redecorate

redecorate — verb

1. to improve or completely change the appearance of a building's interior by cover

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to improve or completely change the appearance of a building's interior by covering its walls and other surfaces with fresh paint, different wallpaper, or other decorative materials.

Example

Nikos and his wife decided to redecorate their kitchen before the summer.

The old classroom was redecorated with bright yellow paint and new curtains.

passive: be redecorated with [materials]

Common collocations
  • redecorate + room / house / flat / apartment
  • redecorate + with + paint / wallpaper / tiles
  • have / get + object + redecorated
  • completely / entirely / newly redecorated
Synonyms
  • renovate

    broader meaning that can include structural repairs, plumbing, and electrical work, not just surface decoration

  • refurbish

    more formal; often includes restoring or replacing furniture and fittings, not only paint and paper

  • spruce up

    informal; less thorough work, often a quick cleaning or small decorative changes

  • freshen up

    informal; a light version of redecorating, such as a single coat of paint or new cushions

Grammar Patterns

redecorate + noun phrase (room / house / flat)

redecorate (no object): have the money / time to redecorate

be redecorated + with / in [materials or colours]

Usage Note

Applies mainly to cosmetic changes to interior surfaces (paint, wallpaper, flooring) rather than structural work such as moving walls or replacing wiring. The prefix re- indicates the work has been done on the same space at least once before.

Common Mistakes

We redecorated the house by adding a new bathroom and moving the kitchen.
We redecorated the house by painting the walls and changing the curtains.
Redeccoration is about surface appearance, not structural changes or additions.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Renovate is the broadest term and includes structural changes, plumbing, and electrical work — you might renovate a house by knocking down a wall. Refurbish is more formal and often implies restoring furniture, equipment, or entire rooms to a like-new state. Redeccorate is narrower: it focuses on the appearance of surfaces (paint, wallpaper, flooring) without structural alterations. Spruce up and freshen up are both informal and suggest lighter, quicker work — adding new cushions or a coat of paint rather than stripping wallpaper and repainting an entire room. For example, 'We renovated the basement by adding insulation and a bathroom,' but 'We redecorated the living room with fresh paint and new curtains.'

renovate ↗refurbishspruce upfreshen up

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • have the money to redecorate
  • decide to redecorate
  • spend the weekend redecorating

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed in English from the prefix re- ('again') and the verb decorate, which comes from Latin decoratus, the past participle of decorare, meaning 'to adorn, beautify, or grace'. The word has been in use since the mid-1800s, with the sense of doing interior decoration work a second or later time.