Tips + Tricks To Refresh Your Space

Hey friends! So it’s summer. Do you know what that means? Lack of routine, hardly being home, etc. Summer has seriously been a bit cray. From a day trip to Silver Lake, a summer BBQ with friends, a hubby that was barely home for 2 weeks, our 5 day getaway to Lake Almanor, a friend’s birthday celebration which included a F U N night out {and hangover the next day}, a quick trip to Long Beach {which was unplanned and more business than pleasure}, a quick trip to Tahoe to pick up my youngest {who has been gone for almost 2 weeks on and off #socialkid} and then home to get ready for my brother and his fam of 5 who just left this morning after 5 nights. Oh, plus last night I hosted my sis in law’s birthday here which added, even more, peeps to my house. Are you still following me? 😉 My youngest sister is also in the process of moving nearby so I have been at her new place a lot and helping her by watching my 2 16-month-old twin nieces who are, by the way, so much fun! Says the auntie who sleeps all night long unlike their mama who does not get that same luxury.

I said goodbye to my houseguests this morning. Today has been a down day for me. OK, that’s pretty much a lie. Really that means that I am catching up around here. My house is officially spotless. That should last for about 2 seconds. I am doing laundry. I welcomed my almost 13-year-old home after not seeing him since Sunday morning. That included lots of hugs. I missed his cute face. I also had my car washed. After a trip to the mountains on a very dusty road and spilling an entire potted plant in my car yesterday, it was kind of necessary. Over the past few years, I have realized how much decompressing means to me. If I overload my plate, I am stressed and I easily feel so overstimulated. I need the downtime. So today is about not making commitments. I am not making phone calls. I am basically disconnecting. I am checking out a bit BUT I have totally missed blogging. Blogging is my way to be an introverted extrovert. Ha!

Now that I have done my emotional purge, let’s move on to today’s blog topic, shall we? As I mentioned, my sister just moved into a new place. Of course, any new space is a fresh slate to do whatever your little heart {and pocket book} desires. She asked me for help decorating her place. She also asked me to paint all.the.things. Disclaimer: I don’t do ceilings. Seriously. I did paint my bathroom and laundry room ceilings but those were smallish and doable. I am always happy to decorate a space. What that looks like has changed for me over the years. I am a bit more simple and I gravitate towards the neutrals these days. PS – Navy is a neutral around here. If you saw my home, you’d definitely see that I am pulled towards the farmhouse vibe. I like adding in black and white with rustic elements like barn wood. For decor, I am a fan of letter boards, chalkboards, framed printables and my latest obsession? Using book pages as ‘wallpaper’. You can see my mantel decor here. Tip: Scoop up books at yard sales or thrift stores for C H E A P.

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CLEAR THE CLUTTER: One of the best things to do when you want a space to look ‘pretty and tidy’? Clear the clutter. Less stuff makes a place feel fresh and clean. I am currently in a buy less, purge more phase. It gives me great satisfaction to get rid of unnecessary stuff. I find that I can go back through a space months after a purge and find more that I really still haven’t used in so long. I just cleared out a bunch of clothes. I realized that I had bought two new cardis in the spring and I have basically worn almost no other sweaters in my closet since. Hmmmm. Seems to be my thing. I buy, I wear through a season or two and I am over it. My wardrobe mostly comes from Marshall’s and Target so the guilt of not wearing expensive clothes isn’t there for me. Jeans and shoes are more timeless and I tend to hold on to those for much longer. I also recently got rid of several cookbooks that have been collecting dust as well as several old serving pieces.

@christlovesjulia keeps things clutter free and it just looks a space I’d want to be in. Not having too much ‘stuff’ helps a room feel relaxed.

PAINT IT: My favorite way to refresh a space? Paint. Always paint. Paint can give a space a whole new vibe. It can make anything look fresh and bright again. Paint is great for walls and furniture. It’s also a great way to change the picture frames in your house. Once upon a time, all my frames were black. They have since been repainted to look like old wood. Yep, really. That technique is so simple. You do a couple of coats of chalk paint in white or cream and then do a coat of stain over the top. #gamechanger Chalk paint is great for furniture and small projects as it dries so quickly which is a bonus.

Better Homes and Garden always has fun decor tips. I love seeing their monthly color palette when I get my magazine in the mail.

RE-ARRANGE: Moving your furniture can make a space feel completely refreshed. Either rearrange within the room or rehome stuff into different rooms in your house.

SHOP YOUR HOME: By using what you already have, you can save money which is always a bonus, right? Recently I felt like I wanted a change in my house so just moved some stuff around and also used some decor that I had in storage {I have lots of decor from years of being a shopaholic into decorating stored in my closet}. It gave me the refresh that I was looking for without costing me a dime.

MAKE IT MATCH: OK, I’ll admit it – one of my favorite ways to make a space feel cohesive is to give it a theme or make it match. Example? Dishes. Buy a matching set. Buy the matching glassware and silverware. Unless you really love the whole hodgepodge thing, then go for it. I have decided that I am really into white/neutral dishes. They are what I use the most. I invested in a new set at Crate and Barrel last year and I am so glad that I did. I love that they are timeless and I can replace them if I break one cause they carry the same ones for the most part. I also love the idea of buying matching towels. Bath, hand, and washcloths. Target is one of my favorite places to stock up.

@homeiswheremyartis definitely had me at hello I mean matching dishes. Who knows what movie I just quoted? Come on. Someone knows! 😉

BE THOUGHTFUL IN YOUR CHOICES: What do I mean by this? Don’t be impulsive. Think about how you’d like a space to look and feel. If you aren’t much of a decorator, enlist the help of a designer or a friend who likes to decorate. Also, Pinterest is an awesome resource for inspiration. Impulse buys can lead to clutter and an incohesive feel.

@yellowprairieinteriors made her porch look fun but didn’t overdo anything. This to me is thoughtful decorating.

PICK A COLOR THEME: I tend to go neutral with my base {my walls and furniture are all neutral} so that I can throw in pops of color with things like throw pillows, art, and other accessories.

@theheartandhaven has fab style. She does neutral so well!

DECORATE: You can pull a space together with some fun art, faux greenery, table runners, throw pillows, picture frames, and whatever signature touches you’d like to add to make it your own. I love using books in vignettes to add some dimension to a space. You can stack them as a way to display other items such as candles or vases. You can use the pages for wallpaper. Books are fab and so easily accessible. Thrift stores and yard sales are great places to scoop up some books for home decor. Art is also a great way to express yo’ self. I am a big fan of using free printables. Pinterest is full of awesome art if you just do a search for ‘free printables’. I love faux greenery and Marshall’s is one of my favorite places to find it. I have faux wreaths as well. Greenery just makes a space feel alive. If you can, add in fresh flowers every now and again too! Baskets are also a great way to add in visual decor and shhhh – it’s a way to hide the things you don’t want showing all the time likes kids toys, games and maybe even something like shoes. Another favorite way to pull a space together is to add in decorative trays. I love adding some books, greenery and a candle to trays. It is a perfect bit of decor for a table or even a dresser.

@decorating_life nailed it with these fun display of books. I also love the tray and big vase of greenery on the table.

Are you a fan of neat + tidy space? What is your favorite way to refresh your space?

Oh, I stepped away this evening and left my teens unattended in my home. Gasp. My last words were, “Don’t you dare make/leave a mess while I am gone”. I came home to chocolate from last nights ice cream cake on my couch people. Chocolate on my BRAND NEW COUCH. Pringles on the floor and pretzels on the couch plus numerous cups from thirsty people on my counters. I lost my marbles. Neither kid is fessing up but they are both being so cautious around this angry mama. Tread lightly on a freshly cleaned house. At least for more than an hour! Right?

Happy summer!