Easy Home Interior Updates

1. Add Trees and Houseplants— Indoor foliage has made a sweeping comeback in the last few years. Not only does adding greenery to your home décor bring a bit of modern flair, but it also lends a sense of calm by introducing outdoor visuals inside. Add to that the health benefit of having these natural air purifiers and oxygen creators surrounding you in your most comfortable spaces, and you have a décor modification that can’t lose. Ficus trees, succulents and pothos plants are all great choices for sturdy houseplant purchases. Spread them around to make your home feel like a modern jungle! 

2. Update Your Couch Cushions— No need to replace the entire living room set to get an update if it’s still functional and in decent shape. If you’re handy with a needle and thread, you can find some hip new fabric in contemporary patterns and colors to create new covers for the throw pillows on your couch, loveseat and lounge chairs. If you’re less than handy, try finding new covers online – or better yet, seek out brand new pillow choices at a garage sale or a local thrift store. Try mixing and matching styles in an artful way to bring even more interest to your soft surfaces.

3. New Art on the Walls—A few simple replacements to the art and photographs in your frames can lend a whole new perspective to your home. Updated family portraits are a sure hit; think sepia or black and white to give a more creative vibe. If you have a friend who’s an artist, think about custom commission one or two pieces for your walls; this will support an artist while adding highly personal elements to your walls. Family star charts, subway maps and geographical maps of beloved areas are other great pieces that will represent your interests and bring a bit of contemporary whimsy.   

4. Lamps and Lighting—LED lights are available in a wide variety of lighting colors. They use less energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs, too. If you’ve become accustomed to the cold white light of the basic LED bulbs, pop a few amber bulbs into the lamps around your house to add a cozy glow in strategic areas; dim corners or table lamps around family room areas are great places for updated lighting. And if you’re in an adventurous mood, shop for pendant lights to replace your kitchen cannister lights or add a fun new chandelier over your kitchen table. There are second-hand home renovation centers that sell gently used pieces that can add some modern sophistication to your décor. Consult a professional electrician if you’re not experienced enough to make the replacements yourself.

5. Aromatherapy—The scent of your home adds as much to the atmosphere as the color of the walls and the pictures in the frames. An inexpensive essential oil diffuser can sit inconspicuously on an end table or a counter adding a toxin-free scented mist to the air and lend your home space a new dimension of décor. You can even spread a few throughout the house and make each room a different scent experience. Choose peppermint or citrus scents for invigoration, vanilla or lavender for relaxation, and herbal options for an overall sense of well-being. 

Most of what you need to make these simple enhancements can be ordered directly from Amazon.com or found at your local retailer. Better yet, seek out some treasures at a thrift or second-hand store in your area and see how far you can make your money go. You’ll not only get more bang for your buck, you’ll also be reducing, reusing and upcycling instead of depending on all-new products that don’t need to be created. And that’s an update we should all be making!