A fresh coat of white paint started the whole thing. I shared with you my kitchen and shelves redo last week. My kitchen, dining, and living room are all one open room. It is not a big space; my whole house (3 beds, 2 baths) comes in under 1200 square feet. Add to that ten indoor animals and we need to harness some creativity (and manifest a maid)!

Tip #1- Ruggables!

I wish that I were sponsored, but I am clearly not, as I am just a housewife like you all, but I think that makes my testimony all the better. I will never buy a regular rug again. Not ever. These rugs are affordable, especially once you have purchased the rug pad. The rug pad sits firmly on the ground, and sliding kittens, children, and furniture will not budge it. The rug sits on top snugly. It is easy to put down, easy to pull up, and mine go in the wash every week. I have paid too much for rugs that now sit in my garage because I have no way of cleaning them well. I live in an area with 60+ mile an hour winds, desert sand, and again, ten indoor animals, and a farm. Rugs don’t stand a chance. Since I am forever changing my decorating style, it is easy and inexpensive to get on the site and order another rug top(too easy, my husband would say).

Tip #2- Sofa Covers!

My sad new couch, which was poorly made overseas but seemed comfortable when we got it last spring, positively unravels at the slightest touch of cat’s claws. Add to that muddy dog paws, drips of coffee, and life, and we have ourselves an issue. Issue solved, get a sofa cover! I have a few of them and they take the brunt of the cats’ crazy time. My sofa is grey. I no longer love grey. The last sofa cover was mint green. Lovely, but no longer matches the renovation I have done in the past two weeks. Enter, the $38 Amazon special sofa cover. Wallah, brown couch. Throw it in the wash every week, get a different color, match it to your throw pillows and a simple blanket for a brand new sofa.

Tip #3- Hang the television on the wall!

I don’t even like t.v. but we do enjoy movies during the winter months when we don’t have gardening and leisurely walks to attend to. We had a cheap, small one that rolled into a closet up until last year when the picture began to go out. For our wedding anniversary last February, I bought Doug a big one. That turned my decorating desires upside down because the couch now had to face the television. By hanging it on the wall, I have room for my vast collection of houseplants (who sadly, have to live behind bars thanks to four crazy kittens and a Siamese. Getting the television out of the way allows for all things to fit. We now have the sofa facing the television and the wood stove, which is lovely on cold winter evenings.

A unique coffee table that looks old holds blankets, candles, the remote, and is on wheels.

Tip #4- Live with Antiques

They have survived this long, they will probably survive your house! I love this church pew. It creates extra seating, is compact under the window, and gives personality to the space.

My old piano is another treasure to me. I always swear I’m going to play more often. I had it moved to another wall so that I could tuck the television under the shelves next to the wood stove.

Tip #5- Create an art wall.

A wall of curated art or photographs transforms a space. A single, cheap picture (unless it is oversized and fabulous) doesn’t quite have the same effect. Start by placing the largest piece. Then add in the others based on size and a repeating color or theme. Take a photo of the finished wall with your phone and look at it. You will see more through the screen then with your own eyes! You will be able to see if something is crooked, too close to another, or if it just doesn’t go at all. These are my paintings that were framed for a gallery. They look so much better than my unframed pieces. The girl with the chickens came from my great aunt’s house when she passed away since my family thought it looked like me with all my birds! The John Singer Sargent print was gifted to me by my daughter. The original was on display at the Denver Art Museum when we went and it absolutely mesmerized me. So, it is special as well. I can hide plants on the piano if I leave the keys exposed because the kitties won’t jump on it. The sound scares them!

Tip #6- Do something unexpected!

The inside of my front door is painted a gorgeous raspberry pink. It is one of my favorite colors. A zebra striped Ruggable door mat is just the thing to create a little spark. My main color scheme in this new space is black, white, brown leather, and the green from houseplants. The paintings and decorations play off of that, and the general look is more relaxing and muted than my prior looks. So this little corner shows off my personality without overpowering!

The paint, rugs, and the sofa cover were my total cost for this renovation. If you are feeling like you want a new house, just change things up a bit and tada! A new house! Happy decorating!