Five Inexpensive Tips to Update Your Rooms for Summer

(ARA) - Anyone can improve their decor with an unlimited budget, but if economy is one of your criteria, you might need some help getting the creative juices flowing.

Here are some ideas for easy, inexpensive ways to decorate on a budget.

1. Change the color of your room. A fresh coat of paint in a fun, upbeat color can do wonders for a weary room. If your current wall color is outdated, suffering from too many fingerprints, or just plain boring, it doesn’t cost much to change it. All you need are a few cans of paint, brushes and rollers and a little elbow grease. Some of spring’s hottest colors are pale pink, grass green and turquoise blue.

2. Consider slipcovers. If you’re tired of your old furniture, but aren’t ready to redecorate the entire room right now, slipcovers provide an inexpensive way to change your look. Choose a color or pattern that blends or contrasts with your existing furniture; you’ll be amazed at what a difference new fabric in the room will make. If money permits, think about buying one slipcover for warmer spring and summer months and another slipcover, perhaps in a darker, heavier fabric, for fall and winter.

3. Jazz up your accessories. Changing items like paintings, vases and photos can really change the feel of a room. Are the pictures of your family so old that your youngest child isn’t in them? Time to go through the photo shoebox and choose some newer ones. While you’re at it, why not invest in new picture frames. Discount stores have a wide variety of choices to add pizzazz to your walls. Local art schools can be a good place to buy paintings for your room at reasonable prices. And who knows, you might buy something by a Picasso in the making.

4. Makeover with wall murals. If you’ve always longed for a room with an ocean view, or if you’d love to look out your window and see the rainforest, wall murals can help you achieve that effect. Environmental Graphics (EGI), a Minnesota-based home d�cor company, offers wall murals that are a perfect starting point for changing a room. Choose from options like “Lake in the Woods,” featuring a glass-like lake reflecting blue sky and the trees surrounding the shore or “Morning Forest,” with mist rising from the forest floor and the new day’s light shining through the trees. The 13-foot by 18-foot murals are printed on high-quality paper and come with specially formulated paste, making them easy to install and easy to remove without damaging wall surfaces. “A wall mural can transform a room into whatever you want it to be, from a haven for daydreaming to a peaceful place to gather and reflect on the day’s events,” says Todd Imholte, president of EGI.

5. Wake up with new window treatments. Windows are a focal point of any room. Make the most of them with colorful, eye-catching shades, blinds and curtains. You don’t have to spend a fortune to add interest to your windows. Plantation shutters create cottage charm instantly, while floor to ceiling panels of color-drenched fabric add drama and sophistication. If you don’t want to block the light coming into the room, choose sheer curtains that let the sun shine through while still adding a bit of character to the room. Add even more impact with interesting curtain rods and unusual tie-backs.

With a lot of imagination and a little work, you can have a new look to help greet the new season.

For a full-color brochure of EGI’s murals, call the company at (888) 205-0914. You can also view the murals online at www.primoproducts.com. Murals can be purchased at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Sherwin Williams stores nationwide.

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com

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