How To Refresh Your Apartment For Spring Without Buying Anything

With the warmer weather just around the corner, our thoughts usually turn to spring cleaning. We’re most excited, though, about the prospect of redecorating to help usher in the brand new season. Our approach doesn’t involve shopping either; instead, we want to brighten up our spaces simply by using what we already have. Here are our suggestions for how to refresh your apartment for spring without buying anything.

Switch Up Your Furniture Layout

We’re big advocates of moving things around and changing the energy in a room, believing that it helps you to experience both your space and your possessions in a brand new way. While you may not be able to do this in every room, you can usually tinker with the placement of some of the smaller elements (such as side tables, lighting, accent chairs, art, even coffee tables and rugs) while leaving your larger, anchor pieces in place. Take pictures both before and after; they can help you remember what worked, what didn’t, and help you see more objectively.

Move Items From Room To Room

You’re not limited to moving objects within a single room, of course. Why not move that accent chair from the bedroom into the corner of your living room? Or take the bar cart from your living room and use it to house your new seedlings beneath a sunny window in the kitchen? You can also experiment with assigning a new function to existing items. A stool you used for extra seating when guests drop by can be used as a chic bedside table or to hold your bath essentials beside the tub. 

Reposition A Few Key Pieces Of Art And Lighting

After a while, you can stop seeing and appreciating items—even if they’re things you love dearly—just because they’re in the same place they’ve always been. Moving items around extends to your art and accessories; in fact, one of the best ways to refresh your apartment for spring is to play with the way you light the space. Table lamps, floor lamps, even battery-operated candles can all be moved and repositioned to shift emphasis. Accent a different corner or move a task to a different room and put some excitement back in your interiors.

Declutter

While it could be argued that decluttering is a spring cleaning task, it’s something we should all aim to do more of on a more regular basis—year-round. Often it’s hard to truly appreciate our spaces because there’s just too much stuff in the way: things on countertops, cluttered surfaces, overstuffed closets, cabinets, and drawers. This is a good time to give underused items away to friends and charities. Keep things out of the trash by repurposing what you already have, giving unneeded items away for free on sharing apps, and making small repairs where needed.

Organize Your Collections

Make the most of what you’ve got and display your favourite collections or belongings in a way that looks good and serves as personalized decor. Group books together and photographs, display chic items from your closet. If you’re a collector or a connoisseur, show off your expertise; spend some time organizing your treasures and coming up with a creative way to highlight them. If certain things need to be tucked away (paperwork or other odds and ends), put an organization system in place to keep them in check.

You don’t need to buy anything at all in order to refresh your apartment this spring—all you need is some time and creativity. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to follow the Medallion blog for more great home decorating ideas.