Giving your house a fresh new look doesn’t mean that you have to spend an entire week’s work — or paycheck — to get the job done. In fact, there are some very simple things you can do over the course of a day that are smart and economical enough to make your home feel new again.

Sure, you can pay for new siding, or repaint your house for a fresh look, but there are simpler ways to make your home feel like new again. Focus on a few small projects within your home — in the living room, bedrooms and bathrooms — and you will have a cool new look in no time. Here are a few projects to think about when you feel it’s time to give your home a facelift.

New Furnishings

Nothing can change the feel of your living areas and bedrooms as quickly and efficiently as new furniture. You can spend less than a day finding new styles that can really give the interior of your home a great new look.

For your living room, a new set of couches, such as a sectional, can dramatically change the way you and your family relax. You can utilize the space provided from a wall-hugging sectional to open up space, allowing you to perhaps find a new coffee table that you like. A well-chosen entertainment center can also help change the dynamic of the living room so you can showcase one of those new giant-screen televisions.

In the bedroom, you should look for dressers or wardrobes that hold enough belongings to make them useful, but don’t take up too much space so as not to feel cramped. As for the bed, you can switch up the style for a new look. If you have a traditional bed, maybe you should try a four-poster that adds a touch of elegance. Even purchasing a new headboard can make your bedroom feel like new, so shop around and see if you can find something you like.

Window Treatments

In the past, buying new window treatments really meant buying curtains. While bedroom curtains can certainly change the look of a room and are worth trying, there are other treatments that are available today as well.

If you want curtains, look for them in a pattern and color that compliments the paint of the room. There are also many different types of material — from canvas to silk — so there are plenty of options for you.

If curtains aren’t your thing, you can find blinds with different styles and options that are sure to fit your home decor. You can get wooden-slatted blinds made with real hardwoods for a traditional look, or you can opt for something more modern. Blackout screens are a minimalist way to block out excess light and can even be connected to a remote control for automatic raising and lowering.

Rugs

If you want a quick and easy way to spruce up any room, think about buying a new rug. This will give the room an entirely different feel and it will be cheaper than installing new carpet everywhere. A good rug can also provide an added bit of floor protection as well, defending against stains.

Area rugs should fit the size and feel of the room. This means that if you have a small bedroom, avoid buying an overly large rug that will take up most of the floor. Also, choose a color and pattern that doesn’t clash with the rest of the furnishings or paint. A good rug will stand out enough to notice it, but not enough to become a distraction.

New Lighting

Installing new light bulbs and new lighting fixtures is another quick project you can do in a day that will freshen up your decor.

There are a lot of different styles of light bulbs nowadays, from Edison lights to halogen to LED lights that can change colors. It may take some time for you to figure out which style you like, but it certainly shouldn’t take you very long to switch the bulbs out once you figure it out, and it will instantly create a new atmosphere in whichever rooms you choose to do so. There are hundreds of styles of fixtures as well — chandeliers, pendulums, pendants — so look for a type you like and go for it.

Simple tasks like these can save you time and money and give your home a fresh look.

Have you ever wondered who came up with the idea of the bean bag and how the first one was made? It was actually invented around 50 years ago, but today’s bean bag chairs are not those of the 1960’s. The bean bag has evolved in many ways from the style to the filler material. Here’s a rundown of the bean bag’s transition from lumpy chair to fabulous furniture.

The Bean Bag Evolution

The bean bag chair, also known as the Sacco, was designed in Italy in 1968 during the period of Italian Modernism. This postwar era movement was inspired by the newly available technology, which increased production processes and introduced new materials such as polystyrene. The modernist movement also favored objects with free forms and asymmetric designs. Italian designers Cesare Paolini, Piero Gatti and Franco Teodoro combined these qualities to create the Sacco; the first formless chair in Italian history. The original chairs were made from pieces of leather evenly stitched together and filled with thermocol pellets. The bean bag became popular because it was the first chair to conform to the shape of the person sitting in it.

During the 1970s the bean bag transitioned and became even more comfortable. This was due to a change in the filling. The thermocol pellets were replaced with pure Styrofoam pellets. At this time, the bean bag chair was not only a popular item in many homes, it was also to be found in the offices of child therapists, and physicians were recommending it for patients recovering from back surgery.

During the 1990s consumer perception of the bean bag chair shifted. It was no longer considered to be just a piece of cheap furniture but became a sought after piece of casual comfort that could meet a variety of needs. The Sacco now shifted its shape, it was no longer just a round sack but was transformed into different shapes and sizes. This was the era of bean bag furniture, which included sofas and recliners. Because there had previously been a number of incidents in which children had crawled inside earlier versions of the bean bag and inhaled the filling, the modern bean bag became more child-friendly.

Today, bean bags remain a steadfast part of Western culture. They can now be found with a wide range of washable fabric covers that are made from strong material. Most are filled with biodegradable Styrofoam pellets, while some are filled with urethane filler which can provide a little more support, and others are filled with shredded foam.

Bean Bag Styles and Sizes

• Conventional bean bags: These are the familiar round bean bag chair that come in a variety of sizes and are great for kids and adults alike. Cover colors and designs are almost limitless.
• Bean bag loungers: If you want a bean bag that you can fit your whole body onto, a lounger is for you. These super-sized bean bags are perfect for reclining while watching TV, reading or taking a nap. You can find all styles and colors of giant bean bag chairs at Sack Daddy.
• Sporty bean bag chairs: Designed for sports fans to grab and put in front of the TV to watch their favorite team in comfort, these bean bags are available in bright colors and team colors. They are larger than conventional bean bags and they’re built for comfort all through the game.
• Couch replacement bean bags:  Ditch your couch for a bean bag large enough to seat two or three people. They’re great for your teen’s bedroom or a student dorm room.
• Bean bag chairs: Slightly different from the conventional formless bean bag, these models are actually shaped like a chair, so they offer you more support and are great if you’re sitting for a long time. These bean bags have a much firmer base than conventional bags, so they retain their form better.

Floating bean bag chairs: Whether you’re floating in your swimming pool or fishing on your favorite lake, these bean bags can go anywhere, from the back yard to the beach.

Bean bag chairs are great for all ages. They help your body relax and are comfortable even if you suffer from back pain. Compared to conventional chairs and sofas they are also inexpensive. So why not grab a bean bag today and sink into coziness and contentment while you’re reading, watching TV, taking a nap, or chatting with your friends.

Max Fletcher is an interior design student who, when not studying, or working on his textile designs, enjoys writing home decor articles.

When you’re browsing your favorite high-end home decorating magazines or going through Pinterest, the houses that probably catch your eye most often tend to be the ones that feel custom. They have beautiful items that look like they were made specifically for that home, and there’s a lot of attention to detail. Some of these details may have been added during construction, while others might be decorating choices.

Regardless, there’s always something that’s more aesthetically appealing about a home that feels customized, but that can also mean that your budget takes a hit.

The following are some ways to integrate the beauty of custom home décor even on a budget.

Add Molding

Molding is probably the number one way to make your home look more expensive architecturally, but people don’t realize what a cheap and easy upgrade this is.

Adding moldings including things like crown molding and picture frame molding is relatively inexpensive, and with things like crown molding, the wider you go, the more custom and high-end your home will look. You can add molding in other areas as well such as baseboards, column molding, chair rails and more.

If you want your moldings to pop, paint them fresh, crisp while and your walls a contrasting color.

Window Coverings

If you’ve ever seen curtains that are too short or blinds that are too wide, you likely know the negative impact non-custom window coverings can have on the look of your home.

If you want to make a big upgrade that can be relatively low-cost, search online for custom or even semi-custom window covering companies. If your curtains, shades or blinds are a perfect fit, it will instantly up the wow factor of your space.

As an additional note, if you’re hanging curtains make sure you put them up high, somewhere around the edge of your crown molding. It will make your ceilings appear higher and give the room a more expensive, elegant feel.

Don’t Buy Furniture Sets

If you have ever gone into an expensive living room or bedroom, you probably noticed the furniture isn’t a matching set. When you go into a furniture store or shop online and buy a set of furniture, it looks just like you ripped it off the showroom floor.

On the other hand, try to choose pieces that complement one another but don’t match identically.

A good way to do this on a budget is to shop flea markets, vintage stores or yard sales and choose unique pieces that you can then customize with paint.

Layering

Layering is something that you can do with the items you already have, and it can up the appearance of your home quite a bit. You want to layer different colors and textures with one another, for a rich, custom decorated feel.

This could mean layering a soft fur or hide rug on top of a larger natural-fiber area rug or adding throws to your sofa. It could also mean adding a few oversized throw pillows in your living room or even layering accessories on your coffee table.

If you have a small budget but want a custom home, follow the tips above to transform your space creatively and inexpensively.