We all need ways to reinvigorate ourselves during difficult times. Since a pricey vacation may be out of the question this year, it's a good time to look closer to home for a pick-me-up.
How about revitalizing a room in your home? You don't have to spend a bundle on new furniture and carpet. A few accessories, a can of paint or even a change in lighting can perk up a space that may be blah.
We asked Joan Riggs, interior design program coordinator at Chaminade University, for some ideas on energizing a room.
"Think about what's most important in your life," Riggs said. "What inspires you? Is it movies, books, travel, or a hobby?"
Use that inspiration to spark your theme, Riggs suggests.
The theme could be Asian, contemporary, green (as in eco, not the color), beachy, urban or Louis XV, to name just a few.

FIND INSPIRATION

Choose one object to inspire the color palette, textures and fabrics in the room. Consider a souvenir from a vacation, a beloved family antique or a treasured art object.
Then let the inspiration be your guide.
Paint, fabric, plants, lighting and rearranging furniture are the five least expensive ways to alter a room.
Riggs recommends choosing a color with some intensity, rather than pastels or off-whites, and using contrasting colors for more visual interest.
Consider painting one wall a bold color that is complementary to other walls or elements in the room — pair opposites on the color wheel, such as blue and yellow, or green and red. "You'll get greater vitality," Riggs said.
Home Depot has a paint with primer in it; that's simpler and less expensive to use, especially when applying a bold color.
Although they cost a little more,
Riggs said many people now, for health and environmental reasons, choose paints that contain low or no volatile organic components.

PICK-ME-UPS

While buying or reupholstering a sofa may be out of the question, throw pillows can be an inexpensive way to give a room a jolt.
For that needed pick-me-up, look for fabrics that are nubby and textured, rather than smooth and soft.
Here's another way to dress up an old sofa and throw pillows: Use contrasting wide ribbon to wrap around the pillow and tie a bow or simply lap one piece over the other. It's fun to change the ribbon seasonally, with autumnal hues, Christmas colors, spring brights and summery ocean shades.

Another way to jazz up a room is simply to rearrange the furniture. Having furniture parallel to the walls or in an L shape can be static. Riggs suggests placing furniture at unexpected angles within the room.

LIGHT IT UP

Lighting is a key element in creating ambiance.

There are three levels of lighting, Riggs said: general or ambient lighting to get a room to glow; task lighting, such as a reading lamp or light over a dining table; and specialty lighting directed on a specific art object or area.

Any light source can be put on a dimmer switch to vary brightness.

Riggs recommends fluorescent bulbs, which are energy efficient, and now dimmable. "They cost more up front but they save money in the long run," she said.

"Recession times can be a wake-up call," Riggs advised. "Rededicate some of that energy and creativity to revitalizing your home now."

Jazz up that blah space without breaking the bank through vivid color schemes, enhanced lighting and rearranged furniture