'Shop Your House' To Create a New Look

To freshen up the look of your home for free, go "shopping" for accessories and design features that you already have and aren't using.

Choose items like throw blankets, pillows, baskets, pictures, vases and other things that might be tucked away in linen closets or guest bedrooms, says Roane Loudermilk, President of Loudermilk Designs.

Here are a few tips for pulling off the perfect look without spending a dime:

1. Cluster items that have similarities — such as a common color palette — together on shelves, mantles or coffee tables.
2. Revamp bookshelves by using different heights, stacking books and displaying family photos and art among the books.
3. Use 5 or more picture frames in various sizes and shapes to create a gallery.
4. Go bold! Choose one or two brightly colored items or strong patterns such as stripes or polka dots.
5. Repurpose old decorative candles by removing the wax and using the empty jar as a planter, bar cart accessories holder, makeup brush holder or votive.
6. Create a focal point by choosing one major feature or item to anchor the room, such as a steamer trunk or stylish chair. Get creative about harvesting furniture from elsewhere in the house.
7. Shake up the shapes. If a room has mostly square and rectangular furniture, create visual interest with a couple round or organic pieces, or stack items to draw the eye upward.
8. Rearrange the room. Experiment with moving the sofa to a different spot, angling furniture a different way or reorienting the traffic flow in the room.
9. Lights! A strategically placed floor lamp, table lamp or different light bulbs can completely change the look of a room.
10. Add some green. Pick fresh spring blooms and other foliage and arrange them in an assortment of vases or jars you already have.