How can I make my house cute?? I have and older home and trust me its little to. How can I make it inviting?

I painted the walls a sage green just about 6 months ago and I want it to look fresh and alive in here. Not just some old country home. How do I do this without spending any or alot money??

How can I make my house cute?? I have and older home and trust me its little to. How can I make it inviting?
Oh, sage green! I love it already!



DO you have any plants? Get tons of big plants! As many and as big as you can! It makes the biggest difference in ANY room. If you arent a plant person, then get philodendrons. They can live almost anywhere in a home. When they start to droop, just put them in the shower for a few minutes. That's it!



I wish I was there with you. It would be so much fun to help you with your cute little house! :)
Reply:Whatever you do keep in mind it is an older home. Don't try to hide this fact. Use it to your advantage! Older houses have a charm about them that can be quite lovely. Put brass and glass everywhere an you end up with a tacky look! Now matter the size, just keep the "old" in mind. It works very well indeed.
Reply:Try to give it an "open space" look. Getting rid of old junk and keeping just the essential is always a good start.
Reply:Yikes, that plant one was scary, but some others were good. I agree with the previous comment about using white baseboards and crown moulding. BUT, it can get pricey and is hard to do on your own.



I suggest instead to paint all existing moulding white, don't forget windows and doors too. Use Behr high gloss ultra pure white. Whatever you think is white, isn't, when put next to this. It really does POP! The high gloss is durable, very easy to clean and reflects light so nicely, it really opens the room up.



Next - declutter. Take big things out and think about the scale of the room. Some big pieces are okay, but not when they are surrounded by a ton of small pieces. Do NOT over decorate, it will close the space in on you. When ever choosing something to go in any room repeat this mantra "less is more".



Take out what you don't use often, pack up stuff to donate and choose family pics carefully. If you go overboard, you'll find you don't notice any of them and they "fade" into the background.



Neutralize - use neutral colors in furniture choices(if you've got bold or floral now, think about slipcovers) and add pillows, throws, flowers, vases, even art in bright colors. To change things around, try inexpensive items that go with the season. They can be swapped out when the season changes and you aren't stuck staring at the same stuff all year round.



Example: choose yellow pillows and flowers for spring. Swap it out in the fall for deep red. Both will pop against your sage walls and look good with the white. The colors can be in patterns or solids, just try to remain in the same color pallate - like cool or warm tones.



Plants and lighting are key, but don't go over board with the plants. Fake onse get dusty and too many live ones are hard to keep up.



In doubt and want to add some drama to a room? Add a touch of black, it lends a touch of class to the room. For example, a black lamp post with a neutral shade, black flower pot, black accent piece on a coffee table. A little goes a long way, so don't over do it.



Warmth and inviting interiors evolve over time. Live with each addition for a while before making another change. Perfection is in the details and that only comes with a chance to live in it and add yourself to the space.



If you'd like to see some before and after pics, just email me. I've done a ton of work on 4 different homes, and our first one was a 850 sq ft cabin!



Good luck and have fun, it really is great to make a space your own.
Reply:A really fresh look is to put in new tall white baseboard and crown moudling...it gives the room a heritage look without being too stuffy. And with sage green it will look amazing. Also, use a monochromatic palate of greens to freshen up the room...lots of green glass (in all shades), green vases, light green fabrics as blinds or shades, and patterned fabric thrown cushions...very modern and fresh!
Reply:Since you painted the room green, I'd go with a nature look. Maybe put some fake flowers around the room. White Xmas lights strung around the room really add to that effect. Since you said your house is small, maybe add a few mirrors to open up the room a bit. Pictures definately make a room inviting, I have pictures of family up, definately gives the room an inviting look. Definately lighting too, you're going to want ample lighting or else the room will lose it's warmth.

Hope this helps!