazy susans, and jars to corral pantry staples by category. Lastly, label the containers so you are more likely to keep it organized.” – Space Camp Organizing “In a pantry, start by organizing items by how often they are used. The items you rarely use should be stored on the top shelf in order to keep the more accessible shelves for the items you use daily. This system allows you to keep track of what you have and avoid wasting food and time.” – Your Space in Mind 9. Reposition your art When your artwork has been in the same spot for years, you can become blind to its beauty. That is why it is important to take the time to complete this DIY home decor project. By repositioning your art to a new room in your home, you bring it to life again. Before you move your pieces, get someone to help hold them up in the desired spot so you can get a feel for how they look before you commit to that location. You might be surprised by which artwork combos look good and which don’t. Try This: “Update your interior design by adding artwork by a local artist. Perhaps from your hometown or a place you’ve visited. It’s easy nowadays to search online art marketplaces by geographic area and find a special piece that resonates with you personally!” – Boarding All Rows “Though often overlooked, placing art properly makes a big difference and has a big impact on the overall balance of space. Centering art at eye level allows for the best impact of the piece on the viewer. Try creating paper cut-outs to represent art then tape them to the wall to help you to determine the best size and help you plan proper placement on the wall. Don’t overthink the art, just keep it simple and have fun while doing it.” – Shannon Levy Interiors “Swapping out your wall art offers a simple, affordable, and dramatic refresh. Your space can feel brand new with just a few quick additions. We suggest striking gallery walls for maximum impact. They can work in any space and with all types of collections.” – American Flat “For hanging artwork over the couch, a good rule of thumb is about 8-10 inches above the back of the sofa. Try using a piece of art that has pops of bold accent colors throughout it. This adds a lot of interest to the room, it’s almost like playing hide and seek with your accent color.” – OPO Interiors 10. Paint old furniture Painting your furniture is a great way to take something old and make it look brand new again. You can turn a tired dresser, kitchen table, or desk into a unique treasure with some new fresh paint. It’s much more cost-effective than buying new furniture and can give your decor the upgrade you’ve been looking for. Try this: “My advice for homeowners looking to breathe new life into old furniture would be – be bold! Choose a color that will make you smile as you walk by. Don’t be afraid of messing up, and spend as much time prepping as you do painting.” – Thrifted Nest “No matter what color of paint you choose, your finish is only as good as the surface you put it on. Use a mix of 50/50 vinegar and water for a thorough scrub, follow with a rinse wipe, and allow it to dry. Then choose a color in your favorite paint brand and have some fun!” – Whimsy & Wood “When redoing furniture for the first time, start with something small and inexpensive like an end stand or chair. Pick up furniture paint at your local hardware store that doesn’t require sanding or priming. Clean the piece and use a foam brush to get started. It will make the experience easy, fun, and maybe even addicting. You’re giving life something old and creating memories along the way!” – FunCycled “Take an old tired piece of furniture and update it with paint. The trick is to find your favorite home decor item that you already own and use that as your inspiration for the color palette. For example, if you adore that wall tapestry you brought back from Hawaii a few years ago, use those colors in combination to create a one of a kind art piece.” – The Turquoise Iris Consider using milk paint when painting old furniture. It’s easy-to-use, and you can skip sanding if you have a bonding agent. Some milk paints even come in powder form, so you can mix up your own color! – Just Measuring Up The quality of a brush is as important as the quality of the paint. To keep it in pristine condition we clean our paintbrush with a stiff-bristled scrub brush, to ensure professional results, minimizing brush strokes. – Sunny Side Design Sometimes the best finish for a piece of furniture is a natural wood finish. Sanding back a brown-stained dining table or dresser can be just as beautiful as paint. Once the old finish is removed, protect it with a clear matte water-based polyurethane. – Entri Ways “Add some happiness to your home by painting your furniture in that color. What’s your color? The color that moves you, makes you happy, or fills you with joy?” – A Ray of Sunlight “Select a furniture piece that you love before painting and check the structural integrity to avoid refinishing AND repairing. Try to avoid metal, laminates, and other man-made materials and remember wood is your friend. Don’t feel bad if your project is beyond your current skill level, that’s what the experts are here for.” – Revitaliste 11. Freshen up your front door If you are looking to get outside this weekend, painting your front door is the perfect DIY home decor project to tackle this weekend. A new color could be exactly what your home exterior needs to look its best. Choosing a color can feel like a way of setting an intention for what’s to come. Want more energy? Try yellow or red. How about more calm and simplicity? Maybe blue or green. A striking front entrance welcomes guests and is a budget-friendly way to transform your home. “When choosing your door paint always choose the highest grade paint your budget will allow. This will help greatly with the cleanability of the high traffic area and aid with the elusive color retention aspect. High-grade paint will ensure beauty and functional use for years to come.” – Pro Color Jax “When refinishing the front door; don’t neglect the top and bottom of the door. Moisture can wreak havoc through these areas and cause damage. In addition, many door manufactures will void warranties if these areas are not protected with a coating.” – Jax Painting 12. Finally frame those prints Do you have a whole bunch of special photos you haven’t gotten around to printing and framing? When we take photos mostly on our phones, it’s easy to lose your favorites in the digital archives with our other photos. Take the time to print photos or frame photos you have already printed. Printing new photos is relatively cheap and you can find frames from discount stores if you’re on a tight budget. 13. Declutter your desk A tidy workspace can make all the difference in how productive you are. Eliminate any nonessential paperwork and other items. Give the desk a good wiping and place an inspiring quote on the wall and some fresh flowers in a vase. Make your desk your happy place, somewhere you look forward to working rather than somewhere to avoid. A decluttered, neat desk may be exactly what your room needed. “Have a “hot spot” for today’s most urgent project. Personally, I prefer a clear file folder standing up in a vertical file sorter. Also, put your to-do list in plain sight and review it each morning before you start.” – Efficient Spaces “If you work from home, keep your paperwork in a separate place from the household ones. Keep your desk space free of clutter to allow concentration, which means that your stationery should be kept to a minimum and stored in a drawer using cutlery dividers.” – Your Space in Mind
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About UsPoetic Pillow is a platform for creating meaningful space. A room, a home, an office, a garden, any space that we inhabit can be made special by pillows. Decorative throws, pillow covers, and cushions, in all its possibilities can transform a space from ordinary to meaningful.
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