Stay at Home Wife and Mother

If you’re considering redecorating your home but don’t have a large budget, you can still make a significant impact without spending many cash. Here are a few ways you can change the look of your home without breaking the bank.

Change the Accessories

Boost visual impact in your space by altering the accessories. Replace neutral rugs with modern abstract area rugs. Change the pillow covers on your decorative pillows and update old lampshades. You can also experiment with placing furniture pieces in different areas of the room. By changing the look of just a few key elements, you can easily breathe new life to a room.

Add a Feature Wall

If all the walls in your room are the same neutral shade, consider adding a feature wall by painting one wall a bold and contrasting color. If you prefer not to paint, you can get the same impact by using statement or Astek Home custom wallpaper or peel and stick wood paneling on one wall while leaving the other walls neutral. Alternatively, you can turn one wall into a large gallery featuring photos you’ve taken, artwork you’ve amassed or your antique china collection that’s been sitting in a box collecting dust.

Find New Uses for Things You Already Have

Another way to save money while redecorating is to find new ways to use things you already have. Can you refinish an old dresser and use it as a vanity in the bathroom? Do you have old wine bottles or mason jars you can use to display a floral centerpiece on a table? Before you redecorate a room, try walking through your house to see if items from one area can be repurposed in another.

Thinking outside the box when redecorating is the best way to rejuvenate the look and feel of your home without investing a lot of money.

While the weather outside may be cold enough to freeze your nose hairs, not to mention creating slippery, hazardous road conditions, that air in your home might be worse than that frightful chill. That is because indoor air quality tends to go way down in the winter thanks to everything that has been done to keep the cold out and utility costs down, like high-efficiency doors and windows.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), studies of human exposure to air pollutants have indicated that indoor levels of pollutants can be two to five times, and in some cases over 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. That is a big concern with people typically spending 90 percent of their time indoors. If you purchased one of the Calgary homes for sale, it might be less of a concern than other cities simply because the air tends to be cleaner there as compared to most, but you are still breathing in more recirculated air rather than fresh. Moreover, that air carries not only pollutants, but also dust, mold spores, and pollen, all of which are continuously cycling throughout your home during the winter.

While being sealed up tight inside will keep you warmer, that stale indoor air combined with heating systems increases the mold spores circulating through the home, along with allergy-inducing pet dander and dust mites. Of course, it’s probably too cold to open up the windows and let the fresh air in, but while you wait for the weather to warm again, there are a few things you can do to help improve air quality.

Get an Air Purifier

An air purifier helps to remove pollutants in your home, with HEPA filters that are known to clean and purify the air by trapping particles that a vacuum would simply recirculate right back into the air. In fact, HEPA filters can remove approximately 99.9% of dust particles and common impurities from the air like dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and mold, among others.

Clean Regularly 

A clean house is a healthier house as it will help limit dust and dander. It’s important to frequently clean bedding and other items that attract allergens, washing them in water that’s at least 130° F. It’s also a good idea to use mite-proof covers on mattresses, box springs, and pillows. Be sure to keep your home as free of clutter as possible, too, as it tends to trap and hold dust. If you have carpets or area rugs, vacuum them at least a couple of times each week using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. Getting rid of wall-to-wall carpeting and installing hard-surface flooring can also cut down pollutants in the home.

Limit Chemical Pollutants 

You probably won’t be able to eliminate all chemical pollutants as modern homes are filled with them, from cleaning supplies to carpets and paint. However, you can limit the amount in your home by reading product labels and researching healthier alternatives. There are many natural ingredients that can be used for cleaning instead of typical chemical-filled household cleaners, like lemon, baking soda, and white vinegar. When painting, choose low- or no-VOC paints and look for furniture and textiles with materials that contain no or few known pollutants such as formaldehyde.

Let Some Fresh Air In

Even when it’s cold out, you should occasionally open the windows to let fresh air in. If it gets too chilly, just bundle up for a bit, a much better option than continuously breathing stale air.