How to Refresh a Room

Farmhouse kitchen with white table and chairs and turquoise pendant lighting to refresh a room

Photo by Landon Wiggs; home of Maryal Miller Carter

Ready to refresh a room in your home this year? Whether you’re just changing up the paint and pillows or want to do a full renovation, we’ll help you prepare with our 7 Steps to Get Remodel Ready series. Sign up here to get the full series, as well as free printables to help you plan!

Ready? Here we go!

Our 2019 project house, with a kitchen in navy blue and white. Photograph by Ridgelight Studio LLC

Choose a Room

The first step to refresh a room is to pick a room to refresh. If you don’t know where to start, take a walk-through of your home and note the things that bug you. Is it the messy pile of shoes that always accumulates in the entryway? The master bathroom that doesn’t have enough space for you and your spouse to maneuver in the mornings? Are you tired of the disfunction in the kids’ playroom, or the lack of style in the living room?

If you have too many spaces you want to remodel (and trust us, we know the feeling), then just pick one. You can choose the room that bugs you the most, the room that guests see the most, or the room you have a budget to remodel. But for the sake of your budget, your time and your sanity, work to refresh a room at a time, instead of all at once.

Homeowner Heather Tartaglia’s home has an entryway with a faux fireplace in between the living room and kitchen, which guests see when they first enter the house. The feature is a great way to welcome visitors into her farmhouse style, and Heather can change up the mantel décor to match the season. Photograph by Chad Mellon

Create a Room Vision

Next you’ll create a vision for this refresh. This is the fun part—you get to dream! Start with what bugs you. What’s dysfunctional about the room? Whether it’s the layout and flow, the color scheme and style, or the organization and function, write down what needs to change. Those will be your priorities.

Did we mention that we have a printable to help you with this? Don’t forget to sign up for the email series to get it!

Farmhouse Christmas Decorating Ideas

A white buffet cabinet transformed into a coffee bar on which cups and saucers sit. — A buffet cabinet turned coffee bar shows how farmhouse style can include different interpretations. “The cabinet is a little more vintage,” homeowner Stacey Rossetti says. “That’s the beauty of farmhouse style; there are so many variations that a lot of pieces can work.” The buffet was a labor of love. She got it at an auction house for $100 and used a bleached wood technique on the legs for a unique look. Photograph by Ryan Liu

Finally, consider the feelings you want this room to evoke. If it’s a bedroom, maybe you want it to feel luxurious and private. For a living room, maybe it’s inviting and family-friendly. You’ll use this vibe vision to make sure you’re on track as you pick the elements that will refresh a room in your house.

Stack of printable papers for room refresh — Don’t forget to sign up for our 7 Steps to Get Remodel Ready for our set of free printables!

Doing a bathroom remodel? Take a look at whether it should have a bathtub, shower or both! Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!

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budget decorating farmhouse remodel Remodel Renovation

Author Bio

Victoria Van Vlear

Victoria is a brand advisor, marketing strategist, writer and editor. She was the editorial director of American Farmhouse Style for almost 10 years, and now enjoys writing occasional articles for the magazine and receiving the beautiful copies in the mail. Victoria is also a wife and mom to three little ones: two on earth and one in heaven. With any (not so spare) time, she devours books, dabbles in fiction writing and works on her house. As a home décor enthusiast and DIYer herself, she knows what a little paint and patience can do for a room!

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