Even the best-designed room can, over time, begin to feel stale. If you’re stuck looking at the same pieces of art from the same, boringly positioned furniture, you may even grow to resent your surroundings.
Fortunately, if you’re feeling bored or uninspired by a specific room of your house, you’ll have a critical opportunity to make changes – and revitalize that stale room entirely.
Figure Out What You Don’t Like
Before you do anything significant, take the time to figure out what it is, specifically, that you don’t like. When you walk into the room, you might have a vague, generic feeling that something is “off” or that the entire environment is uninspiring.
But is there something in particular responsible for giving you this feeling? For example, are your eyes drawn to a piece of artwork on the wall that you no longer enjoy? Are you tired of seeing the room from the same old angle?
Take note of the biggest pain points so you can address them specifically.
Improve the Furniture
Consider improving your furniture situation, either by upgrading the furniture you do have or purchasing entirely new items. Convertible sofa beds, for example, can serve as a centerpiece for the room while also serving as a comfortable place to sit (or sleep at night).
Another option is rearranging. It might take a couple hours of your time, but realistically, it’s an easy and cheap way to give your room new life. Any major change will make your room look and feel entirely different – and when you sit on a chair or a couch in a new spot, you’ll get to see the room from a totally different angle, making it feel new.
Add Unique Décor and Accents
Next, consider adding unique décor and accents that make the room feel fresher and more alive. These are just some of your options:
· Area rugs. Tired of the old, boring carpet? Use an area rug to make it more interesting and develop a bigger sense of space.
· Room dividers. Segment the room with a divider and give it an entirely different feel.
· Mirrors. A properly sized and placed mirror can make your room feel twice as big.
· Benches. Benches provide additional seating but also make the room itself seem more interesting.
· Coffee tables and end tables. Well-placed tables serve a functional purpose and can add a touch of class to your environment.
· Lamps. Inexpensive and good for indirect lighting, lamps can literally and figuratively brighten up your room.
· Clocks. While clocks may seem old-fashioned, they can add a lot of character to a room.
Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint
Don’t underestimate the power of a fresh coat of paint. Over time, walls accumulate dust and debris. They sustain damage. They even fade if exposed to too much sunlight. But a thorough cleaning and a fresh coat of paint can make it feel brighter and more alive. Plus, it presents you with an opportunity to experiment with an entirely different color. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add a strongly contrasting accent color – and make your walls pop out even more.
As an added bonus, fresh paint also has the power to increase the sale value of your home – which is especially important if you plan on selling in the near future.
Cycle Your Artwork
If you have artwork hanging on the walls, consider cycling it. Add new pieces of art to replace ones that aren’t as interesting, or trade the positions of multiple pieces to see them from new angles and with new types of lighting.
Invest in Better Lighting
Better lighting can make everything in the room feel brighter and more welcoming. It can even boost your mood. Indirect lighting can fill your home with light without being too harsh or feeling sterile – and accent lighting can help you draw attention to the most interesting and beautiful elements of the room. Good lighting also doesn’t have to be expensive; strip lights, lamps, and even wired upgrades can be quite affordable.
Use the Power of Smell
The feeling of a room isn’t just about visuals. It involves all your senses simultaneously. That’s why it’s often advantageous to make a room more inviting and interesting with the power of smell; incense, candles, and even essential oils can give you a new feeling when you walk into a room.
Changing the landscape of your “stale” room is a straightforward way to rejuvenate it – but don’t assume it’s going to feel fresh and inspiring forever. In a few more years (or months, if you grow tired of things quickly), you might feel the pressure to change things once again.
With this experience under your belt, the next time you freshen up this stale room will be much easier.
