While refreshing your space can be fun and energizing any season of the year, this season of life we’re all living through right now is a particularly perfect time to refresh the place you likely spend the most time in – your home! No matter if it’s a house, apartment, or even dorm room – whatever your home’s shape or size, any number of these suggestions can help achieve a fresh look (without breaking the bank)!

1. New accessories & textiles

Finding new artwork, decorative objects, and textiles (think pillows, throw blankets, and rugs) truly can make an impactful difference in styling a room. Depending on how bold the statement you may be trying to make, it has the ability to shift the entire style!

One of my favorite ways to refresh a space when I’m eager for a change is to switch up the pillows. I find my style continually evolving over time and it’s of the more affordable and quick ways to accomplish the new style I’m going for!

Remember, “refresh” doesn’t mean to get rid of everything you previously had – store your favorites until you want to rotate again!

2. Swap out hardware

This may not have been one of the first ideas you’d think of, but changing out the hardware of your furniture, cabinets, or closets can really transform the overall aesthetic (especially if it was dated). Candidly, I hadn’t even thought to do this until we moved into our older NY apartment and I was desperate for renter-friendly ways to modernize the feel a bit!

You’d be surprised how affordable hardware can be, especially if buying off Amazon or Wayfair. As an example, I was able to get a pack of 25 small black bar knobs for $22!! I also ended up buying new door handles and swapped out the hardware on my dresser. Here are a few before and after shots (I would have preferred larger knobs but these came in my 25 pack so I just went with it!):

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3. Add greenery

You definitely don’t need to be a green thumb to enjoy house plants (and flowers), but adding some greenery to your space, especially seasonally, always adds a cozy touch! Plus, with most people still being cooped up inside, you can order your plants to be delivered from online shops like The Sill, Pigment, Bloomscape, and Léon & George.

However, if you’re anything like me and can’t keep plants alive more than about… 2 days, you’ll be more interested in shopping online for a nice faux plant! These are usually more costly than the real thing, but at least they’ll live forever! I recently switched my fiddle leaf fig (absolutely love this one – the most realistic I found around a reasonable price point) in our living room to an olive tree, and I feel like it made such a difference!

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Photos via West Elm (wait for a sale!) / Pottery Barn / Home Depot

4. Utilize wall space

Of course, paint and wallpaper are classic go-to’s when changing up a room (and can do wonders, I might add), but no that’s not all! If you’re not up for the manual labor required to paint rooms or apply wallpaper (not to mention the cost of rolls of wallpaper can add up prettty quickly), think about trying a new mirror or creating a gallery wall. Finding a thrifted mirror, picture frames, or prints are very budget-friendly and can also add a ton of character! Remember, you also don’t need massive wall space – a narrow mirror is perfect for a skinny side wall you’re not sure what to do with, and you can even create a small gallery wall of art or your favorite pictures on a blank hallway wall or above a sideboard!

5. Organize

I think many can agree that a clean, organized space is an instant mood-booster! I like to approach it as a 2-step process where I first take out everythingg I plan to organize and 1) find items to purge / donate and then 2) start rearranging and separate into organizers. Really any space, large or small, can benefit from this – your closet, drawers, fridge, pantry, cabinets (especially under-the-sink), garage, etc.

For additional space-saving ideas, check out this blog post!

6. Play with what you got!

It’s as easy as it sounds – gather miscellaneous decor (accent objects, trays, books, vases, even pitchers from your kitchen) into a pile and start playing around with different combinations!

Not sure what to do with that leftover vase from the orchid that died last week (or I’m the only person with that problem! ha)? Use it to plant a new succulent and display on a bathroom shelf. Bored of traditionally-styled books standing vertically with matching bookends? Try laying a few flat and layering a small tray or vase on top; rest others at an angle against the side of a bookshelf; or use small objects like a paperweight or sturdy vase in place of bookends.

The possibilities are endless, so don’t be afraid to rethink how you’re displaying / utilizing the great pieces you already own and treasure, for free!