Fresh flowers! I used to be one of the "they're just going to die so it's a waste of money" types but I started buying myself flowers recently and they just make rooms feel so much more bright and cheery. I have a lot of plants already but they still add something special and are fun to play around with. The major grocery store chain in my area sells one bunch of various types of flowers for $4 and they last 2-3 weeks so it's really not that expensive. Worth it as an occasional treat imo.
Wow! Your lucky! We have them but they cost more then 4 dollars! But fresh flowers really do make a big statement in a small way! Art is what I collect! There is Nothing more I love then having my walls tastefully placed, floor to ceiling on a wall
My boyfriend wanted to paint his walls dark grey and I convinced him to keep the walls a very light grey but paint the trim charcoal/black and the room looked amazing, it looked bigger but moody too
My one hack is lamps. Especially with harsher led lighting, lamps with shades, whether floor or table size, can warm and soften a room. They can also prevent corners from getting too spooky.
And then add bluetooth/wifi light bulbs to those lamps so you can turn them all on/off in an app instead of having to go and around and switch them off/on individually!
My 1 little hack is for my friends in Renter/Dorm Life. Fitted Sheets can be bought on their own and make for fantastic couch and chair covers. Especially when you're like me and still getting free/cheap stuff from the side of the road. 1) They cover stains 2) they're easily washable, 3) most single fitted sheets come in a ton of cute colors and patterns and you can easily switch them up if you want a style change. Plus its waaaay cheaper the traditional couch covers!
I'm a big fan of checking out the roadside free piles! Forgive me if this is obvious but I must supply this PSA lol: with couches and soft textiles I'd say be careful as you can accidentally bring bedbugs, mold and other creepies into your abode and then every other soft textile or mattress you own is at risk for infestation. It is SO easy for an infestation to be spread to subsequent homes from there. My housemates and I got a really awesome comfy couch on the roadside and just made sure to give it a very thorough inspection with a round of sanitizing spray and steam cleanings (with a rented steamer) to combat that. We have found many a household item on the roadside with no bug issues, just a beautifully comfy couch in a wild yellow color and side tables that needed some tlc haha. Oh also! If you're renting and could be held responsible for introducing a bug that needs to be sprayed for you may not get a full return on your deposit!! Sorry to be a debbie downer :) I wish you all great luck and happy hunting for roadside treasures!
I want to add to this 👆🏼 it’s not only soft textiles you have to be cautious of- I bought a chest off of someone (to keep blankets in) and we got bed bugs 😭
Depending on size and if the cushions are removable . I would take cushions off, put the flat sheet on to cover the back and seat, then use the fitted over the cushions.
Please be careful of bedbugs. I know u can get them anywhere. Just saying, we have them right now and getting rid of them is a nightmare. Make sure to inspect and spray before bringing things in....from anywhere. Ours came from a hotel :(
My tip: if your fine china/fancy dish ware is dishwasher safe, use it daily. I inherited dishwasher safe china from my Grandparents and it’s so lovely to see them every day.
Anxiously watching that mug slosh and hoping it wouldn't spill made me realize that I hadn't properly listened to the first two minutes and had to rewind 😅😂
Would love a video about the health impacts of redecorating? Energy levels, the physical lifting of heavy wood etc. I'm disabled and I don't think I'll ever be well enough to do big projects, so I really enjoy your small projects like the birdhouse or the tiny wallpaper room, as they feel more doable
My one little hack is beautiful and/or large mirrors. Not only can they be practical, but they can be an art piece themselves whilst also moving light around the room. An ornate mirror across from a window is basically another window and framed art in one ❤
Thank you for uploading Ariel! Yes, it doesnt have to be big renovation videos, sit down videos and chit chats are cozy too! And longer videos too pls, your voice and mannerisms always makes me so happy!❤ sending you lovee
You mentioned light fixtures, and I want to share an even simpler tips: light bulbs. The type of light bulb can change the color, intensity and warmth of your room at night. Switching my fluorescent bulbs that emitted cold lights and twitched at a really fast speed to much warmer incandescent bulbs was a game changer.
My hack, its just to simply keep an eye on the area you remove shoes and repaint it every so often. Shoes leave marks like little black ticks on painted walls. I love your vids no matter the subject. Xx
Lamps!! Add lamps, statement lamps, practical lamps, pretty lamps, fairy lights, whatever! Lamps help create a nice cosy ambiance in the evenings while also distributing even lighting around the room. Loved the video!
Great tips! The last one had me scratching my head a bit lol. Every sheet set I've ever bought comes with matching pillow cases. Also I was taught that the point of the flat sheet is to keep a barrier between you and the comforter. Sheets get washed weekly while comforters may only get washed seasonally as they are bulky and will get ruined if washed too much. The flat sheet keeps the comforter clean longer. This is what I've been taught 🤷♀️ Also when you live somewhere hot, sleeping with only the flat sheet over you actually helps you sleep cooler.
i agree about the sheets coming with matching pillow cases. in Europe though they just don't bother with the top sheet/flat sheet, they have a duvet (what would look like a plain, undecorative comforter to an american) and then a duvet cover that can be washed with the sheets so you don't have to wash the actual duvet insert. there's also summer and winter duvets which vary in thickness/material to keep you warm or cool depending on the season. growing up i had a comforter and would use a flat sheet but i have sensory issues and hated waking up with a tangled flat sheet that was never comfortable to me so i switched to using a duvet/duvet cover and no flat sheet and haven't looked back since!
@@JeddieMPB I know this is old but I want to point out that it's not all Europe that does this but only the colder part of Europe. So it makes sense Ariel found duvets in England. If she had come down to Spain, Portugal, Italy and so on she would have seen we use the flat sheets a lot and we don't use duvets at all except maybe in winter. My experience is we are more accustomed to pile blankets on top of each other for the colder months, we add them gradually as it gets colder and then we get rid of them gradually as it gets warmer. Kinda like putting on and taking off onion layers lol
I'm definitely a flat sheet user. I would much rather wash the flat top sheet than wash a comforter or a duvet. Duvets are a major hassle to fight with, flat sheets are so much easier and can be washed weekly along with the fitted bottom sheet & pillowcases. I do agree with having matching pillow cases. Having artsy beautiful mugs is a great tip and makes you feel special. I like the idea of changing out the vent and switch plate covers, most do just live with the ones provided with the house, great tip!
and this is one of the reasons why I don't like the idea of comforters or duvets in hotels where they use flat sheets... who know when that was last washed...
I'm a renter. I always buy those bathroom storage cabinets that envelop the toilet and add shelves and cabinets wherever they can fit. I'll add over the door hooks and mirrors. Nice ones. I put all my beauty supplies in unique glass jars with wood lids so I can see what's in them but they also look pretty. Some of them have metal clasps on them. It's just nicer than hiding everything away in drawers, especially when most rentals just have one space under the sink to put your stuff.
Also if you feel like your room looks a little dingy, wash the walls with hot water soap and a big sponge. And dust! It'll be a very low cost but refreshing hack
Always having flowers on every table or surface in general. Even just a cheap bunch of tulips from the discounter or a fancy one that you divide into several vases for different places or rooms
YES TO SIT DOWN VIDEOS! your chatty videos are what have inspired me to start book tube myself and I could listen to you talk for HOURS and definitely have fallen asleep to your videos as a calming thing (not because I found them boring🤣)
I enjoy listening to you since you have a varied vocabulary form all your reading. You can always tell when you talk to someone who doesn't read. They do not add any interesting words or thoughts.
You already touched on wall decor before but my hack when you cant afford to repaint and your walls are bare and artwork is too expensive, is to thrift frames or get them at the dollar store or ikea for cheap, spray paint if necessary and use anything inside it doesnt have to be a picture or an artwork. For example I went to Michaels and they have a whole scrapbooking section with individual paper sheets that have patterns or texture on them, just cut that up inside a frame and put a few on your wall, its artsy and pretty and cool and it will make a difference.
That's funny I thought my Mom was the only one using flat sheets for something else! When I was a kid, every year I got a new "bed in a bag" set...2 pillow cases, 1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, 1 comforter all of a matching character or theme. My Mom always took the flat sheet and made curtains out of it, either a pair of panel curtains or a valance and cafe curtain, that way my whole room was themed and she didn't have to worry about changing the curtains every time I got a new bed set. She was very big on curtains lol
Seeing the monochrome in your entry way inspired me to paint all of my trim in my living room and bedroom the same as the bold wall colors, and they look so good now! My go to thing is probably not new to most people in this space, but having stacks of books as filler in any room adds so much substance and joy. I like old coffee table type books but also just stacks of paperbacks too!
In addition to overhead light swaps, I would definitely say adding LAMPS as part of your decor is a great hack. You can find them pretty inexpensively secondhand (some are even being given away for free in places like Craigslist or Freecycle!) or even new, or you can swap out the shades on lamps you already have, OR you can even DIY your own lamps with sculptural pieces you have if you are handy! I am building up my collection of lamps at the moment, and it's super fun. :D
Top Sheet. 1. It's great if it's warm and you don't need a heavier cover. 2. The more popular idea is that you are more likely to wash a top sheet more often than a heavy comforter. Bedding needs to be washed they say at least once a week because of the bacteria building up.
Duvets can be bought in a lot of different variants for summer or winter, synthetic or feather duvets. I have a fluffy warm feather duvet right now and a thin light one for summer use. For a duvet you have a duvet cover which is laundered as often as the other stuff. The duvet itself is washed once or twice a year.
Curved shower curtain rods and roller shower curtain rings! Easy, inexpensive, and they make showers feel spacious and welcoming. Not so much a visual impact but a luxury feeling.
For small spaces: mirrors!! It is cheap, easy to install, makes the room look bigger, and can come in a range of beautiful shapes and forms, especially if they are thrifted. Extra hack: put a mirror behind a plant, for extra greenery.
Please plan some beautiful garden projects close to your front door in the spring or summer. That will be fun to see outside porch transformation . Also plan a nice downstairs bedroom and bathroom for your parents with a nice walk in shower for them in the future if they need it stay with you when they are older. I say this from personal experience with my late parents.😊
Painting the trim is a great idea, but when renting you should discuss this with your landlord first. Here in Germany, you are usually not allowed to paint doors or window frames yourself, since it can affect the doors ability to close properly :)
I moved around quite a bit for the first 12 years of marriage. To keep costs down I would buy a sheet set and 2 top sheets to coordinate then use the extra sheets as curtains. Then when we moved to the next place those curtains might become a duvet cover or be a roman shade or a different kind of curtain or drape.
I used to keep pretty postcards that I either collected or were sent to me - often of artwork - and created a sort of collage on my Uni dorm walls. It made such a difference to have something personal and colourful on the otherwise sterile walls.
ARIEL!!! I love your videos!! In the future can we get more “tutorial” videos for your home? Like how you lay down your floor. Your style inspires me and I want to know how you do it all, in depth! Edit: y’all was I really the first comment ❤❤❤
I 'm renting a small apartment and the living room and kitchen lights were controlled by the same switch. I didn't want the overhead light to stay on for the living room space so i just took out the lightbulb and used my own tall floor lamp :)
I loved the thread through this video marked by words like "thoughtful." It's very easy to 'stop seeing' our homes.' My all time cheapest hack to freshen a room is to rearrange furniture, move pictures, or change up a shelf. (Which also becomes a good occasion for a spot of decluttering.)
My hack is to change my decor around to different rooms and to arrange my furniture. Simply change pictures, paintings and wall hangings around can change the over all feeling of a room. ❤
THE EDGES OF SHELVES!!! Especially Standart Ikea shelves (kallax etc) I put a lenght of washitape on the front facing edges of shelves it looks so costum and special and is cheap and quick, highly recomend
The point of a flat sheet is so you don't have to launder the doona/quilt/blanket regularly. It's to save time and energy and resources and is a much more sanitary option.
Duvet covers do that same job though? I don't wash the duvet itself regularly - just the duvet cover. In my country most people have some type of feather down duvet that shouldn't be washed too often anyway. I don't think the extra minute it takes to strip/put on a cover adds up to that much, even in the long run. Also, with different duvet covers in different colours and patterns you can change up your bedroom colour palette often and easily! :)
She uses a duvet cover instead of a top sheet, in most European countries we don't have top sheets but duvet covers. I had never heard about top sheets until recently, they are simply not sold in Sweden.
I wish I could do so much of these tips bc they're great ideas! But alas I rent a basement apt so I have to deal with my lighting from the 70's, trim I can't alter and boring old cabinets that cover my glassware (though I have been buying pretty cups for awhile now). A tip I use, and that I think can help a room, are table runners! Like you have a boring coffee table? BAM! Table runner, it can draw the eye to the centre of the table and the various things you have on display there, same for dining tables! I have a super colourful table cloth in my dining room and it makes it so much brighter and cheerful and draws the attention to the candles etc I have in the centre! ☺️❤❤
Even if you can't take the doors off your cabinets, you can put wallpaper or fancy wrapping paper up in the back with tacks or double sided tape. It's a little pop of happy when you open the door! And it will set off your cool glassware.
I always say paintings (large ones especially) make your house seem fancy even if they are mass produced prints. My other tip is to thrift glassware. Vases, trinket trays, old perfume bottles. All the clear glass is shockingly high impact in making your house feel expensive even if you thrift it all for a really cheap price!
before we moved house i had painted the trims in my room a very vivid emerald on these absolutely stark white walls, everyone else hated it, but it was actually so nice, but the whole house needed to match the aesthetic to sell it properly.
My hack is fun peel and stick wallpaper, its excellent for renters and also for people who want to try something new on their wall without having to commit to super expensive regular wallpaper.
For our house, a 1950 ranch with multiple additions, one of the biggest impact "small" projects we did was actually just making ALL the switch plates, switches, and plugs match. I totally get this runs counter to your suggestion, but we didn't replace anything with character. Our house was just a complete mismatch of literally every color you can buy at the hardware store so just making them match really made the house feel contemporary and like someone cared a little bit.
Great tips! Funny anecdote about air vents- I visited my dad and his wife in Quebec one year and she and I took a trip to Home Depot where she bought new air vents. A few weeks later she called me screaming “Where are my ducks??” over and over. I was completely perplexed, even asked her if she meant “quack quack ducks”. Of course not,she meant ducts, her English is limited. I had installed the air vents when we got home from Home Depot and didn’t tell her and forgot all about them. Took me a bit to figure out why she was screaming at me about “ducks”!
"Snatch 'em up" got me hahah Lighting is huge, I agree! My little hack is to make sure each space has an excessive amount of lamp light in it. It's important to have task lighting in every space, but as soon as that sun goes down, it's time for cozy lamp light! I try to make sure the whole space can be lit up with lamplight. Plug in timers can help with that too :)
Dishware that I actually like was a huge upgrade for me. I was eating off an old roommate's old roommate's picks and they just weren't my style. When I got stuff that I love? Game changer.
I loved this! I think the small “little” things that I found make a difference involve using the fancy things. My home is beautiful and small, so everything i own that i practical must also be beautiful, because there is not space (or time or the budget) to have what is practical and what is beautiful not intersect into the same items. Beautiful cups, old-silver plated silverware, table cloths, pens, the coffee grinder, my spice jars, my olive oil dispenser - i want it to be beautiful because I have to look at it.
The two things I've enjoyed most since buying my first house have been going a bit mad with colour on the walls (purple living room, turquoise office and soon to be blue landing) and the magic of woodstain. I've had loads of fun and success taking old wooden furniture, shoe racks, coat hooks and picture frames, sanding them down and staining them pretty shades. I have nothing like the patience you do and the idea of sanding floors makes me want to cry! But these little projects have been so much fun and make such a difference!
I'm from Ireland and I use both a top/flat sheet and a duvet (with duvet cover) and in winter an extra wool blanket on top. I like having different layers because our weather is so changeable that I can peel back the duvet but still have a top sheet to cover me when I ever get too warm during the night. Also changing the duvet cover is an annoying task so I can do that a little less often since I can regularly launder everything else.
The answer to what's constantly running over the air vents that makes them bent and dented: heat. It's creep from the heat and happens over time when metal expands and shrinks a lot of times. It's something engineers really need to take into account while designing stuff. From reinforced concrete to bridges, bikes, and even air vents. It's good you replaced them, they clearly needed to be replaced.
@@ArielBissett It's always fun to share little things like this. It was part of one of my first engineering physics courses. You could probably understand the basics if you looked it up too. The concept is pretty simple and it might come in handy as a home owner.
So happy when my favorite RUclipsr uploads! Other easy hacks - changing out hardware. Similar to the faceplates for light switches, door knobs and cabinet/drawer pulls can be swapped out for an easy upgrade to hallways/kitchens/bathrooms.
Buy from charity shops as much as you can! You can find so many unique items that have much more character than mass-produced homeware. We don't have large Goodwill stores over here in Scotland but we have plenty of smaller shops.
These are really great tips and has my mind racing with ideas!!! I've just bought the building my business is in and it has a flat (apartment?) above it. It was built in 1773 as two separate houses, then smooshed into one big house and a shop in 1919, it was then converted into 2 flats (plus shop) in 1974 so the building style is 1773 low ceilings with Victorian/Edwardian windows, cupboards and fireplaces then 1970s trim and doors (which I'm replacing). It's a really daunting task, there's 10 x more work than anticipated and it's all North/East facing so very dark. I'm a bold colour person usually but your idea of pale walls and coloured trim with elegant curtains has given me loads of ideas! PS. While we love a duvet in the UK, we're also all about the flat sheet, especially in winter. Fitted sheet, flat sheet, duvet with cover (I see so many duvets in North America where you don't put a cover on them, that seems so odd? Our washing machines are smaller so can't fit duvets in them, and we rarely have a dryer, so I guess that's why we have covers? Now we can't afford heating due to to the insane prices here so I think we're all going back to 5 extra layers in bed haha).
Love these tips! I bought ceramic light switch covers and painted them (flowers, stars, etc.) and now each little switch is its own little quirky corner that makes me smile. I also love to abundantly sprinkle pillows and blankets to make each seating area cozy (I knit or crochet most of them), and also mirrors and candles to help make the light dance and feel magical rather than as fixtures adds a cozy touch. 💕
Love these tips Ariel! I commented before that you should look into Victorian tin ceiling tiles, they're amazing & will look so good in your house! And would love a video with you doing a mug cabinet tour, your coffee and tea mugs are so pretty!
@@leannerae so do I! If she does a video suggestions thing on Instagram at some point (she's done one in the past) it might be helpful to say there aswell!
Love these tips! I've been buying one new Le Creuset mug a month for the past year and now I have a full rainbow and they make me so damn happy! Each day I get to pick a colour and it's such a lift
Fully agree on the overhead lights, but more - lights which _aren't_ overhead. Small table lamps. Indirect lighting, corner lamps projecting up or against walls, little clip lights that throw light onto dark areas which shouldn't be dark. Little corner lights for reading! So much comfort in it.
PLUS: light bulbs themselves matter! Light quality (CRI) and colour temperature matter so much to a room, independently of the fixture itself. So many people buy the cheapest bulbs that fit it's never a good idea.
PLUS ALSO: if you have a lightswitch or outlet cover that's messed up somehow? Or the wallpaper or paint around it is messed up somehow? Replace it! Maybe with a slightly larger one, because those are things which exist and all these come in at least three colours. Dirt cheap, completely bog standard boring plastic, but if the cover is too small and there's a gap between the wallpaper or whatever and you can see it? Making that go away with a slightly larger switch cover is like repairing a hole in your wall. Seriously, it's incredibly out of scale for how little money and time you put into it. (A lesser version of this is if the screws are messed up and ugly. Replace 'em! Costs almost nothing, removes an eyesore.)
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Don't settle for art that doesn't knock your socks off. Being moved every time you walk into a room is an incredible feeling.
Number 1 renter trick: change the toilet seat. It's cheap and it removes that ick feeling. There are heaps of tutorials on how to to it.
Handles and doorknobs too... its so satisfying to change out old crusty painted hinges and old ugly terrible cheap gold doorknobs from 1980s.
I changed my door knobs and it made such a difference! 100% agree about using the fancy stuff every day.
Fresh flowers! I used to be one of the "they're just going to die so it's a waste of money" types but I started buying myself flowers recently and they just make rooms feel so much more bright and cheery. I have a lot of plants already but they still add something special and are fun to play around with. The major grocery store chain in my area sells one bunch of various types of flowers for $4 and they last 2-3 weeks so it's really not that expensive. Worth it as an occasional treat imo.
Agreed.
Wow! Your lucky! We have them but they cost more then 4 dollars! But fresh flowers really do make a big statement in a small way! Art is what I collect! There is Nothing more I love then having my walls tastefully placed, floor to ceiling on a wall
My boyfriend wanted to paint his walls dark grey and I convinced him to keep the walls a very light grey but paint the trim charcoal/black and the room looked amazing, it looked bigger but moody too
My one hack is lamps. Especially with harsher led lighting, lamps with shades, whether floor or table size, can warm and soften a room. They can also prevent corners from getting too spooky.
And then add bluetooth/wifi light bulbs to those lamps so you can turn them all on/off in an app instead of having to go and around and switch them off/on individually!
@@chasingcarly what? I’ve never heard of these !
Not my thing. I used Bluetooth once and ended up with music I didn't want on my computer. I've refused to use it since.
My 1 little hack is for my friends in Renter/Dorm Life. Fitted Sheets can be bought on their own and make for fantastic couch and chair covers. Especially when you're like me and still getting free/cheap stuff from the side of the road. 1) They cover stains 2) they're easily washable, 3) most single fitted sheets come in a ton of cute colors and patterns and you can easily switch them up if you want a style change. Plus its waaaay cheaper the traditional couch covers!
I'm a big fan of checking out the roadside free piles! Forgive me if this is obvious but I must supply this PSA lol: with couches and soft textiles I'd say be careful as you can accidentally bring bedbugs, mold and other creepies into your abode and then every other soft textile or mattress you own is at risk for infestation. It is SO easy for an infestation to be spread to subsequent homes from there. My housemates and I got a really awesome comfy couch on the roadside and just made sure to give it a very thorough inspection with a round of sanitizing spray and steam cleanings (with a rented steamer) to combat that. We have found many a household item on the roadside with no bug issues, just a beautifully comfy couch in a wild yellow color and side tables that needed some tlc haha.
Oh also! If you're renting and could be held responsible for introducing a bug that needs to be sprayed for you may not get a full return on your deposit!! Sorry to be a debbie downer :)
I wish you all great luck and happy hunting for roadside treasures!
I want to add to this 👆🏼 it’s not only soft textiles you have to be cautious of- I bought a chest off of someone (to keep blankets in) and we got bed bugs 😭
Depending on size and if the cushions are removable . I would take cushions off, put the flat sheet on to cover the back and seat, then use the fitted over the cushions.
@@jcimlas210 Thank you for sharing this!!
Please be careful of bedbugs. I know u can get them anywhere. Just saying, we have them right now and getting rid of them is a nightmare. Make sure to inspect and spray before bringing things in....from anywhere. Ours came from a hotel :(
My tip: if your fine china/fancy dish ware is dishwasher safe, use it daily. I inherited dishwasher safe china from my Grandparents and it’s so lovely to see them every day.
Anxiously watching that mug slosh and hoping it wouldn't spill made me realize that I hadn't properly listened to the first two minutes and had to rewind 😅😂
I thought about this while I was editing! I remember not even thinking about it while filming but while editing I was like HOT DAMN
The flat sheet is for us sweaty sleepers so we can still have something when we throw the comforter halfway off at 3am! :D
Would love a video about the health impacts of redecorating? Energy levels, the physical lifting of heavy wood etc. I'm disabled and I don't think I'll ever be well enough to do big projects, so I really enjoy your small projects like the birdhouse or the tiny wallpaper room, as they feel more doable
@Posh Pennies talked about it a few weeks ago, it's truly eye-opening!
My one little hack is beautiful and/or large mirrors. Not only can they be practical, but they can be an art piece themselves whilst also moving light around the room. An ornate mirror across from a window is basically another window and framed art in one ❤
Thank you for uploading Ariel! Yes, it doesnt have to be big renovation videos, sit down videos and chit chats are cozy too! And longer videos too pls, your voice and mannerisms always makes me so happy!❤ sending you lovee
🙈🙈🙈🥲
You mentioned light fixtures, and I want to share an even simpler tips: light bulbs. The type of light bulb can change the color, intensity and warmth of your room at night. Switching my fluorescent bulbs that emitted cold lights and twitched at a really fast speed to much warmer incandescent bulbs was a game changer.
My hack, its just to simply keep an eye on the area you remove shoes and repaint it every so often. Shoes leave marks like little black ticks on painted walls. I love your vids no matter the subject. Xx
Lamps!! Add lamps, statement lamps, practical lamps, pretty lamps, fairy lights, whatever! Lamps help create a nice cosy ambiance in the evenings while also distributing even lighting around the room. Loved the video!
The flat sheet pillow case hack is genius! I have so many flat sheets just sitting unused in the closet!
The useless flat sheet to pillow case idea is GENIUS omg
Great tips! The last one had me scratching my head a bit lol. Every sheet set I've ever bought comes with matching pillow cases. Also I was taught that the point of the flat sheet is to keep a barrier between you and the comforter. Sheets get washed weekly while comforters may only get washed seasonally as they are bulky and will get ruined if washed too much. The flat sheet keeps the comforter clean longer. This is what I've been taught 🤷♀️ Also when you live somewhere hot, sleeping with only the flat sheet over you actually helps you sleep cooler.
i agree about the sheets coming with matching pillow cases. in Europe though they just don't bother with the top sheet/flat sheet, they have a duvet (what would look like a plain, undecorative comforter to an american) and then a duvet cover that can be washed with the sheets so you don't have to wash the actual duvet insert. there's also summer and winter duvets which vary in thickness/material to keep you warm or cool depending on the season. growing up i had a comforter and would use a flat sheet but i have sensory issues and hated waking up with a tangled flat sheet that was never comfortable to me so i switched to using a duvet/duvet cover and no flat sheet and haven't looked back since!
@@JeddieMPB I know this is old but I want to point out that it's not all Europe that does this but only the colder part of Europe. So it makes sense Ariel found duvets in England. If she had come down to Spain, Portugal, Italy and so on she would have seen we use the flat sheets a lot and we don't use duvets at all except maybe in winter. My experience is we are more accustomed to pile blankets on top of each other for the colder months, we add them gradually as it gets colder and then we get rid of them gradually as it gets warmer. Kinda like putting on and taking off onion layers lol
I'm definitely a flat sheet user. I would much rather wash the flat top sheet than wash a comforter or a duvet. Duvets are a major hassle to fight with, flat sheets are so much easier and can be washed weekly along with the fitted bottom sheet & pillowcases.
I do agree with having matching pillow cases.
Having artsy beautiful mugs is a great tip and makes you feel special.
I like the idea of changing out the vent and switch plate covers, most do just live with the ones provided with the house, great tip!
Amen to using flat sheets! They're so much easier to manage. Washing the cover and wrestling the duvet into it is not my idea of a good time.
@@amymullen296 - Exactly, glad someone's on my side. TY
Thats why you get a duvet cover! Then you just wash the cover :)
and this is one of the reasons why I don't like the idea of comforters or duvets in hotels where they use flat sheets... who know when that was last washed...
@@miss_xenia_ yuck true!
I do wash my home duvet every now and again haha. Just not every time.
I'm a renter. I always buy those bathroom storage cabinets that envelop the toilet and add shelves and cabinets wherever they can fit. I'll add over the door hooks and mirrors. Nice ones. I put all my beauty supplies in unique glass jars with wood lids so I can see what's in them but they also look pretty. Some of them have metal clasps on them. It's just nicer than hiding everything away in drawers, especially when most rentals just have one space under the sink to put your stuff.
Also if you feel like your room looks a little dingy, wash the walls with hot water soap and a big sponge. And dust! It'll be a very low cost but refreshing hack
Always having flowers on every table or surface in general. Even just a cheap bunch of tulips from the discounter or a fancy one that you divide into several vases for different places or rooms
YES TO SIT DOWN VIDEOS! your chatty videos are what have inspired me to start book tube myself and I could listen to you talk for HOURS and definitely have fallen asleep to your videos as a calming thing (not because I found them boring🤣)
This is so lovely ♥️♥️ thanks for the encouragement!! And I totally know what you mean… I play my favourite podcast to help me get to sleep!!
@@ArielBissett yes I am the biggest fan of calming content and have for sure played your videos & podcast too many times to count as a stress relief ❤
I enjoy listening to you since you have a varied vocabulary form all your reading. You can always tell when you talk to someone who doesn't read. They do not add any interesting words or thoughts.
You already touched on wall decor before but my hack when you cant afford to repaint and your walls are bare and artwork is too expensive, is to thrift frames or get them at the dollar store or ikea for cheap, spray paint if necessary and use anything inside it doesnt have to be a picture or an artwork. For example I went to Michaels and they have a whole scrapbooking section with individual paper sheets that have patterns or texture on them, just cut that up inside a frame and put a few on your wall, its artsy and pretty and cool and it will make a difference.
And at Christmas you can wrap pictures or frames to look like presents. 🖼️🎁
That's funny I thought my Mom was the only one using flat sheets for something else! When I was a kid, every year I got a new "bed in a bag" set...2 pillow cases, 1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, 1 comforter all of a matching character or theme. My Mom always took the flat sheet and made curtains out of it, either a pair of panel curtains or a valance and cafe curtain, that way my whole room was themed and she didn't have to worry about changing the curtains every time I got a new bed set. She was very big on curtains lol
I absolutely agree that everyday is the perfect day to use your nice things! Don't wait for a special occasion - today is a special occasion!
Seeing the monochrome in your entry way inspired me to paint all of my trim in my living room and bedroom the same as the bold wall colors, and they look so good now! My go to thing is probably not new to most people in this space, but having stacks of books as filler in any room adds so much substance and joy. I like old coffee table type books but also just stacks of paperbacks too!
I’m a big library reader so I actually don’t own that many books so I’ve been slowly collecting them for decor purposes 😂
omg im so glad the trim worked out so well! it never fails, hehehe!!! also YESSSS books add so much character
In addition to overhead light swaps, I would definitely say adding LAMPS as part of your decor is a great hack. You can find them pretty inexpensively secondhand (some are even being given away for free in places like Craigslist or Freecycle!) or even new, or you can swap out the shades on lamps you already have, OR you can even DIY your own lamps with sculptural pieces you have if you are handy! I am building up my collection of lamps at the moment, and it's super fun. :D
Top Sheet. 1. It's great if it's warm and you don't need a heavier
cover. 2. The more popular idea is that you are more likely to wash a top sheet more often than a heavy comforter. Bedding needs to be washed they say at least once a week because of the bacteria building up.
Wait, d Americans really think Europeans never change their bedding? There's a removable cover on the duvet which we do wash.
Sorry i was curious so i Googled search for top sheet! I didn't know why we had a top sheet. It didn't mention a duvet.
Duvets can be bought in a lot of different variants for summer or winter, synthetic or feather duvets. I have a fluffy warm feather duvet right now and a thin light one for summer use. For a duvet you have a duvet cover which is laundered as often as the other stuff. The duvet itself is washed once or twice a year.
Dimmer lights!
Just hung curtains and I hung the rods higher. Wow! What a difference! My bay windows grew up and got a makeover all in one day. 🥳
Curved shower curtain rods and roller shower curtain rings! Easy, inexpensive, and they make showers feel spacious and welcoming. Not so much a visual impact but a luxury feeling.
Anything you upload we love!
For small spaces: mirrors!! It is cheap, easy to install, makes the room look bigger, and can come in a range of beautiful shapes and forms, especially if they are thrifted. Extra hack: put a mirror behind a plant, for extra greenery.
Please plan some beautiful garden projects close to your front door in the spring or summer. That will be fun to see outside porch transformation . Also plan a nice downstairs bedroom and bathroom for your parents with a nice walk in shower for them in the future if they need it stay with you when they are older. I say this from personal experience with my late parents.😊
For me plants have made such a big, but easy difference to a space. And when they multiply it's also very afforderable :))
Painting the trim is a great idea, but when renting you should discuss this with your landlord first. Here in Germany, you are usually not allowed to paint doors or window frames yourself, since it can affect the doors ability to close properly :)
Oh. My. Goodness. Flat sheets into pillow cases! 😵I died, but thank you
THE FANCY CUP SECTION!!!
My hack is live plants nestled about. Makes a house feel like home. Love your channel.
Yoooo that pillowcase idea is LIFE CHANGING! That's such a great way to use the flat sheet!
I moved around quite a bit for the first 12 years of marriage. To keep costs down I would buy a sheet set and 2 top sheets to coordinate then use the extra sheets as curtains. Then when we moved to the next place those curtains might become a duvet cover or be a roman shade or a different kind of curtain or drape.
So clever!
I used to keep pretty postcards that I either collected or were sent to me - often of artwork - and created a sort of collage on my Uni dorm walls. It made such a difference to have something personal and colourful on the otherwise sterile walls.
ARIEL!!! I love your videos!! In the future can we get more “tutorial” videos for your home? Like how you lay down your floor. Your style inspires me and I want to know how you do it all, in depth!
Edit: y’all was I really the first comment ❤❤❤
Agree🙏
I 'm renting a small apartment and the living room and kitchen lights were controlled by the same switch. I didn't want the overhead light to stay on for the living room space so i just took out the lightbulb and used my own tall floor lamp :)
my number one thing is mood lighting. get a floor lamp, get a side table lamp, or even just some fairy lights. it will make everything much cozier
I’ve done two tone walls, but never painted my trim! I am so excited to try this one day, because your home looks GORGEOUS and so colorful! ❤🏡
TRY IT!!!! It’s my favourite move!! Haha
Our duvet/flat sheet system is to buy two complimentry fitted/flat sheet sets and sew the flat sheets together to make a duvet cover.
I love the mix out of these chatty videos and the renovation ones!😍
I loved the thread through this video marked by words like "thoughtful." It's very easy to 'stop seeing' our homes.' My all time cheapest hack to freshen a room is to rearrange furniture, move pictures, or change up a shelf. (Which also becomes a good occasion for a spot of decluttering.)
You should cut some screening to put under the new vent cover so critters can’t crawl thru. Like mice, snakes, etc.
What a good idea! Thanks! 👍
My hack is to change my decor around to different rooms and to arrange my furniture. Simply change pictures, paintings and wall hangings around can change the over all feeling of a room. ❤
YES!! All great tips but I totally embrace using the "good stuff" all the time and feeling special. Don't wait for just so-called special occasions!
Thank you sound advice 😊
THE EDGES OF SHELVES!!! Especially Standart Ikea shelves (kallax etc) I put a lenght of washitape on the front facing edges of shelves it looks so costum and special and is cheap and quick, highly recomend
The point of a flat sheet is so you don't have to launder the doona/quilt/blanket regularly. It's to save time and energy and resources and is a much more sanitary option.
Duvet covers do that same job though? I don't wash the duvet itself regularly - just the duvet cover. In my country most people have some type of feather down duvet that shouldn't be washed too often anyway. I don't think the extra minute it takes to strip/put on a cover adds up to that much, even in the long run. Also, with different duvet covers in different colours and patterns you can change up your bedroom colour palette often and easily! :)
She uses a duvet cover instead of a top sheet, in most European countries we don't have top sheets but duvet covers. I had never heard about top sheets until recently, they are simply not sold in Sweden.
“Damn, I got really excited about curtains!” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I wish I could do so much of these tips bc they're great ideas! But alas I rent a basement apt so I have to deal with my lighting from the 70's, trim I can't alter and boring old cabinets that cover my glassware (though I have been buying pretty cups for awhile now).
A tip I use, and that I think can help a room, are table runners! Like you have a boring coffee table? BAM! Table runner, it can draw the eye to the centre of the table and the various things you have on display there, same for dining tables! I have a super colourful table cloth in my dining room and it makes it so much brighter and cheerful and draws the attention to the candles etc I have in the centre! ☺️❤❤
This is a GREAT tip!!!!! Super good way to bring in a beautiful texture and pattern!!
I saw a table runner used on a refrigerator. It looked great!
Even if you can't take the doors off your cabinets, you can put wallpaper or fancy wrapping paper up in the back with tacks or double sided tape. It's a little pop of happy when you open the door! And it will set off your cool glassware.
I just love the way you use color. I would never feel brave enough to use colors the way you do, your house is so eclectic and charming.
I always say paintings (large ones especially) make your house seem fancy even if they are mass produced prints.
My other tip is to thrift glassware. Vases, trinket trays, old perfume bottles. All the clear glass is shockingly high impact in making your house feel expensive even if you thrift it all for a really cheap price!
The amount of excitement that I felt when I saw that you posted😌
Same! ☺️
"Your everyday is worthy of doing those special things..." Nicely said Ariel
before we moved house i had painted the trims in my room a very vivid emerald on these absolutely stark white walls, everyone else hated it, but it was actually so nice, but the whole house needed to match the aesthetic to sell it properly.
that is a really well made of tea. the brown in me is happy
“Damn… I got really excited about curtains .” I felt this on a spiritual level 😂😂 you crack me up Ariel! Great video!
My hack is fun peel and stick wallpaper, its excellent for renters and also for people who want to try something new on their wall without having to commit to super expensive regular wallpaper.
Have you ever put a table lamp in a bathroom? Talk about feeling luxurious!
For our house, a 1950 ranch with multiple additions, one of the biggest impact "small" projects we did was actually just making ALL the switch plates, switches, and plugs match. I totally get this runs counter to your suggestion, but we didn't replace anything with character. Our house was just a complete mismatch of literally every color you can buy at the hardware store so just making them match really made the house feel contemporary and like someone cared a little bit.
Great tips! Funny anecdote about air vents- I visited my dad and his wife in Quebec one year and she and I took a trip to Home Depot where she bought new air vents. A few weeks later she called me screaming “Where are my ducks??” over and over. I was completely perplexed, even asked her if she meant “quack quack ducks”. Of course not,she meant ducts, her English is limited. I had installed the air vents when we got home from Home Depot and didn’t tell her and forgot all about them. Took me a bit to figure out why she was screaming at me about “ducks”!
My hack is large mirrors to create the illusion of a wider space and to reflect the beauty of the plants.
"Snatch 'em up" got me hahah
Lighting is huge, I agree! My little hack is to make sure each space has an excessive amount of lamp light in it. It's important to have task lighting in every space, but as soon as that sun goes down, it's time for cozy lamp light! I try to make sure the whole space can be lit up with lamplight. Plug in timers can help with that too :)
“We can just buy em! Snatch em up!” 😄👌
I really enjoy these sit down videos!
Dishware that I actually like was a huge upgrade for me. I was eating off an old roommate's old roommate's picks and they just weren't my style. When I got stuff that I love? Game changer.
My old bathroom had a cat and dog theme and my current room repurposed that shower curtain (also cat and dog themed) into really cool curtains
I loved this! I think the small “little” things that I found make a difference involve using the fancy things. My home is beautiful and small, so everything i own that i practical must also be beautiful, because there is not space (or time or the budget) to have what is practical and what is beautiful not intersect into the same items. Beautiful cups, old-silver plated silverware, table cloths, pens, the coffee grinder, my spice jars, my olive oil dispenser - i want it to be beautiful because I have to look at it.
Aren't you a breath of fresh air! You're Canadian eh? Moi aussi xxx Bisous et calins de Montréal xxxooo
The two things I've enjoyed most since buying my first house have been going a bit mad with colour on the walls (purple living room, turquoise office and soon to be blue landing) and the magic of woodstain. I've had loads of fun and success taking old wooden furniture, shoe racks, coat hooks and picture frames, sanding them down and staining them pretty shades. I have nothing like the patience you do and the idea of sanding floors makes me want to cry! But these little projects have been so much fun and make such a difference!
I do the exact same thing with flat sheets as well! Probably because I grew up in Europe, so I also love the duvet life.
I'm from Ireland and I use both a top/flat sheet and a duvet (with duvet cover) and in winter an extra wool blanket on top. I like having different layers because our weather is so changeable that I can peel back the duvet but still have a top sheet to cover me when I ever get too warm during the night. Also changing the duvet cover is an annoying task so I can do that a little less often since I can regularly launder everything else.
Ariel I would literally watch you watch paint dry. Make whatever you're excited about and have the energy for!
The answer to what's constantly running over the air vents that makes them bent and dented: heat. It's creep from the heat and happens over time when metal expands and shrinks a lot of times. It's something engineers really need to take into account while designing stuff. From reinforced concrete to bridges, bikes, and even air vents. It's good you replaced them, they clearly needed to be replaced.
Hey! That’s so cool! Thanks for the information!
@@ArielBissett It's always fun to share little things like this. It was part of one of my first engineering physics courses.
You could probably understand the basics if you looked it up too. The concept is pretty simple and it might come in handy as a home owner.
So happy when my favorite RUclipsr uploads!
Other easy hacks - changing out hardware. Similar to the faceplates for light switches, door knobs and cabinet/drawer pulls can be swapped out for an easy upgrade to hallways/kitchens/bathrooms.
I bet it was those old heavy vacuums that dented up your old air vents.
You had some great tips! I love the videos. Keep up the great work.
Buy from charity shops as much as you can! You can find so many unique items that have much more character than mass-produced homeware. We don't have large Goodwill stores over here in Scotland but we have plenty of smaller shops.
These are really great tips and has my mind racing with ideas!!! I've just bought the building my business is in and it has a flat (apartment?) above it. It was built in 1773 as two separate houses, then smooshed into one big house and a shop in 1919, it was then converted into 2 flats (plus shop) in 1974 so the building style is 1773 low ceilings with Victorian/Edwardian windows, cupboards and fireplaces then 1970s trim and doors (which I'm replacing). It's a really daunting task, there's 10 x more work than anticipated and it's all North/East facing so very dark. I'm a bold colour person usually but your idea of pale walls and coloured trim with elegant curtains has given me loads of ideas!
PS. While we love a duvet in the UK, we're also all about the flat sheet, especially in winter. Fitted sheet, flat sheet, duvet with cover (I see so many duvets in North America where you don't put a cover on them, that seems so odd? Our washing machines are smaller so can't fit duvets in them, and we rarely have a dryer, so I guess that's why we have covers? Now we can't afford heating due to to the insane prices here so I think we're all going back to 5 extra layers in bed haha).
You’re completely right! As someone from Europe, I’ve never understood the flat sheet because it seems anything but practical 🙈
Yes!! Definitely happy to see videos like these and just some vlogs about random stuff too sprinkled in with renos.. lol.
Love these upgrades!! We've been 'fancy' for years! lol, also, I live in the Coastal bend of Texas, I love me a flat sheet! lol
you have blown my mind with the flat sheet to pillow case idea
Your videos just make me so happy, Ariel! Love these tips. :)
I love all your videos. From the big renovations to the smaller chit chats I just like hanging out with you.
"damn....I got really excited about curtains"
Kindred spirits spirits, you and I 😉
Great tips btw I look forward to all your uploads
Same - I was looking for this comment!👉👉👉 ruclips.net/video/3z9qrs_5b8s/видео.html
Love these tips! I bought ceramic light switch covers and painted them (flowers, stars, etc.) and now each little switch is its own little quirky corner that makes me smile. I also love to abundantly sprinkle pillows and blankets to make each seating area cozy (I knit or crochet most of them), and also mirrors and candles to help make the light dance and feel magical rather than as fixtures adds a cozy touch. 💕
Love these tips Ariel! I commented before that you should look into Victorian tin ceiling tiles, they're amazing & will look so good in your house! And would love a video with you doing a mug cabinet tour, your coffee and tea mugs are so pretty!
Oh yes! A mug tour would be so lovely.
@@leilat1180 I really hope she sees this!! 😁
@@leannerae so do I! If she does a video suggestions thing on Instagram at some point (she's done one in the past) it might be helpful to say there aswell!
Love these tips! I've been buying one new Le Creuset mug a month for the past year and now I have a full rainbow and they make me so damn happy! Each day I get to pick a colour and it's such a lift
Great idea! Thanks for sharing
I love those so much!
Ahh I love your Awesome Socks Club socks! The blue ones you can get a peek of in the air vent clip are my current faves.
Fully agree on the overhead lights, but more - lights which _aren't_ overhead. Small table lamps. Indirect lighting, corner lamps projecting up or against walls, little clip lights that throw light onto dark areas which shouldn't be dark. Little corner lights for reading! So much comfort in it.
PLUS: light bulbs themselves matter! Light quality (CRI) and colour temperature matter so much to a room, independently of the fixture itself. So many people buy the cheapest bulbs that fit it's never a good idea.
PLUS ALSO: if you have a lightswitch or outlet cover that's messed up somehow? Or the wallpaper or paint around it is messed up somehow? Replace it! Maybe with a slightly larger one, because those are things which exist and all these come in at least three colours. Dirt cheap, completely bog standard boring plastic, but if the cover is too small and there's a gap between the wallpaper or whatever and you can see it? Making that go away with a slightly larger switch cover is like repairing a hole in your wall. Seriously, it's incredibly out of scale for how little money and time you put into it. (A lesser version of this is if the screws are messed up and ugly. Replace 'em! Costs almost nothing, removes an eyesore.)