Inexpensive Interior Updates for Your Home

In these rough economic times, I've come up with some ideas to update the interior of your home without spending a lot of money. I hope you find them helpful.

For your Kitchen: Consider changing the hardware on your cabinets and changing the electrical outlet face plates. You can get some updated and inexpensive pieces at Home Depot or Lowe's. Clean out your cabinets to make room for some of the appliances that you keep on your counter tops. This will give your kitchen a less cluttered look. You may even find some items you do not use anymore that you could sell at a garage sale or on eBay. Use orange oil to clean your wood cabinets, it really brings out the natural shine. If you have a kitchen island with bar stools, purchase new seat cushions for the chairs. You can find inexpensive ones at K-Mart or Target.

For your Bathroom: Replace the shower curtains and bath mat. You can find nice quality items in Kohl's or JC Penney Home Store. Visit your local craft store, Michael's or AC Moore and purchase an accent stencil and paints. Paint an accent floral stencil or theme stencil over your mirror.

For your Living Room: Paint an accent wall. Choose a color that is darker (or lighter, I prefer darker) then your existing color, and paint one wall the new color. Paint your moldings in the room the same new color as well. If you have carpet, deep clean it. If you have wood floors or laminate floors, buy a new area rug, again JC Penney Home Store or Home Goods Stores are a good place to find a bargain. Don't forget to scour garage sales too. You may find an accent piece of furniture to add or a lamp. Check out The Christmas Tree Store. They sell lovely themed items for you to add, such as nautical or floral candle holders, picture frames, silk flowers and general knick knacks that will perk up the room.

For your Bedroom: Stencil a border around your room, or stencil a free flow of ivy or other design in the corner's of the room where your bed stands. Buy a small plant stand and place a real plant on display. Or buy a vase and silk flowers from the craft store and create your own arrangement. Place the plant stand on a bare wall or in the corner of the room.

In general, remember to look for sales at craft stores and department stores. You can change or add a theme to any room without spending a lot of money. Check out the Internet too. You can find bargains on E-bay and some home good specialty stores. Some sites run promotions on free shipping which will sweeten the deal.

Be creative too. Attend workshops that Home Depot offers to learn a new method of painting. Craft stores also offer classes and workshops. It's fun to learn new techniques and to apply them in your home.