10 Ways to Make Your Home Look New at NO COST to You

Over the years, we tend to collect a lot of "stuff", some questionable items but mostly good stuff. When new stuff enters the home, we often forget about the old stuff or it gets packed away. I encourage you to revisit your archives and reinvent your space with these ten decorating tricks.

1) Gallery Wall: Create a photo or gallery wall by displaying photographs that have been left out of rotation for a while. Now is the time to let your old photos have a chance to shine. In order to have a successful gallery wall, it is important to have unity or one similarity that makes the images cohesive. When considering a grouping, you can have matching frames or all the same picture tones (sepia, black and white, etc.) BONUS TIP: Refresh your favorite picture frames but adding matting. Matting a photo adds visual dimension and allows the eye to focus directly on the image. Matting separates the decorative frame from the photo which allows the photo to be the centerpiece.

2)Rotate Art Work: Swap out artwork. Do you have a favorite art piece displayed in another room? Try moving it to a new area of the house that you can enjoy more frequently. Or maybe you have a piece of artwork that is stored away, now is the time to put it on display.

3)Rearrange your Room: Sometimes, rearranging your furniture and making simple tweaks to your space is a way to make it feel new again.

4) Update your Bookshelf: Refreshing your bookcase is a project within itself. It's best to start off with a clean slate (literally). Take everything down and put in a good dusting. Mix in trinkets, artwork, photos, decorative plates on stands, foliage, and other items that interest you in your bookcase. I like to rotate book orientation by placing books vertically or a short stack horizontally with an memento on top. It takes time to get it just right but adds so much more interest to your bookcase. BONUS TIP: Want to make your items stand out?Add a pop of color with wallpaper by applying it to the back of a bookcase.

5) Eye Candy for your Coffee Table: Accessorizing your coffee table is one of the areas you can express your interests and personality. Update your coffee table with your favorite books (maybe one that is too big for the shelf). Add unexpected pieces to your coffee table that add character and texture. Vary objects of different heights to add visual interest. This includes something tall like a vase or floral arrangement. Something short and horizontal such as a stack of books with a decorative object on top. Something sculptural to add texture and interest. BONUS TIP: If you own an ottoman instead of a coffee table, try adding a decorative tray for a hard surface to add decor and/or place down drinks. Trays also keep remotes and other items organized.

Photo via: The Every Girl

6) Create a Centerpiece: Create a new and unique centerpiece. A centerpiece does not always have to be flowers, it can be something sculptural. It could be a grouping of glass hurricanes, a piece of driftwood, an ornate lantern, or even a sculpture to create a focal point on your table.

7) Bring the Outside In: Walk around your backyard and bring in elements of nature into your home. Fresh flowers or tree branches in a vase are just two ways to bring the outside in. Another way to bring an organic element into your home is to collect river rocks (this will require some searching) and place them on an elongated tray with tea-light candles for an intimate centerpiece.

8) Enjoy Outdoor Furniture Year Round - Get the most use out of your outdoor items by bringing outdoor furnishings into your home. Outdoor furniture is nearly indestructible. Wrought iron, wicker, sisal rugs, and garden stools look just as fabulous inside as they look outside.

9) Spice Up your Furniture: Update furniture that is out of date. Breath life to worn furniture by giving it a fresh coat of paint. Give an old chair a modern facelift by adding a pop of color or a trendy seat cushion for a modest change that can be swapped out. Revive a chest of drawers with new decorative hardware. Search around your home for items that are tired and that can be reinvented.

10)Pull from Other Rooms - Rearrange accessories and rotate items throughout your home. When we see an item everyday, over time we start to not see it anymore. Rotate your accessories into new areas of your home so you can fall in love with it all over again. BONUS TIP: Switch lamps shades with other shades (if the sizes are similar) around your home to make your lamp feel new again. A quick way to update any lamp.

Inspiration photo via Studio McGhee