Want to fall in love with your home again? Whether you want to try a new home decorating style, get better at home organization, or completely make over your living space, these 23 home improvement ideas can help you refresh your home in the new year!
Embrace a New Home Style
One way to refresh your home in the new year is to try out a new home decorating style! From bohemian to farmhouse to minimalism, there are endless options to choose from with interior design trends, so you can test out different aesthetics to find what fits your personality best. Don’t be afraid to mix and match styles to create a look that’s totally unique to you.
Deep Clean Your Home
There’s nothing like starting the new year with a fresh, clean home. Take some time to deep clean your house by dusting, wiping down all surfaces, replacing sheets, scrubbing baseboards and windows, cleaning grout and tile in the bathroom, or vacuuming your vents. The new year can also be a good time to take on more intense cleaning projects like shampooing the carpets or power-washing your home’s exterior! Once you have your home sparkling, create a year-round cleaning schedule to stay on top of messes.
Do Some Decluttering
Make your home feel less cramped by decluttering! Go through items in your home—clothes, books, furniture, perishable cans, and medicine–to see what you need to keep and what you want to donate or sell. After decluttering, you can start organizing the items you’re keeping and refresh your home’s vibe.
Add More Storage
Make your home stylish and functional with some decorative storage bins for items like blankets, throw pillows, electronics, cosmetics, and more. Another way to save space is by installing hanging storage like DIY pegboards and shelving to keep items off the floor. You can also keep clutter at bay with hidden storage solutions in the kitchen, bedroom, living room, under the stairs, and other places around your home.
Make Energy-Efficient Updates
Looking for ways to go green at home? Making energy-efficient updates is a fantastic way to embrace your home and save money on utility costs. These can range from small projects like using a smart thermostat or adding a drying rack to your laundry room. Or consider larger renovations like replacing your windows with energy-efficient ones.
Incorporate Smart Technology
Smart technology helps you use your home to its full capability, making your space safer and more comfortable. Employing virtual home assistants can help you check the weather and keep track of your grocery list so you don’t have to. You can also install tech like smart home locks or video doorbells, which can be controlled all from your phone!
Update Lighting
The brightness, color, and symmetry of light fixtures—especially with bedroom lighting—can breathe new life into a space. Start by going through your home and replacing any burnt-out lightbulbs with energy-efficient or dimmable bulbs. Then, install under-cabinet or recessed lighting in the kitchen, or include table lamps in the living room to achieve a relaxing feel. If you’re thinking of trying a new decor style, consider buying accent lighting to match your interior design!
Give Your Entryway a Refresh
Organizing and decorating an entryway or mudroom is a good way to feel at home every time you walk through the door. Installing a DIY board and batten or laying patterned tile is a fun way to liven up your foyer. Think about buying a console table to create a drop zone for your shoes, keys, and other small items the second you walk inside. Consider installing hooks for coats and bags if you don’t have an entryway closet. For a finished look, decorate the area with a runner rug, mirror, and plants.
Paint Your Bedroom
Want to create a new feel in your bedroom? Give a fresh coat of paint a try! Bedroom colors can affect your mood in different ways, so think about what kind of vibe you want to convey. Going for something cozy? Test out terracotta, which can help warm your space up. Or go for an eye-catching teal, which is a great choice if you also want a bright bohemian look. If you aren’t ready to commit to painting the entire room, design and decorate an accent wall instead!
Upgrade Kitchen Appliances
Not only will upgrading to new appliances make your space look great, but it’ll also help extend the longevity of your home appliances. Stainless steel is a popular choice, thanks to its durability and sleek look, but you can also experiment with colorful appliances. Or take your kitchen to the next level with advanced technology like a smart refrigerator, which can help you keep an inventory of your items and find new recipes.
Make a Multi-Use Room
If you have a spare bedroom or any other extra space in your home, consider turning it into a flex space. These rooms can serve many different purposes, depending on your needs. Want somewhere to work, study, or just get organized? Whether you’re looking for a relaxing hangout zone or home gym, or a combo room for hobbies like crafting and gaming, a multi-purpose area helps to make the most of your home. You can even dedicate the space to your home office—complete with a desk, bookshelves, and a comfy chair!
Rearrange Your Furniture
Spice up the look or function of a room with a new layout for your furniture. This is a good way to re-energize your space and make you fall in love with your home all over again. Check out different trending floor plans to find ideas that fit with your home’s setup. Or rearrange your furniture by incorporating feng shui into your space. Feng shui uses specific rules incorporating colors, elements, and more to balance the energy in your home.
Upcycle Furniture
Looking for DIY home improvement projects? Upcycle a few furniture pieces! When you declutter your home, reconsider getting rid of any furniture and instead give it a new purpose. This can be anything from painting a console or turning an old cabinet into a planting station. There are a ton of possibilities when giving a piece of furniture a new life, so don’t be afraid to get creative!
Pick Out New Artwork
A quick way to refresh your home and show off your personality is to add new artwork to your frames. There are virtually no rules here, so you can have fun mixing and matching different pieces like paintings and photography to create a gallery wall to fit your home style. Add nature shots in handmade frames to achieve a cottagecore vibe. Or if you have kids, consider framing some of their artwork and drawings to add a personal touch to your home!
Restyle Your Bookshelves
Are you a book lover? Show off your favorite reads by styling your bookshelves! Organize your home library by color for a rainbow design or hide the spines for a more cohesive, minimalist look. You could even buy a new bookshelf for a different style or add some new bookends, antiques, and other fun decor items like letter boards, potted plants, and candles.
Replace Hardware
One easy home update is to replace some of the hardware. Refresh your doors with new handles like a modern black lever. You can also swap out drawer pulls and knobs in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. Sleek bar pulls in gold are a great choice if you’re going for a Mid-Century Modern finish. Or opt for cabinets with no hardware and custom pulls for a more minimalistic approach when updating your space.
Add Indoor Plants
Not only can they be a nice addition to any space in your home, but houseplants can also help improve your mood and lower stress and anxiety. Even if you’ve never had greenery before, there are some great plants for beginners you can try as you get started, such as Boston ferns, pothos, and snake plants. If you can’t get your fill of plants, embrace the urban jungle home style, which can be easily fused with other decorating aesthetics!
Organize the Garage
The garage might be an area you find yourself neglecting. In the new year, take a bit of time to organize it. First, be sure you declutter your garage and give the space a good clean, starting with sweeping the floors and wiping down the walls. Consider installing ceiling storage, shelving, garage cubbies, or storage lockers to help keep your tools and supplies off the ground, out of the way, and organized!
Boost Curb Appeal
Want to make a major change to your home’s exterior? Go for a new color on your siding or try something more subtle like painting the front door. If you want to make a bold statement, go with a bright color like yellow or pastel blue. Or if you’re looking for something more sophisticated, you can opt for a darker hue like hunter green or dark red. If you have the porch space, think about complementing your door by adding simple decor items like plants, signs, lanterns, welcome mat, and DIY patio furniture to give the entry a boost!
Give Your Backyard a Makeover
Don’t forget the backyard when embracing your home this year! Do you want somewhere to entertain guests? Build an outdoor living space like an outdoor kitchen or an outdoor living room. Or if you want to go big with your backyard design, consider adding dream outdoor features like a pool, a fire pit lounge, or she shed!
Refinish the Deck
Giving your deck a refresh is a good way to help increase home value. To help protect it from the weather, you can reseal the wood and coat it with fresh paint or stain. If you have any other wooden elements in your backyard, this is a good time to give them a refresh, too!
Redo the Landscaping
Looking for landscaping ideas? Increase your home value and make your house look amazing by planting greenery, paving a walkway, adding lighting, installing outdoor water features, refreshing mulch and hardscapes, and replanting flowers. If you live somewhere that doesn’t get a lot of rain, try xeriscaping!
Grow a Garden
By adding a garden to your backyard, you can save money on groceries and give yourself a fun hobby! If you’re just beginning, good starter vegetables include kale, eggplant, squash, and tomatoes. Or if you’re low on space, consider planting an urban garden, which is perfect for an apartment porch or balcony.
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