More people are spending time at home with the recent west coast heatwave and the pandemic allowing people to continue to work from home, so why not enliven your space with some easy tips? Create your own sanctuary that fits your style – on a budget.

But first, to protect your investment, it is important to safeguard your belongings with a reliable renter’s insurance plan – especially with the recent crime rates up in major cities like LA. We are always thinking about fires in Malibu due to the devastation during 2018 Woolsey Fire and we have had several friends that have had their homes destroyed due to water leaks and pipes bursting. Understand your needs first and protect your jewelry, bike, cell phone, and valuables with the right renter’s insurance.

Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Apartment or Home

Bring the outdoors inside with plants

Choose a Monstera, the Swiss cheese plant for a Boho glam jungle feel that looks great in any type of pot. Learn how to take care of your plants by using a plant app or reading the LA Times Plants section. Snake plants stand tall and fill out a space while a tall Ruby Ficus beautifies a corner. Plants like succulents and cacti add personality to space, especially when choosing fun planter pots. 

LA designer Kelly Wearstler uses the natural environment to create dramatic spaces bringing in dramatic large branches and local foliage.  

You don’t need to spend money, just clip some twigs or unique wildflowers around your home for a beautiful statement. Recently, we used pussy willows mixed with peacock feathers in a large vintage class jar filled with black river rocks. 

Use color inside or out

Check out the Dazey Den for paint color and wallpaper inspiration – whether you use fun bold wallpaper prints on the ceiling or design a color pop mural that cascades up around the ceiling. 

Bold furniture choices and statement rugs in proud colors are ways to liven up a space, especially if you have low ceilings or not many charming character details in your home. 

Consider brightening up a white minimalist living room with pops of color using pillows and art.

Blend new with vintage pieces

Mix new and vintage furniture or décor to create a more unique “YOU” look. No one wants to look like their home stepped out of one catalogue. Personalize your space with items you love. Score deals at local thrift shops, vintage markets ( ) and  Home Goods. 

Use mirrors to enlarge the space

Make a space feel bigger with mirrors. Select a space that bounces the light or reflect the views – whether that be ocean or mountain. Try uniquely shaped mirrors or my favorite style – assymetric shaped mirrors to add personality to a bathroom or living room. We transformed two bathrooms by ripping down the rectangular boring mirrors and adding large circular mirrors and new lighting. 

Add interest by using hardcover books you already own

Take the covers off hardcover books and showcase the beautiful colorful hard spines. Arrange by color or colors that enhance the space. Add a mini plant atop of the books or a small natural item like rose quartz or a small décor item to add interest.  

Frame what you love

Find records, cool photos from magazines, cards, and love notes and frame in unique ways. Don’t want to spend the money on something large, consider color copying and enlarging prints from cards and magazines. Home Goods is also a fantastic place to find art framed at unbeatable prices. 

Another affordable trick is to buy large blank canvases at art supply stores and cover them with interesting fabric. Try 4 small canvases or 2 giant canvases and hang covered with fabric (and secured with a staple gun on back) behind a sofa or couch. 

Buy a bar cart

Personalize your liquor bar cart with unique bottles, flowers, or colorful glassware. Fill a weird space in your home as the bar cart acts as a décor piece too.  

Shop on Facebook Marketplace for furniture deals

During the pandemic people spent so much time at home that people redecorated nonstop to make their spaces feel cozy and happy. Bargains can be found on sites like Offer Up and Facebook Marketplace if you are willing to search daily. People are changing up their design looks and purging old furniture that may not be that old. 

I bought gold console to spruce up a boring living area for half the price. I found an app that would deliver the piece for a few hundred dollars from Ensenada to Palm Springs. 

Wallpaper one wall or the ceiling

If you don’t want to commit to expensive permanent wallpaper, try luxury peel and stick removable wallpaper that comes in many varieties from Spoonflower, Wayfair, and more.

Buy a furniture piece you love and build a room around it

An entire room style can be created by one object whether that be a piece of art, a pink couch or even a geometric colorful rug. If you are completely starting from scratch, consider falling in love with one item and building a room around it.