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How to Care for Polyester Furniture

How to Care for Polyester Furniture

Polyester furniture has a lot of draws. Polyester is a very durable, stain-resistant man-made fabric, and its color lasts a long time without fading. Despite its durability, one must still carefully care for polyester in order for it to last as long as possible. Check out this guide on how to care for polyester furniture.

Regular maintenance

Polyester furniture is notoriously easy to maintain, and it doesn’t require too much regular upkeep. One way to keep it clean and long-lasting is to vacuum it regularly. Every week or two, gently vacuum the entire piece of furniture to collect any leftover crumbs or dirt to avoid stains or dirt buildup, which could eventually cause discoloration. A good tip for any type of furniture is to keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight, which can cause fading even in fade-resistant fabrics such as polyester.

Spill management

When spills inevitably happen on your polyester furniture, follow these steps to prevent stains and to maintain the integrity of your fabric:

  1. Using a soft cloth, gently blot any wet spots caused by the spill without pressing too firmly, which can damage polyester fabric.
  2. Sprinkle baking soda over the spill area and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This will absorb the excess moisture caused by the spill.
  3. After 20 minutes pass, use a vacuum to remove the baking soda.
  4. Create a solution of warm water and a small amount of mild detergent. Dip a soft cloth or gentle sponge into the solution, wring it out thoroughly, and gently scrub the spill area in a circular motion.
  5. Once you’ve scrubbed to your satisfaction, wet a clean, soft cloth with warm water. Then, wipe off the solution from the spill location.
  6. Let your fabric dry.

Pet hair management

The best way to manage pet hair on polyester furniture is by regularly running a lint roller over the entire piece. Another option is to invest in a slipcover that you can easily remove and wash. Easy Fit offers a wide variety of slipcovers for almost any piece of furniture, from dining chair covers to entire three-piece sectional couch covers.

Modern Furniture Trends in Home Décor

Modern Furniture Trends in Home Décor

Modern furniture is on the rise in the home and interior design world. Challenging the standard straight lines in furniture design, modern furniture highlights curved lines, soft edges, and interesting silhouettes. Modern furniture design encourages elegance with tones of minimalism and intrigue. Check out the top modern furniture trends in home décor.

Natural materials

Natural materials are key to obtaining the trendiest looks in modern furniture styles. Woods are huge right now in home décor. Wooden couch legs, tables, and reclaimed wood countertops took over this year. Finding subtle—or not so subtle—ways to work natural materials into your furniture items is sure to upgrade your home in the trendiest way. Adding a small element such as a solid wood coffee table or roll-away island with a reclaimed wood countertop, as well as having stained cabinets instead of painted ones can bring a room from dated to trendy.

Bright colors

Often, people believe manufacturers create modern furniture with a dull color pallet in mind; think gray tones and neutrals. But actually, modern furniture is actually quite bright. A modern furniture trend that is taking over right now is full color with pops of neutral. Before now, the standard home décor technique to avoid a bland color scheme was to choose neutral colored furniture and supplement with subtle pops of color. Now, the trend outlines keeping your furniture bright and colorful, which transforms a room from dull and picturesque to bold and full of life. Pro Tip: A fun way to liven up your furniture without investing in a whole new piece is by adding brightly colored zippered cushion covers to your existing couch and chairs.

Art deco elements

In the modern age, art deco is making a surprise reappearance in the trends of modern furniture. Furniture long relied upon minimalistic looks, so it’s natural that there is pushback to the old days of art deco. Bright and bold elements are returning to the modern furniture scene. Things such as marble material, geometric patterns, and bold glass finishes in furniture can make your home a modern marvel. A budget-friendly way to transform your furniture with art deco elements is by replacing doorknobs and cabinet hardware with bold and luxurious handles.

Tips for Designing a Studio Apartment

Tips for Designing a Studio Apartment

So many cities are moving to smaller housing models, and with the trendiness of tiny living spaces and minimalist lifestyles right now, there’s no better time to move into a studio apartment. Studio apartments aren’t just for college kids anymore—they’re available in great neighborhoods for working adults, too. The key to making a studio apartment feel spacious and homey lies in the design. Check out this guide of helpful tips for designing a studio apartment to make your space useful and appealing.

Layer the layout

Even though a studio apartment is typically only a single room—some lucky studio renters may get a separate kitchen, but not many—there are several ways to create the illusion of separate rooms. Division can help your space feel more dynamic and less cramped.

Divide and conquer

Putting up a form of division between sections or “rooms” can make you feel as though you have more space than actually you do. Your first option is to use physical room dividers to partition areas of the studio. There are multiple options for room-dividing materials, depending on your space and style preference:

  • Room dividers: Use glass panel room dividers to divide space without making sections feel cramped or closed off. These are perfect for studios with limited natural lighting because they divide without blocking light.
  • Bookshelves: Dividing a room up with bookshelves is a great way to indicate separate spaces while allowing for storage space, décor, and a bit of light in each section. This is the perfect choice for a studio with limited storage space.
  • Floor-to-ceiling curtains: Floor-to-ceiling curtains are customizable and relatively easy to hang. Go with light and airy curtains to let light through, or get blackout curtains for daytime sleeping. These are perfect for studios with limited space, as you can easily place them right up against the side or foot of a bed.
  • Clothing racks: Clothing racks also make for great room dividers. Place them along the “room lines” you wish to create and fill them with clothing. This is perfect for studios with limited closet space. For more style in your studio design, place all of the same-colored clothing on each rack. This gives the dividers a sleek and intentional look while limiting the feel of distraction and clutter.
  • Furniture: Putting a couch up against the footboard of a bed is a great way to signify you’re entering a new space. This method is best for oddly shaped spaces that you might have trouble dividing otherwise. Set up each “room” as a separate space so that it feels distinct from the other spaces.

Use pops of color to create division

If you want to keep your open floor plan layout, another way to create division is to vary the color of the paint on the walls in each subsection of the studio. For example, you could paint the “bedroom” section an off-white color, the “living room” a light blue, and the “kitchen” a dark blue. This way, you keep the same overall tone and cohesion within the space while differentiating between rooms.

Factor in functionality

Functionality is key in any living space, but the need for a usable space is essential to studio apartment living. Most furniture pieces and even decorations should have multiple uses to save space.

Invest in multipurpose furniture

Multipurpose furniture is the single most helpful investment a studio apartment-dweller can make. It saves space, and it’s functional and typically quite stylish. There are multiple ways to add multipurpose furniture to your home:

  • Futon: Investing in a really comfy futon is key to balancing functionality and style in a studio. You can use your futon as a couch as well as a bed. Simply invest in a futon cover to protect your purchase, to keep your bed/couch cozy, and to add a pop of color.
  • Sneaky storage: Sneaky storage solutions include furniture items that appear normal but that really act as secret storage agents. For example, a trunk that doubles as a coffee table or an ottoman or kitchen bench with hidden storage space inside are all good sneaky storage options.

Open up to organization

Organization is one of the most important factors in making a small space feel large. When you’re designing your studio apartment, think about how you’ll organize the space and your belongings for the most logical yet aesthetically pleasing manner.

Hide everything you can

Stash away anything you can store in a basket, decorative box, closed cubby hole, or other out-of-sight storage option. The less items you have lying about, the less cluttered and overwhelming your space will feel. Try to keep this storage system organized by keeping similar things in similar places.

Avoid over-decorating

Decorating is a way to express yourself in the home, but too much of a good thing can be bad. When you live in a studio apartment, the interior design should be minimalist. Hang some art to catch the echo, put a few cute decorations on a bookshelf, throw down a fluffy area rug, and call it a day. Too much décor can make a home feel cluttered and small.

Keep up, don’t catch up on clutter

Once you have an organizational system in place, don’t stray from it. As temping as crawling back into bed after a long day of doing laundry can be, resist the urge to abandon folding or hanging your clothing. This type of task can pile up and become unmanageable if you leave it alone for too long. Here are some tips on staying ahead of the clutter:

  • Take care of tasks as they arise: If you notice dishes are piling up, stop what you’re doing and load up the dishwasher or wash the dishes by hand. Don’t spill something and tell yourself you’ll clean it up later—"later” becomes “never,” and “never” leads to a cluttered and unlivable home.
  • Finish the tasks you start: Once you start a task, don’t abandon it halfway through. If you leave a project half-finished, you may as well have never started it in the first place.

Tips for Designing a Studio Apartment infographic

4 Reasons to Invest in Slipcovers

4 Reasons to Invest in Slipcovers

Slipcovers make sleek and stylish additions to any home or office space. They offer a multitude of benefits and can solve many issues. Check out this guide to the top reasons to invest in slipcovers.

They allow for matching furniture sets

Matching furniture sets can be tricky. They can be really pricey, and not all the pieces in the set may suit your specific style or space. Every home has a different layout and requires different sizes and setups of furniture, making sets a bit unrealistic for many homes. Slipcovers allow you to pick out the perfect furniture pieces for your home without sacrificing style. You can simply order slipcovers in coordinating colors or patterns or even mix and match flattering ones.

They can extend the life of furniture

Slipcovers can help your furniture last longer. They protect the fabric of your pieces, which lowers their risk of developing signs of wear, damage, stains, and fading. This is especially helpful for households with pets or children, who tend to be rougher on furniture and cause more damage. You can even use patio furniture slipcovers to extend the life of your outdoor furniture and protect it from further damage from the elements. As a bonus, the slipcovers will update your outdoor space and give new life to old cushions.

They’re easy to clean

Slipcovers are much easier to clean than an entire piece of furniture. If a spill happens, you can simply remove the slipcover, put it in the washing machine, let it dry, and put it back on your furniture.

They’re customizable

Slipcovers are completely customizable. You can choose the color, pattern, and style or even custom-make a slipcover to perfectly fit your furniture. You’ll never have to worry about your furniture matching your home again, because you can make sure every aspect of your slipcover fits with your space.

Ways to Care for Leather Furniture

Ways to Care for Leather Furniture

Leather furniture has a sleek and timeless look while also boasting both comfort and charm. If properly cared for, leather furniture can last for many years. Luckily, cleaning and maintaining leather furniture is a less cumbersome task than it may seem. There are a few steps to take to properly care for and, ultimately, extend the life of your leather or leather-upholstered furniture. Here are the main steps to properly caring for your leather furniture.

Determine the leather type

Leather type plays a role in how the furniture should be cared for and the care it requires. Different types of leather have differing needs and can handle different cleansers. Here are the types of leather and how to determine your leather furniture’s type of leather.

Unprotected

Unprotected leather is also commonly known as unfinished leather. It is the softer of the two types of leather and is typically more expensive. Unprotected leather is leather that is dyed but there is no surface pigment added. This makes the leather more natural, which makes it more sensitive to stains and marks. To see if your furniture is unprotected leather, feel the surface and inspect the markings. If there are many markings, it’s extremely soft, or there are natural surface grains, chances are you have unprotected leather.

Protected

Protected leather is also commonly known as finished leather. It’s the more durable leather type and is typically more stain-resistant than unprotected leather. Protected leather is the most common type of leather used in furniture upholstery. It’s dyed and then a surface pigment is added for an extra protective layer. This coat is the main difference between unprotected and protected leather. To see if your furniture is protected leather, feel the surface and inspect for markings. If there’s an absence of or very few markings, or the leather is firm or stiff, you probably have protected leather.

Care Tips

Avoid DIY cleaning solutions and instead opt for a dependable formula that’s designed to care for leather furniture. Using too harsh or too mild of chemical compounds could damage and even potentially ruin your leather. To clean your furniture, use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment—for unprotected leather, be very gentle during this process. For cleaning and stain removal, try a leather cleaner or a mild, unscented body soap, and gently rub the leather with the soap. Then, rinse with a soft microfiber towel. Bonus Tip: Unprotected leather should be cared for simply by wiping with a clean, dry cloth regularly and occasionally with a slightly dampened cloth to avoid damage from harsh chemicals or over-cleaning. If you’re concerned about your leather, you can always invest in replacement slipcovers to mask your nice leather and protect it from scratches, tears, and stains. Our slipcovers come in different shades of leather, so you can keep that classic leather look and feel without worrying about damaging your furniture.

Reasons to Get Outdoor Patio Furniture

Reasons to Get Outdoor Patio Furniture

If your home has an outdoor space, you best make use of it. Whether you have a large outdoor space complete with a pool, patio, and full garden, or a simple city balcony, there is a way to make use of your spot. Many people with outdoor spaces allow them to go to waste because they don’t know how to make the space useful. One of the first steps to making an outdoor space functional is by investing in furniture. Here are the top reasons to get outdoor patio furniture.

It’s an extension of your home

A patio, yard, or balcony is simply an extra room for your home. This doesn’t mean you can simply open up the doors and watch a movie outside during a downpour—although, maybe you could. This simply means you have more space than just your home’s interior to work with and spend time in. Spending time outdoors is good for your health, and having furniture to spend that time in is essential to getting outdoors more. Along the lines of extending your home, keep the décor consistent for a better flow from indoor to outdoor. Try to match the base and accent colors without making the spaces overly similar. For example, if your indoor couch is solid beige, try a patterned beige for your outdoor seating that incorporates your accent color. Bonus Tip: We make slipcovers for outdoor furniture so you can protect your perfect outdoor furniture set from the elements while still choosing a complimentary color to your décor.

It’s relatively inexpensive

Compared to buying a brand-new living room furniture set, purchasing an outdoor furniture set is a breeze. We recommend finding pieces you like and ensuring the materials will hold up well in your specific climate prior to committing to them. With cushioned furniture, make sure to bring cushions and throws inside or out of the elements during rain, snow, or storms. Bonus Tip: Give used or cheaper furniture new life with slipcovers to update their design while maintaining their old-world charm.

It’s useful

Patio furniture is useful. If you’re not currently purchasing patio furniture because you rarely use your outdoor space, think about why you don’t use it. Many people avoid their outdoor spaces simply because they aren’t designed for enjoyment. Adding patio furniture gives you—and potential guests—a sunny and comfortable place to sit and enjoy your time spent outdoors. Bonus Tip: Don’t get too much furniture that your space becomes difficult to maneuver, but don’t get so little furniture that guests fight over chairs or shout to hear each other. Find a setup that allows for easy conversation and maneuverability.

Moving Day: How to Properly Protect Your Furniture

Moving Day: How to Properly Protect Your Furniture

Moving often causes stress. It’s not just moving day that fills you with work and tasks, but the days and weeks leading up to it also include preparation. You have to decide what you’ll move, donate, and throw away, and you’ll need to organize and pack everything you’ll take with you, prepare your furniture, decide how to pack it into the moving truck. This is a lot for a person to handle, even if you hire professional movers to help. It’s especially difficult to decipher what furniture needs to be packed in which way to avoid damage throughout the move. It’s important to properly wrap your furniture to protect it from the many dangers it will face throughout the moving process, such as tears, rips, dents, and broken elements. We provide this guide to moving day and how to protect your furniture so that you can enjoy a successful and easy move.

Wood furniture

When moving solid wood furniture, you need to keep a lot of considerations in mind. Wooden furniture is typically quite heavy, and it usually requires multiple people to lift and move it properly and safely. Before you get to the moving step, make sure to remove any removable drawers, knobs, and other elements. Keep these wrapped safely in moving blankets and in a separate bag all together. Label the bag to easily reassemble when you arrive at your new home. Once you secure your loose pieces, you should wrap your wooden furniture with moving blankets. Make sure every part of the furniture is covered to avoid scratches and damage to the furniture and flooring. Pro Tip: Make sure not to use bubble wrap or plastic wrap directly on the wood furniture, as they can both cause permanent damage to the wood surface. Use softer materials like packing pads and moving blankets.

Upholstered furniture

Moving upholstered furniture has a few steps. Similar to wooden furniture, you’ll want to remove any removeable elements of the piece, such as cushions and pillows. If you use custom slipcovers, you’ll want to remove them as well. They could rip or tear during the move. Instead, cover your furniture with moving blankets, then add a plastic furniture cover over the blankets. Tape it down to prevent the blankets from shifting during the moving process. If possible, you should avoid putting plastic materials directly onto the furniture, as it can suffocate and damage the upholstered fibers. Make sure to put a buffer layer in between your furniture and the plastic furniture cover. This cover is simply to protect from dirt and the elements, not to protect your furniture from damage. Pro Tip: Measure all your doorways and furniture pieces before picking them up to move them. This can save your door frames, save you time, and save you a headache. Also, don’t move anything too heavy without proper help. Doing this risks back and leg strain, and it can lead to injuries and damage.

Plastic furniture

Moving blankets are key to properly moving your plastic furniture. Plastic furniture can damage easily, and it’s not easy to repair. To prevent this, pad it as much as possible. Put on moving blankets and furniture pads, if you have them. Secure the blankets with plastic wrap or tape to ensure the blankets don’t fall of or move. Also, do not to put any tape on the plastic, as it may damage it or distort the color. Plastic furniture is typically lighter weight than most furniture materials. Pack with intention in the moving truck, and make sure not to stack heavy objects or too many items on top of your plastic furniture. Pro Tip: Pad any sharp edges with bubble wrap and furniture pads to avoid accidental injuries or damage to walls, floors, door frames, and other items you move in the same truck.

Metal furniture

Metal furniture, while sturdier, is more prone to dents, and it can easily damage floors, walls, and door frames in your old and your new home. Prevent damage by properly wrapping each leg and component of the furniture piece. The best material to wrap metal furniture with during a move is bubble wrap. Bubble wrap will protect your piece of furniture from damage, and it will protect your home too. Use a dolly to avoid scratching the floors. Even if it’s a small piece of furniture and you don’t think you’ll need to put it down during the move, it’s safer to opt for a dolly anyway. Metal furniture can do a lot of damage to wooden and tile flooring when moved improperly or dropped during a difficult move. Pro Tip: Secure the bubble wrap with tape. Make sure not to tape the metal—only tape bubble wrap to itself. It’s also important to tightly wrap the bubble wrap around the piece of furniture to ensure it won’t move.

Leather furniture

When moving leather furniture, you’ll need to follow special procedures to preserve the leather and to ensure the leather doesn’t sustain any damage. Make sure to condition the leather to prevent cracks or tears. You can condition your leather with a leather conditioner, and you’ll find one available at most furniture shops or online. Conditioning the leather takes time, so leave yourself at least a week prior to moving to complete this task. After the leather is conditioned, remove everything you can, such as cushions, pillows, handles, and cup holders. Bubble wrap all of these removable parts, then wrap them in moving blankets to further protect them from damage. Put all properly wrapped removable components in a bag or box together and clearly label it for easier assembly when you move in to your new home. After you pack up all removeable components, wrap what’s left of your leather furniture piece in moving blankets. Then secure the blankets with a layer of bubble wrap. Add tape to the bubble wrap to ensure it and the moving blankets all stay in place and intact. Pro Tip: If you will store your leather furniture prior to the move, make sure to keep it in only temperature-controlled spaces. Leather is a more high-maintenance material than most, and you should handle it with care. It requires a cool and dry environment, so a storage facility with those qualifications is a must. Protect Your Furniture

Tips for Designing a Living Room

Tips for Designing a Living Room

When you’re designing your living room, it’s important to think about every element of the space. Consider style, tone, color scheme, and most importantly, practicality. Be realistic about your living room use and lifestyle. For instance, if you love to watch TV, make sure you have one that’s in a focal and comfortable to watch space. Check out these tips for designing a living room.

Purchase a couch

The first piece of furniture you should get when designing your living room is a couch. The couch you get will set the tone for the room. Make sure the design is in-line with your home’s overall tone. For example, if you have mostly modern pieces throughout your home, going for a ranch-house-style couch might seem ill-fitting. Comfort should also be a focal point when sofa shopping. You’ll spend a lot of time on this piece of furniture so, it better be comfy.

Choose a rug

Once you have a couch, you can start the search for the perfect rug. Make sure you avoid the pitfall of buying the wrong sized rug. Too small and it will be what is referred to as a “flying carpet,” held down by nothing other than your coffee table. Too big and it will make your room seem tiny. A good rule-of-thumb for sizing your rug is making sure at least two legs of every piece of furniture sit comfortably on it when set up.

Look for tables

After situating the rug, you can look for tables. A coffee table should be as useful as it is stylish. Don’t hesitate to mix and match shades and shapes. Eclectic is a style of its own. For side tables, think about convenience first. When you’re holding a glass, where would you naturally go to place it down while in your living room? That’s where an end table should go. Another quick trick is to place an end table on either side of the couch, and one within reach of each chair or additional seating option. This could mean one in between two chairs or one on the left side of each chair. Go with whatever flows best with your room’s setup thus far.

Accessorize

Here comes the fun part: accessorizing. This is what can turn your living room from a plain, “show-room” living room to a space that’s neat but naturally lived in. Showcase some personality and style with your extra pieces.

Don’t forget throws

Here is where color, pattern, and accents can thrive. Once your entire base of furniture is picked out, you get to experiment with throw pillows. You should get comfy throw pillows and invest in custom pillow covers so you can make sure they are the exact right color and design for your brand new room. You can also get a fun throw blanket to keep on the back of the couch for added comfort and style.

Accentuate table-top décor

Many people forget about the style a set of coasters adds to a room. If you get coasters that stand out, they can become a conversation piece—plus, it will help encourage guests to always use one. You should also start thinking about what coffee table book you want to display. Some people go for a seasonal approach, while others go with a tried-and-true historical or educational one.

Emerging Trends in Patio Furniture

Emerging Trends in Patio Furniture

Patio furniture may have begun as plastic chairs, but there are new options available. Take your patio from a blah outdoor space to a perfect blend of indoor comfort and outdoor living with the newest emerging trends in patio furniture. Now is a better time than any to update your patio and move it into the new decade.

Natural materials

Plastic is out. Get on-trend by updating your patio furniture with pieces made of natural, eco-friendlier materials. Bamboo, wood, rattan, seagrass, and wrought iron are all popular materials that will look perfect on any patio. Don’t be afraid to mix and match materials—eclectic is all the rage in home décor right now.

Neutrals with pops of color

Natural neutrals are the trendiest base colors for patios right now. Natural frames paired with beige or tan cushions are a can’t-miss. Too much neutral can fall flat, though, so try to jazz it up a bit with some bright pillows or throws. Plus, outdoor carpeting is out—but rugs are in. Pick out a nice outdoor rug made of natural materials to add a pop of color or an interesting pattern to brighten up a neutral space.

Indoor/outdoor blend

The indoor/outdoor living trend is taking over this year. People love having indoor comforts even as they enjoy the outdoors. This means fully upholstered outdoor seating is a must for a patio that feels as cozy as a living room. Sofas and daybeds are also popular choices for cozy alternative seating choices. Protect your upholstered outdoor furniture by getting an outdoor twin mattress cover to protect your daybed. Remember to store cushions and to put rain protectors on your plush items when it rains or snows.

Firepits as a focus

Firepits are taking over as the focal points of outdoor living spaces, so center your patio around a firepit. Now that modern firepits with easy on/off switches exist, there’s nothing stopping families across the country from flocking to the trend. Consider getting a firepit that doubles as a coffee table so that you can cover the pit when you’re not using it and continue to have a helpful space on which to set drinks and other items.

How to Make Your Home Look Expensive on a Budget

How to Make Your Home Look Expensive on a Budget

Updating your home can make it feel brand new, but many renovations threaten to break the bank. Some minor changes can make all the difference in the way a home makes an impression. You don’t need to shell out money to make your home appear more expensive than it is; there are subtle changes you can implement to make your home impress and stand out. Here is a guide on how to make your home look expensive on a budget.

Outdoor space

Curb appeal is an often-underrated element of a home that can make or break how it is perceived. People will make a judgment on your home and its value within the first few seconds of viewing it. The way your outdoor area looks matters, and some small updates can increase your home’s perceived value instantly.

Update patio cushion covers

Your porch or patio may be easily viewable from the street or your driveway. If you’re using old, worn down cushions, or simply left them out in the rain one too many times, you can make a simple update to revive them. Add patio furniture cushion covers to your old cushions to make them look brand new again. This can be a fun way to add color, style, and practicality to your home. It also can help protect your furniture longer—with a cover on, you’ll be able to remove and wash the cover as needed to keep it looking great.

Add intentional outdoor lighting

While you may have the standard outdoor lighting, adding more intentionally-placed lighting to your outdoor space can really transform your home. Put up lights lining the walkways, especially those leading to your door. Line your driveways with small lights as well to illuminate your entire property. Lights help to guide both the eyes and the feet of guests. If they arrive after dark, they’ll be happy they can see where they’re going—all because of your thoughtful lighting placement.

Display your house number in a new way

If your house still has the number it was built with, chances are it’s quite outdated. You can purchase new numbers from any craft or home improvement store and customize them to your home’s style. Choose large, statement numbers and hang them in a strategic location—they should be visible from the street without straining, but they can still be placed on a slope or in another non-traditional way. This adds interest and keeps people intrigued with your home. It’s also crucial to add lighting to your house numbers to help guests and couriers find your house in the dark.

Clean

Cleaning up your outdoor space can turn it from dingy to sparkling. Clean out your gutters, power-wash your hardscaping, and clean your garage door. Doing these three simple things can make it look like professionals care for your home.

Trim

Mowing the lawn often and keeping your shrubbery trimmed can give the appearance that you have a full-time landscaping crew under your employ. In reality, you can trim your shrubbery yourself and mow your lawn. These are upkeep tasks that should be done weekly and scheduled into your life. The difference a trimmed lawn makes on a home’s perceived value is exponential. If your lawn has dying plants, take them out and replace them with new, lively plants or lawn ornaments.

Indoor space

Once your guests are inside your home, you have many options to really make your home look like a million bucks—and you’ll spend very little! Subtle and small changes inside your home can make a big difference in your living areas’ overall feel.

Curtains

High ceilings indicate an expensive home. While you most likely can’t literally raise your roof, you can give your rooms the illusion of loftier ceilings with your curtain placement. Place your curtain rods much higher than your windows and make sure your curtains touch the floor to create an illusion of higher ceilings and larger windows.

Backsplash

There are stick-on backsplashes you can purchase that are inexpensive and will transform your kitchen. There’s no need to do a full kitchen remodel to make your kitchen seem updated—you can make small changes, such as adding a backsplash, installing new cabinet handles, re-grouting your floors, and washing your rugs. These are all small and inexpensive changes that add color and style to your kitchen. If you do all of these small updates, your kitchen may just look brand new.

Mirrors

Investing in a mirror or two can make your space feel larger and add a touch of class. Purchasing a mirror doesn’t have to be a big expense; you can simply purchase a cheap, frameless mirror and add a regal frame to it later. Resale shops are full of fancy frames just waiting to be hung with a mirror on the wall. Mirrors—especially in rooms with lots of natural lighting—can visually extend your space.

Hardware

Any hardware around the house may be outdated. Items such as lighting fixtures and faucets are easily overlooked and forgotten about. Since these are staples you look at and use multiple times a day, it’s easy to block out their outdated look. If you’re not looking to invest in brand new hardware just yet, there’s an easy trick to bring your hardware into the present day. Spray paint can transform your fixtures and hardware. Try a copper tone for a modern look or a polished silver for an upscale, classic feel. There are endless options that make your home brand new with a simple spray paint can. Bonus Tip: Don’t forget about your outlet covers! These are easily painted and can really tie your home together.

Bathroom

Think about the last time you updated your shower curtain hooks. It’s most likely been a while, and if so, they are ready to be swapped out again. New shower curtain hooks can cut down on dirt, make your shower curtain slide easier, and make your bathroom look brand new. You should also take a look at your toothbrush holder. Wash it out, and if it’s beyond salvaging, buy a new one. These small changes make a big difference in how expensive yourhome appears to guests.

How to Make Your Home Look Expensive on a Budget