Clean Up an Old Piece of Furniture
If you have a sad, worn dresser or shelf, paint it a fresh color for your room. It will look new, and you won’t have to spend a lot of money.
Remove the handles and pulls.
Lightly sand down the wood, smoothing out snags or bumps. Wipe off the sanding dust carefully with a damp rag. Dry with a clean, dry rag.
Paint the piece, starting with the frame, ending with the shelves or drawer fronts. Let the piece dry for several days.
Think about painting the back of a shelving unit a contrast color from the shelves and frame. Books and objects will stand out with a contrasting background.
Replace the shelves, drawers, and pulls.
Trim up a Lamp or Lamp Shade. Give a boring lamp a fresh, up-to-date look with trims coordinated to your décor.
Using a glue gun, carefully attach braid, ribbon, fringe, beaded cording, or bias tape to the top and bottom edges of a lamp shade.
If the base of your lamp looks tired, remove the shade and cords. In a protected area, spray paint the base. Use either a color coordinated to your room or theme, or choose a metallic spray finish in copper, brass, or brushed steel. Reattach the cord and replace the shade.
Try wrapping the base of your lamp in ribbon or cording. Do just the base, or go all the way up. This will give a totally new look with little work.
Rearrange the Books or Decorations on a Shelf or Mantel
Remove everything from the mantel and clean it off. Look around the house for themed or color-coordinated items. Lay a garland of greens along the mantel. Tuck the collected items into the leaves, clustering like items and balancing the look.
Remove all the books and items from a bookshelf and clean off. Collect books that have the same theme—decorating, travel, literature. Arrange the books neatly on the shelves, creating an interesting collection. Add personal items or photos for dimension and interest.
Move items from one shelf to another, just for the sake of changing the look.
Clear Out a Cupboard or Closet
Take everything out of a cupboard, or do one shelf or area at a time. Organize items by color, style, or use—cooking, tableware, decorative pieces.
Decide what items that have been hidden away might find a place out in the open. Discard things that you know you won’t use again. Collect them for a charity.
Replace things on a shelf according to use. Resist the temptation to keep anything you haven’t used for over 2 years, except for sentimental items.
Remove items from a close that you haven’t used for a while or that no longer fit.
Clean off the closet poles and shelves. Replace the items, grouped by garment type—pants, blouses and shirts, dresses, jackets.
You don’t have to dedicate a week or even a whole day to making a change in the look of a room. You’ll be amazed what a lift you’ll feel by making just a small change in your home. Whether it’s an organization project or an item makeover, it’ll put a smile on your face!
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