13 low-effort interior design tricks to transform your home
Feeling like your decor needs a new season refresh, but don’t have the budget or enthusiasm to redecorate? You’re in luck because there are lots of low-effort, high-impact things interior designers do to make their homes feel like new.
We’re all spending much more time at home because the days are shorter and it’s cold outside, so we end up looking around at our living rooms and kitchens and sighing with boredom – because we see so much more of these same four walls all the time.
13 things interior designers always do to make their homes feel like ‘new’
Here are some easy, low-effort interior design tricks to refresh the decor in any room. Unlike wellness interior design tips to avoid SAD, these ideas are more to reenergize your space with subtle styling tips.
1. Rearrange your furniture
(Image credit: Future | Mark Bolton)
Moving your furniture around is weirdly therapeutic, and can transform how you use a room. “Think about furniture placement and whether you can move things around to create new nooks in a corner or alcove that have previously been empty or overlooked,” suggest interior designers Beth and Jon at Fresh Start Living.
I completely changed the layout of my bedroom when I first moved into my rental a year ago, and now I’m wondering if I should change it again and see if I can come up with a different layout that works better. Rearranging furniture is a great way of using what you already have to make a big impact.
If you’re not keen on the idea of moving heavy furniture, you could just move smaller pieces around, as interior designer Birdie Fortescue suggests. Move cushions, lamps and small pieces of furniture from one room to another. “This can completely change how a space feels and how you experience it day to day,” she comments.
It’s worth noting that experts suggest moving furniture to follow the simple 30cm rule to make your home feel warmer.
Beth and Jon Miller are a husband-and-wife team based in Leeds. They founded Fresh Start Living in 2018, after spending 15 years designing and renovating properties in their ‘spare time.’ They know how important it is to carry out the right work in the right order with the right people to give your home and your life within it the fresh start it deserves. They aim to help those who want to do it but aren’t sure how, don’t have the time to do it themselves or those who want to ensure they get the best results without breaking the bank.
Birdie Fortescue is a British interior designer, antiques dealer, and the founder of her eponymous interiors brand known for a globally inspired, artisan-crafted aesthetic. Based in Norfolk, she has developed a reputation for blending antique furniture with modern, block-printed textiles and home accessories.
2. Group decor of a similar colour
Cohesive styling is one of the interior design secrets I learnt from working with prfessioanl designers “Grouping pieces of similar colours together is an easy interiors cheat,” reveals interior designer Francesca Yarnit.
“You may have already heard of shopping your own home, but this is such a great and totally free way to play with styling your home. Simply look around your home for items in the same colour that you can rehome to sit with other pieces. For example, you may have a blue sofa, but everything else in your living room is white and natural colours.”
“See how the blue plant pot from your kitchen works if you place it at the other side of the room from your sofa. Your eye will start to naturally bounce around the room, making it feel less static and boring,” Francesca explains.
Francesca Yarnit runs a small interior design practice, providing uplifting, elegant and thoughtful designs. Her style is a careful mix of modern and traditional, but always tailored to the clients’ style, budget and brief. Having worked in Fashion Buying for many years, Francesca has a keen eye for design. This, combined with being a practical problem solver and taking pleasure in helping people is what led Francesca to working on interior design. Creating joyful but practical homes which make the day-to-day easier for people to live in is always the end goal.
3. Move or add artwork
(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd | Jon Day)
Hanging artwork gives your home an instant refresh and brings so much colour and joy to blank walls. It can also make your home look more expensive. “Moving or adding art is one of the most obvious and immediate changes we can make with little effort,” agrees interior designer Francesca Yarnit.
“I frame all sorts, from a treasured old canvas bag that belonged to my parents from Italy, a book cover that I bought on holiday with my husband, the kids’ drawings, and I actually just hung some vintage Japanese masks my auntie gave the kids one year. But having a play around and moving artwork around our walls or even from room to room gives that instant new look we sometimes need.”
Remember, it’s your home, so when choosing artwork, make sure you love it. Interior designers Beth and Jon say the key is to display things that really mean something to you.
“If you don’t have any mementoes, how about printing some photos off your phone?” they suggest. “And don’t just print them small, go large to make the biggest impact.” Sentimental pieces bring positive energy into your home and help create a home that tells your story.
4. Reorganise one tiny area
“We tend to think we need to spend money on our homes to make a difference to the overall look and feel, but more often than not, having a declutter and moving things around can really change things up,” says Francesca Yarnit. “Try to break down the task into manageable areas, taking on a shelf or a worktop at a time.”
“Sometimes, because we spend so much time in our homes, it becomes hard for us to see what’s not working. I find it helps to take a photo of the area I’m working on and look at the image to identify what’s standing out as wrong or out of place. For some reason, this helps.”
5. Bring nature indoors
(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd | Jon Day)
Styling your house with houseplants is always a win. If you’re one of those “I can’t do houseplants” people, pick up a big bunch of tulips when you do the weekly shop, or buy a monstera and stop overthinking it.
Pop a plant on a windowsill, a dining table, a desk, a kitchen island, for instant texture, colour and life. Spider plants are easy to look after and propagate if you have the time and energy, so you get new baby plants that you can repot.
Knowing when to repot houseplants is invaluable to introduce new pots for existing plants.
6. Change your light bulbs
Never underestimate the impact of a layered lighting scheme. “We all know that lighting is really key to creating a gorgeous, cosy and inviting atmosphere, but it doesn’t require an electrician or even spending lots on new lamps,” says Francesca Yarnit. “One of my favourite, very affordable tricks is to look at existing light fixtures and specifically the type of bulbs in use.
“It can make a huge difference getting the right colour and strength of light. I tend to swap all light bulbs out for a warm white with a lower wattage because I like lots of low lighting rather than one bright light,” Francesca shares. “A warm wash of light is more flattering and soothing to be in than a bright, cool white light.”
7. Update your crockery
(Image credit: Future | David Brittain)
When you’re updating your home, it’s always a good idea to focus on the things you use every day. Elevating everyday items like your plates and bowls is the interior design version of getting a new phone case, and it just makes your lunch feel more fancy.
Dunelm
Willow Trail 12 Piece Sage Porcelain Dinner Set
Habitat
Blue Leaf 12 Piece Stoneware Dinner Set
M&S
12 Piece Country Collection Dinner Set
8. Style your shelves
Interior designer Sophie Clemson, from The Living House, recommends making some micro-updates: “A great way to make your home feel new is by restyling different areas. This could be as simple as changing the cushions on your sofa or switching up the accessories on your shelves. These pieces don’t always need to be new; you can ‘shop’ your own home by using items from other rooms.”
“Dress any shelves or furniture tops that you might have in a more purposeful way,’ say Beth and Jon from Fresh Start Living. “Books can be stacked in piles to create a more interesting visual than putting them all next to each other in the more traditional vertical way.
“And you can then place them next to a vase, candle, or anything else you’ve got dotted around the house.”
Sophie Clemson is an interior designer at The Living House, an affordable online interior design company that helps busy families transform their homes easily, online and within their budget. Sophie has worked in interior design for eight years and aside from designing, she loves to find a good bargain or Facebook marketplace find.
9. Stock up on candles
If in doubt, stock up on candles, incense and essential oils – and don’t wait for a special occasion to light the good candles. Having a quick working-from-home lunch? Light a candle. Sitting down to work? Burn some incense. Reading your book? Candle. They’re a great way of creating a small sense of ritual in your day-to-day life and generally make our homes feel cosy.
“Add candles dotted around on shelves or on kitchen worktops (of course, in safe positions with nothing that can catch fire or within reach of children or pets),” adds Francesca Yarnit. “I love to position them in front of mirrors where the added light bounces around the room.”
We highly recommend the best romantic candles. Try pairing one scent with a few of the best flameless candles to enjoy an extra touch of candlelight.
Diptyque
Roses scented candle
Lights4Fun
6 Ivory TruGlow LED Mini Votive Candles
10. Change your hardware
Whether door handles or kitchen cabinet knobs, a change of hardware is an easy way to transform a room
(Image credit: Future)
Shake up your kitchen cupboard handles or doorknobs for a low-effort, high-impact desk tweak. “Updating your hardware is one of the most effective ways to refresh a kitchen without touching the cabinetry or worktops,” says Gareth Hull, design lead at Hendel & Hendel.
“Handles and knobs sit at eye level and in the hand every day, so when you change them, the whole room feels different, even if the layout stays exactly the same.”
When choosing a finish, Gareth says you can look at what already exists in the space, such as your tap, appliances, and socket fronts – you may want to match the handles to them for a calm, unified look. If you want to create contrast, keep the palette tight.
“For example, pair warm brass with off-white or timber doors, or use a softer nickel against darker painted cabinetry,” says Gareth. “The key is to avoid too many competing metals so the room still feels harmonious rather than busy.”
11. Add something vintage or antique
You should never be the oldest thing in the room, and an antique sideboard or table brings instant personality to a home. “Adding character through objects such as antiques or art creates personality and interest and can give your home a new feeling,” agrees Birdie Fortescue.
“Curating and removing objects that have not evolved with the rest of your home also creates opportunities for new decor and reduces clutter.”
12. Paint something unexpected
(Image credit: Future | Photographer: Joanna Henderson | Stylist: Charlotte Boyd)
Is there a boring but useful piece of furniture knocking around that’s crying out for a makeover? Can you paint some shelves, a side table, or a chest of drawers and give it a whole new identity?
Change the vibe of your stairs by painting the wall as you go up with happy paint colours or freshen up the paintwork where it’s got scuffed around the doorframe. It’s always good to tackle those DIY niggles.
13. Make your own artwork
Feeling crafty? “Try being creative by reusing pieces you already own, such as leftover paint from previous projects, to create your own artwork,” says interior designer Sophie Clemson.
“You could also give your picture frames an update by decorating the mounts and covering them with fabric or wallpaper you have left over or were planning to use for another project.”
FAQs
How can I update my home without spending anything?
“Think about how you can shop your home,” say Beth and Jon at Fresh Start Living. ‘Is there anything that you can move from one part of your home to another to make it feel fresh or different?
“You could also use local social media groups where people are getting rid of things they no longer want or need. One person’s trash could be your treasure!
“On the flip side, are there things that no longer serve a purpose for you? Could you declutter your home to allow space for new things to come in?
“Above all, make it more about you and your personality. Anything that makes you feel happy will make your home feel good.”
Rather than feeling like you’re fixing a problem, focus on creating a home that’s full of joyful moments. Embrace the dopamine decor trend by bringing in colour and life through artwork, plants, or some daffodils from the supermarket.
And don’t forget the power of a good clean – have a power hour with music on and clear out the mess, and get your windows squeaky clean so they let in as much of the feeble winter sunlight as possible.
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