Room Redecorating Tips
Posted July 14, 2009 | Category: Random, Helpful | 10 comments.
Remember a while back when I mentioned how I used to hold an obsession with constantly redecorating my room? Well, a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an entry by Izzie, who was looking for tips to redecorating her own room. It inspired me to make my own blog entry, full of ideas that I’ve used in the past! All of the example images in this entry will open in Lightbox by default; right-click them to open them in a new tab.
I’ve had my own bedroom for almost seven years, and I haven’t done an “official” room re-do once. How, then, do I manage to keep myself satisified? I haven’t kept things exactly the same as I first made them at the age of eleven- I’m nearly seventeen; I’d be driven crazy by the tastes of my younger self. I’ve found several relatively cheap, and sometimes subtle (though sometimes not so) ways of updating the look of my room.
Tip #1: Rearrange your furniture.
I don’t have any sample pictures for this particular tip, but you get the idea. Move some things around. For me, it was my bed. My bed used to sit with the short side against the wall, sticking straight out into the middle of the floor. I moved my bed to another wall and shifted it so that it was in the corner (as much as possible), which created the illusion of having much more floor space than previously. Don’t underestimate the power of moving your furniture! It can create a radically different feel in your room.
Tip #2: Pick a color scheme.
Picking a single color, or a few complementary colors, and selecting bedding and accessories in those coordinating colors can pull the look of your room together. If you’re looking to paint your walls, white or other neutral colors will look good no matter what, even if you decide to change your color scheme later. However, if your walls are already bright pink, and there’s nothing you can do about it- go with it. Pick colors that match your walls, otherwise you’ll be sorry. If you’re curious, the color scheme for my bedroom is overwhelmingly purple.
Tip #3: Use things you already have.
Believe it or not, sometimes the best acessories can be made out of things you have lying around your house. One of my favorite room accents are a pair of flower vases that I made out of purple wine bottles. Of course, not every family has purple wine bottles, but I’m sure that regular wine bottles would look just as neat- and if you’re uncertain, you could paint them to be whatever color you wanted! This is what the first wine bottle looks like: Example 1, and this is what it’s twin looks like in the other window: Example 2.
Tip #4: Renew old objects without using paint.
So I have this desk. And I first got it when I was about 7… and it hasn’t been painted since. Yes, the white paint is chipping. But I’ve oh-so-cleverly hidden it: I took a trip to the local JoAnn’s store (I love that place. Great for buying lots of fabric) and bought two yards of purple fabric, which I used as a desk tablecloth of sorts to cover my desk. I think it looks pretty good- a lot better than a chipped tabletop, anyway. And using a fabric cover is easier than painting- and less messy by far. Here’s what my desk looks like with it’s cloth cover: Example. (The cheetah print is the cover. The plain bluish-purple thing is just my oversized mousepad.)
Tip #5: Get stuff as cheap as possible.
This should go without saying. Look for stuff to decorate your room, but refuse to spend tons of money- you’d be suprised at what you can find. I like to look at yard sales occasionally: I’ve found a few frames that way, and have also found a cheetah desk chair cover that matches my desk cover rather nicely. Guess how much I paid for it? $1.00. And if that’s not a bargain I don’t know what is.
Another thing I do is frequently look for sales and coupons at stores: I can usually get relatively cheap accessories at places like JoAnn’s and Target, such as my favorite bed pillow, and the black vase with fake cherry blossom stems that sits at the end of my bed. I’ve added a lot of my favorite things this way.
Tip #6: DIY (Do It Yourself)
I like having a canopy over my bed, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s much cheaper to make one yourself rather than buying an already-made one: especially if you have animals that you know would be all too happy to chew up that netting for you. Making a canopy yourself is actually relatively simple; my bed canopy used about 16 yards of fabric (granted my house has unusually low ceilings, but still), and utilized four screw-in ceiling hooks and various thumbtacks. The netting cost me about $15.00, but compare that to a net canopy on, say, PBTeen (great for inspiration, expensive as crap though), which would set you back nearly $100.00 at regular price. I’ve also made half-canopies before, which just require one hook, with the addition of a large embroidery hoop. Making your own stuff is worth it- you’ll save a ton of money. (If you want to know exactly how I made either the shown canopy or a half canopy, just ask.)
Tip #7: Use lighting to your advantage.
Don’t be afraid to use and experiment with different sources of light in your room: it can really set a mood. During the day, I have two windows in my room that provide sufficient light, but after sunset, I have plenty of lamps and fun lights that soften up the room. For example, I have string lights behind my bed (You know, christmas lights? Mine have horse covers on them…=) ) and a tree lamp at the end of my bed that provide a warm glow to my bed; I especially like the way the glow sort of bounces off of the canopy.
I also have a set of shelves built into one wall, where my father installed spotlights in the ceiling when we created my bedroom for the first time. This is a great place to put all of my stuff, and the spotlights really accentuate it at night, as well as adding to the warm glow of the string lights and tree lamp. I do have a ceiling light, but I usually don’t use it unless I’m looking for something; I find that the light is a little harsh and bright.
Well, there you have it! That’s how I’ve redecorated my room in the past. I’m certainly no expert or interior designer, but I hope you’ve learned something all the same, or at least came away with a little inspiration to freshen up your own room. Feel free to ask if you want to know how I did any of this stuff, or if I didn’t explain anything clearly enough.
