Things are looking up. We’re inviting friends and neighbors back into our homes. Trouble is, if we were social distancing or working from home, they’re seeing the same living room we’ve looked at 12 hours a day for the past 15 months. Some new scenery would be nice.

We’d all like to put some new life into our homes for our returning visitors. If you have the money and the energy for a major remodel, good for you! If you don’t, here are some easy and inexpensive ways to spruce things up and give all your rooms a facelift.

Rearrange

You don’t necessarily have to go shopping to perk up your property. A lot of what you need might already be right there in your home!

Rearrange a Room

Tired of looking at the same old room? Move the major pieces around and it’s no longer the same! Switch a sofa to a different wall. If two chairs sit side by side, separate them. If they’re separate, bring them together. Swing the bed 90 degrees. Move a dresser to the other side of the room. Rotate your dining table.

In the living room, angle the chairs so each has “the best” view of the TV. Or circle them around a coffee table. Move pieces in from the walls and add furniture for a cozy feel, or spread them out for a more open look.

Reshuffle a bookcase. Swap the second and third rows. Move half of one row to another.

One of the best home decor ideas is to take the decor from one location and move it to another. If you add just one new piece while switching around some others, it looks like you’ve done a major overhaul.

Move Home Decor Between Rooms

That vase or those candles don’t have to stay in the bedroom where only you get to see them. Bring them to the living room for their moment in the sun! Everything sprouts a little additional life when it gets a new venue.

And what about closets and storage areas? Maybe there’s a basket or a table sculpture that’s been set aside but deserves better. Don’t deny it a chance to shine!

Rotate your throw pillows. Or buy a couple new ones and rotate the rest. It will look like you’ve done a total pillow revamp.

Don’t leave larger items out of the revision. Move an accent chair or a side table to another room, and it might show you an entirely fresh personality.

Little Upgrades: Big Bangs for Small Bucks

You don’t have to take out a bank loan or hire remodelers to perk up your place. Here are some easy changes with large impacts.

• Modify your headboard. Throw a blanket or tapestry over it, or even paint it a new color. Or go all the way and opt for a new headboard.
• Change lighting. If a room has an overhead bulb, add some indirect lighting to bring out its undiscovered charm. Use table lamps, floor lamps and sconces.
• Slipcover a sofa. It will look like new at a fraction of the cost.
• Change your cabinet hardware with more stylish handles and pulls. This works with dressers as well.
• Update window treatments. Add curtains to blinds. Or replace curtains with fancy blinds.
• Replace light switch and outlet covers. Fun choices range from new colors to nature themes.
• Update bedding. Add a throw blanket or comforter, or maybe just a few throw pillows.

Take a Fresh Look at Storage

It might not be obvious that you can brighten your rooms by focusing on the closets. However, when there’s not enough storage, things tend to get left about in ways that weary the eye. Here are a few ideas to keep everything happily in its place.

• Optimize closet storage with new shelving, storage organizers and even a small chest if it fits.
• Use storage benches in bedrooms and hallways.
• Keep footwear from walking all over you with a shoe rack or shoe storage ottoman in your entryway.

Bring a Little Nature Indoors

For an entire year we socialized outdoors, and the arrangement was not without its charms. Keep nature’s greenery in the forefront by ornamenting your rooms with houseplants. Don’t limit yourself to what you find at the florist or the nursery. Pot some of your perennials indoors, or cut a few annuals for those vases you brought out of storage or picked up new.

It’s not the same old year, and your home shouldn’t be the same old home. With a few of these ideas, you don’t need a laborious overhaul to showcase your dwelling in a new way!