Looking for ways to give your home a bit of a ‘spring lift’, but don’t want to spend big bucks? Here are  a few suggestions to inspire you.

Re-consider the layout: Consider how the flow of a room works – grab a pen and paper and map out how you’d like the room to look. You can do this by using the furniture you already own. Perhaps you’d like to try your sofa in front of the window, or move the furniture away from the walls. Why not try taking some artwork or a rug from another room.

Too Much Furniture? Edit it – move pieces to another room or give them away to the www.furniturebank.org or https://habitatgta.ca/

Tired of the look of your rug? Try flipping it over. This will expose the textural weave and lighter colours. This doesn’t work for all rugs – but check it out – see how it looks.

Plants make a different! The green of plants brings the outdoors in and makes it feel like spring all year round. No green thumb? Visit a nursery, ask the salespeople to suggest easy-to-care for, hard-to-kill plants.

Give your hardwood furniture a make-over with a dab of paint: Tired of looking at the scuffed up coffee table, side tables or even a dining table? Grab some paint and go to it! I adds a fresh new contemporary look to a room. If you have left-over paint in the basement, you may be able to use that. If not, check with a paint specialist at your local paint store for advice on how to paint furniture, chair legs, the mantel or even a door.

Edit that bookcase: Too many books? Just keep your favourites, then add mirrors, candles, vases,  baskets, bowls just like a stager/interior designer might do. (Check out www.pinterest.com for more ideas)

Priceless Artwork: Is your kids’ artwork tucked away in a drawer? Bring those masterpieces out into the light.  Then frame them and voila – fun artwork! Plus your kids will be so proud! Check out the selection of frames at www.ikea.com or www.homesense.ca

Treasured Items you haven’t looked at in years – Old books, maps, vintage china, figurines, lace tablecloths or doilies your Grandmother gave you? You can hang these pieces to create instant artwork. Or arrange them on bookcases, coffee tables etc.