Wouldn’t it be great if, among your friends, your home was the one everyone loved to visit the most? Everybody has that one friend whose home is always pristine and beautiful, and we visit and we ooh and ahhh and wonder how on earth we can make our boring, uninspired home into something more welcoming and creative. Here are some tips to do this that won’t break the bank or require you to do some major redecorating.
1. Provide inspiration in the kitchen with word magnets.
We all have fridges, and they aren’t typically the most exciting looking feature in the home. One way to remedy this is with magnetic poetry: you’ve probably seen these kits around, or you have friends who already have these on their fridge. They can be a lot of fun, especially if there has been some drinking involved. Take it to the next step though: make creative use of printing services and get your own personalized poetry or phrases made up. Favorite quotes you like, friends and family’s names, and funny anecdotes can all be immortalized and add a cute, personal touch that visitors will remember your home for.
2. Wacky plants.
Shake things up and create a great conversation starter by getting a wacky plant. Everyone goes for roses and lilies and, beautiful as they are and a nice touch they may be, your place will be the one remembered for the venus fly trap (functional as well!) or that crazy cactus. As an added bonus, observing your plant before and after watering is a great way to relax the mind. If you don’t have a green thumb, artificial plants have come a long way over the years and now look just like the real thing.
3. Go visit your local arts and craft markets.
There are heaps of vendors and creative individuals out there who are making quality and original handmade goods. Not only will you get to have hours of fun looking at and buying unique gifts and decor for a decent price, you will most like also be the only one you know who has it! Maybe it’s something as simple as a cushion with a mustache sewn on the front. Maybe it’s a nice wooden chopping board with an unexpected image engraved into it, or it’s a super cute clock that doesn’t look like a clock at all.
4. Surf the internet for cool, stylish prints.
You don’t need to spend $300 a piece on paintings or artworks to liven up those bare lounge walls. There are so many websites and blogs out there now that have a large selection of nice photography, inspirational quotes or interesting illustrations. It usually doesn’t take too much detective work to find out where to purchase it. You can always try and contact the author of the blog or page if you get really stuck, or look into printing something similar yourself.
5. Visit your nearest secondhand store.
You never know what you might find: pick up some vintage plates and teacups to add character to your next dinner party or Sunday brunch. Maybe you’ll find an old dress you can cut up and use to cover your chairs or cushions. Make a day of it and go with your friends on a “Secondhand store only” shopping trip: it can be a really amusing, surprising and fun way to spend a free afternoon.
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