How to Update Each Room in Your Home On a Budget and Without Any Renovations

Name a person who wouldn’t love to give their home a makeover. While we might dream about a complete overhaul, we may not have the budget to do this in one go. If your home is looking a little tired, however, there are some simple changes that can make all the difference.

There are loads of fun decorating projects you can do, from a simple cushion swap to replacing kitchen countertops. Whatever room you want to make over, from your kitchen countertops to your bathroom tiles, bring new life to your home with these easy, wallet-friendly updates.

Living Rooms

Being one of the more high-traffic rooms in the home, it’s only natural that furniture would get a little worn. Marks on sofas and graying of light-colored upholstery can often be fixed with a professional clean. Do an internet search for a company that services your area.

Frayed fabrics and scratched leather may be unsalvageable, in which case you have two options: Buy a new piece of furniture or refresh your old sofa with a slip cover. Otherwise, have a slipcover custom made by a furniture upholsterer — it will still cost a few hundred dollars, but what’s that in comparison to thousands for a new sofa?

Tip: Update your cushions — this facelift is important — simply change your cushion covers to give your sofa a brand new look.

Kitchen

One of the biggest impacts you can make when giving your kitchen a facelift is to update the cabinet doors. A fresh coat of paint may be all they need. Use sample pots to try colors before committing and make sure you prime the doors properly. Another option is to replace the doors all together. Updating cabinet handles, too, will make a big improvement and can be done in an hour.

If you’re happy with your cabinets, maybe your countertops need attention. How about a gleaming new slab of marble? Or perhaps you prefer butcher’s-block wood. If replacing the countertop really isn’t an option, you could always paint over it. Renters, don’t despair — you can disguise the counter top with huge cutting board. Have one custom made in wood or stone. Finally, finish off your kitchen with new tapware fixtures.

Dining

A dining room facelift is more about the decorative than anything structural so if you move, you can take all the changes with you. The easiest update is with homewares — revamp your table with new tableware and table linen. Flowers, too, will do the trick. Lighting is a key element in the dining room, but is often overlooked. It creates mood and ambiance — or a good spot for homework! A dramatic pendant light (or a cluster) over the table will create a focal point in the room.

Bedroom

The quickest and easiest way to update is with fresh bed linen. If you’re sick of what you have, treat yourself to a new set. Choose something that you can work back with what you’ve got to create different looks. Another big impact you can make in the bedroom is with rugs. A large area rug can be placed in the middle of the room or under the bed — position it 3/4 under the bed and 1/4 sticking out the foot-end of the bed.

For smaller pops of color or pattern, place floormats or runners either side of the bed. To create ambiance, change your lighting. If you have high ceilings, hang a beautiful pendant or chandelier. If your ceilings are low, focus on your bedside lamps. A change of shade might be all that’s required. The finishing touches on a room are often the most fun to do, and in the case of the bedroom this means accessories.

You don’t have to undertake a major overhaul — rearrange a vignette on your dresser, change the cushions and throw on the bed or put new photos in your frames. After all, some of the best facelifts are the most subtle.

Bathroom

Lastly, pay some attention to the bathroom. A good scrub may suffice, but go a step further and regrout tiles for a brand new look — it’s easier than you think — just use a grout pen. Tiles are also easy to transform with tile paint. As with the kitchen, replace vanity countertops or update the tapware. Clear out the clutter in your medicine cabinet (be ruthless!) and put out a fresh set of fluffy towels — and a bathrobe to match.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Homes to Love.