Most people know TLC is an acronym for "tender loving care." This phrase refers to the kind of consideration and attention given to something (or someone) in order to maintain or improve its condition. A stray cat... a ripped sweater... or an old house.
While a little milk might get that kitten purring, or 10 minutes of knitting might make your favorite garment good as new, it isn't quite as straightforward howto make your home sparkle. But if you ever plan on selling your home -- or just want to make the most of your humble abode -- you need to continually give your home a little TLC.
Below we'll run through a few of our favorite ideas for making an old home feel new, a small space few elegant, and any space sparkle on a budget!
TLC for an Home that's seen a lot of life
The most common motivation for home improvement is to refresh an outdated or worn living space. Here is a great resource to get you started: How to Make an Old Home Feel New. You can find some incredible tips for giving a little "tender loving care" to an aging house, like the following.
Color: A little color change goes a long way. While neutral grays and whites have become extremely popular in recent years, it doesn't always mean it's the right direction for your home. Just think different to what you've been looking at for the last few years and it may get the ball rolling to reinvent your space!
Accent Furniture: Small, minor accessories in a room can change the visual perception. You don't always need to pull off a full renovation; a new end table and lamp can change the mood of a room just as simply.
Fireplace: Whether your actually use your fireplace or it remains an idle decoration, it occupies a large focal point in a room. Think about it, it's usually in the middle of a wall near seating -- your eye passes over it frequently. Retiling or rebricking, even converting it to a different function can change a key design aspect of your living room.
TLC Examples for a Small Space
Even if you don't live in a massive house, there are still plenty of ways to give TLC to your home or a single room. For example, Apartment Therapy wrote a nice piece about how to make a big impact in a little space. Some highlights include:
Mirror, Mirror: It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. Strategically adding mirrors on different walls helps create a visual perspective of a much larger room, and reduce any sense of clutter.
Go Green: Adding plants and living greenery makes a space feel fresher and signifies growth. They can also -- quite literally -- produce slightly higher oxygen levels inside.
Get Vertical: When your can't expand horizontally, use the full height of your walls. Adorning them with curtains or handing blankets -- especially linear items -- can expand the room and make it feel taller, if not any wider.
TLC on a budget; save money and time
Let's face it, not everyone has the budget (or time) to perform a complete overhaul on their home makeover. Still, if your home is needing TLC, there are ways to add a bit of freshness without breaking the bank. For example, HouseBeautiful has 15 excellent tips for budget improvements.
DIY art: Instead of paying hundreds or thousands of dollars on art, why not make it yourself? Turn your life hobby into a decorating hack and make the perfect art for a room. That's the definition of thrifty!
Disguise: Have a nagging stain or sun-spots you don't want guests to see? Well, instead of paying to replace the the damaged items, simply reorganizing your furniture and layout can help hide the problem spots. This can at least delay the need to purchase replacements.
Cart Patience: When you DO need to buy something online, put it in your shopping cart but don't check out (yet). Many retailers will email you promo codes in a few days to lure you back to finish the purchase. Hey, even business are willing to show a little tender loving care to their customers.
Final Thoughts on Giving Some TLC to Your Living Space
You can't write TLC without thinking of Martha-Stewart-style makeovers, but the truth is every home has different opportunities to refresh. You need an expert eye to help your flush those out -- and let them do the rest.
If you're decluttering with a view towards selling your home, then a good listing agent can help steer your best TLC intentions into meaningful actions.
Want an experienced agent to help prepare your home for sale? Check out the experts competing for your listing on TrueParity.
