Embrace your space

I have two major daydreaming pastimes when the outdoor temps are so frigid: scouring the internet for lovely beach photos and locales and changing my house.  “Changing my house” can encompass a number of different possibilities- from looking for a new one to re-imagining the space that I do have.

Admittedly, making a few small changes in the home that you have is definitely easier than going through the business of moving to a new one. Here are a few tips on how to embrace your space, for little or no cost.

Purge it!

Nothing can make your four walls feel even more compressed than an overload of stuff. You’re indoors at this time of year more often anyways, so take some time to go through your belongings and get rid of things that you don’t use (and be honest! And ruthless!).

Get that garden going

No- not the one that is buried far beneath the snow. Maybe while you are going through your belongings to purge, you might stumble along an old vase or two that you forgot that you had. When you’re next at the grocery store, pick yourself up a simple and inexpensive bouquet. It really adds a splash of colour in the deep, dark winter.

Change the shade

No- not of the walls. Instead of buying all-new lamps, switch up the shades for different colour or fabric. It can completely change the focal point in a space.

Move the furniture

Talk about changing up the space! Simply by moving your furniture around (and this could include moving pieces into different rooms altogether) you could find yourself in a completely different environment.

Consider unblocking windows to let in the light, or re-purposing some furniture.

Hang it

Changing what you’ve got hanging on the walls can make a big difference too. For some low-cost ideas, consider painting a blank canvas in an interesting contrast to the wall colour. You can use one big canvas or several smaller ones and place them like tiles.

Other popular ideas include hanging a selection of plates in a pattern. Mirrors are always a good standby too.