Does Your Home Look Dated? 8 Easy Tips To Bring It Out of the 1900s
Do you love a quick fix as much as I do? I mean sure, I can appreciate a good home project (and trust me there are plenty in my house) but sometimes you just want instant gratification. I believe the 2 primary reasons people don’t regularly update their home décor are 1. Money: It can be expensive to keep up with home trends and 2. Time: It can seem like too big of a project to tackle with everything else life throws at you. So, for this post, let’s focus on fast, easy, and relatively inexpensive ways to update your home. These are small but impactful touches that will bring your home out of the 1900s and into the roaring 20s 😎 AND give it some new life!
Disclaimer: What is “in” and “dated” can be a very personal decision. These suggestions are not meant to offend anyone, YOU DO YOU in YOUR home, but if you are looking to modernize your space, these tips are a great place to start.
For the 3 home decor mistakes you really want to avoid, be sure to check out this post!
8 Ways To Update Your Home
#1) Declutter & Clean
The most impactful thing you can do to update your space is to declutter. I know, I know… that’s not necessarily groundbreaking advice, but less is more and a modern aesthetic is geared more toward minimalism than tons of knickknacks everywhere! You’d be surprised just how much better your space will look with fewer things in it! In case you missed it, I shared some decluttering tips here. Keep scrolling for more tips for quick fix updates for a dated home…
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#2) Update Fake Flower Arrangements
If you have colorful plastic floral arrangements in your home, that you bought years ago, it might be time to replace them with something more current like green artificial stems or plants (that don’t look fake) or even better, live plants and flowers. If you don’t have a green thumb (like me) try a real plant that is low maintenance like a snake plant or eternity roses that last up to a year.
I had them too! But, LOTS and LOTS of family photo collages yup, those are out. If you like the look of a clustered photo arrangement, try a gallery wall with coordinating frames. A few larger, impactful photos/frames will look more modern than a collage frame. Does your collage frame say “Family” on it? Even more likely it’s time to let it go! If you want to update your wall art inexpensively, be your own photographer. Use your smartphone photos from trips, your garden, or family shots, order prints, and frame them!
Dated, old brown and brass light fixtures can really age your home. Lighting is key and often creates a focal point so an update in the category makes a lot of sense – especially pendant lights or chandeliers over a dining table or in your kitchen. If hiring an electrician is holding you back, you could use battery-operated bulbs for light fixtures like sconces (no electricity needed).
If you have a lot of wood in your home, it can make your space look and feel heavy. Light and bright interiors are definitely on trend. Adding metal or ceramic (all cool or cold accents) is a good way to lighten up that heaviness. Mixing textures adds interest too!
Speaking of heavy...heavy oak bookshelves either overly flooded with books or overly accessorized with little choochkies is definitely aging your home. You can replace the outdated bookshelf with something streamlined and modern. Then, don’t overcrowd or style the shelves. Noooo, keep it simple. This one change can make your home look updated for sure!
Does your bathroom look more dated than you’d like? Without major renovations, the easiest updates would be cabinet hardware (in #5), new towels, bathroom rugs, new sconces and/or a new mirror.
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Hi Susan,
I have followed beautiful Erin ( inside and out beauty) since she started. I love that she has a team now. I love your tip about plants. My husband has a green thumb. We used to have a hair salon fron ’79 til 2003 in a hotel. The hotel went out of business, so we brought the plants home. My husband has kept all of them alive forty three years later!!! Some of them are large. I love all of your tips. You certainly don’t look like you have college age kids. I enjoy all of Erin’s videos and all of the team’s work too. Thanks so much. ♡♡♡♡
Rita!! First of all, you are so sweet and you just made my day! I’m uber-impressed that your husband has such a green thumb – 43 years?!? That’s more than spectacular. I’m currently excited that I have had the same succulent for 9 months…and it’s still alive : ) We SO appreciate you and your kind comment. THANK YOU for being a loyal follower. Sending hugs – Susan
Get Our FREE Wardrobe Basics Checklists, Capsule Wardrobes & More!
Sign up and you instantly receive… FREE Wardrobe Basics Checklists, Closet Editing & Organizing Checklists, Zoom Call Tips, Capsule Wardrobe Shopping Suggestions and a Lookbook of outfit ideas! You can download and print all of these.
Thanks Susan, great advice! Most of these updates are easy and not overly expensive but give big punch!
Thank you, Lisa! So happy you enjoyed the post. Have a fabulous week! Susan
Hi Susan,
I have followed beautiful Erin ( inside and out beauty) since she started. I love that she has a team now. I love your tip about plants. My husband has a green thumb. We used to have a hair salon fron ’79 til 2003 in a hotel. The hotel went out of business, so we brought the plants home. My husband has kept all of them alive forty three years later!!! Some of them are large. I love all of your tips. You certainly don’t look like you have college age kids. I enjoy all of Erin’s videos and all of the team’s work too. Thanks so much. ♡♡♡♡
Rita!! First of all, you are so sweet and you just made my day! I’m uber-impressed that your husband has such a green thumb – 43 years?!? That’s more than spectacular. I’m currently excited that I have had the same succulent for 9 months…and it’s still alive : ) We SO appreciate you and your kind comment. THANK YOU for being a loyal follower. Sending hugs – Susan