By: Myreille Simard

Are you longing for a change to your home, but lack the time and money (not to mention the energy) to renovate? There’s no need to knock down walls to change your décor! Here are six steps to follow for a simple home transformation.

1. Rearrange

There are always several possible ways to arrange the furniture in any given room. To change the décor a bit, there’s nothing like moving that couch, dining table or bed to a different spot in the room. But before dragging around or lifting any furniture, do a bit of planning on a piece of graph paper. Trace the perimeter of the room following the principle that one square represents 1m2. Then, on another piece of graph paper, draw and cut out paper versions of the top surface of each piece of furniture you plan to have in the room. For example a couch that is four meters long and two meters wide will be a rectangle containing eight little squares. This way, you’ll be able to move around the paper versions of your furniture to try out different possibilities before you actually start changing your layout.

2. Eliminate

To make space for any new additions to your décor, you’ll have to start by throwing away anything causing clutter. Don’t hesitate to dispose of small pieces of furniture for which you don’t have any use, or bigger items that are completely outdated. If you’ve been meaning to get rid of that unattractive end table that your mother’s cousin’s friend gave you ten years ago when you first moved in, then do it; there’s nothing worse than the feeling of frustration you get from an unwanted item in your home. Keep only what you really want and need. After you’re done eliminating, start tidying up. You can incorporate nice decorative boxes or beautiful wicker baskets into the room, and use them to store smaller items you’ve decided to keep.

3. Add some colour

Nothing beats a fresh coat of paint to completely transform the look of a room. Trade in those loud, flashy hues for tones that are more neutral and will be in style longer. You can add some colourful highlights with carefully-selected accessories afterwards. If you’re not ready for a complete change of palette, paint an already-coloured wall back to white. We guarantee the room will seem bigger, and more Zen-like.

4. Replace

Many components of your actual décor can be replaced by something a little more up-to-date. Living room curtains, cupboard handles, bathroom accessories, and small carpets are all items that can make a huge difference in a room when changed—and won’t cost a fortune to replace.

5. Add some light

You already know that lighting is essential in a home, so why not give it all the attention it deserves? Create a mix of floor lamps, desk lamps, and ceiling fixtures for a balanced effect. Changing all the lamps in one room will make a huge difference, but if you’re not ready to replace them yet, why not just switch around the lamps from different rooms? Another option is to keep the same lamps, but change the lampshades.

6. Reuse

Certain items can be reused if you fix them up a bit. For example, cushions can easily be reupholstered with new fabric, as can kitchen chairs; an elegant throw can be used to cover up a lightly flawed or stained couch.

For more fabulous decoration articles, DIY tips, and hot home décor trends, visit divine.ca – Canada’s online women’s magazine.