Are you trying to update your home on a tight budget? Do you read design blogs and wish your home looked like the ones featured? I love home décor and always seem to have a new project on the go. But interior design gets expensive quickly. My husband and I are always on the lookout for affordable updates that make a big impact. If you’re dreaming of stylish interior design, but aren’t ready to pay for a complete overhaul, try these 7 tricks to make your home design look better.
Make an Impact with Statement Art
To up the wow-factor in your living room, create a focal point with a large piece of art. Oversize pieces make a statement, and help anchor the room. Play up the colors in the canvas with coordinating accents like pillows or vases.
Watch for sales at your favorite décor store, or hit the thrift stores to find something you love without breaking the bank. If you’re crafty, why not create a DIY piece? Find a royalty free image you love online, and have it printed to fit a large frame.
Fake a Big Budget with Luxurious Textures
A room with rich textures and finishes feels more luxurious and inviting than a stark space. Mix natural finishes like wood, leather, and fur with smooth surfaces such as metal, glass or stone to create contrast and make the room more interesting.
To add texture at almost no cost, try incorporating items found in nature. Collect driftwood, shells, feathers and dried plants and display them as art. A can of metallic paint can transform an old lamp or candle holder into a classy piece.
Upgrade your Lighting for a New Outlook
Good lighting can change the look of a room dramatically. If your budget is really small, start with new lightbulbs and switch covers. These small upgrades will make a big visual difference. New shades will transform the look of any light for minimal cost. Swap out old dingy covers for fresh new shades in metallic or crystal finishes for a luxe look. To create a bigger impact, try updating some of your fixtures. Companies like Allen+Roth offer a selection of stylish options that won’t break the bank.
Get Reflective
Adding mirrors to your home décor is a quick way to brighten a room and create the illusion of more space. A long mirror at the end of a hallway will make it seem like it goes on forever. A new mirror can get pricey, but you can usually find mirrors at thrift stores and garage sales. A coat of paint on the frame will make used finds look like new.
Create Consistency for a Cohesive Look
Consistency is the key to making your home décor look planned and purposeful. Little touches like matching finishes and coordinating fixtures will produce a cohesive look. Small upgrades like matching trim throughout your house will create unity and flow. Carry a consistent color palette from room to room without the cost of painting by using coordinating accent pieces.
Companies like Allen+Roth offer affordable home décor lines that make it easy to coordinate design elements throughout the house. We really like the complete lines of lighting that allow you to have consistent fixtures in every room.
Get Clean Lines by Removing Clutter
Overcrowded shelves and cluttered surfaces are distracting and make your home feel smaller. Clean lines with minimalistic decorations will create a calmer and more sophisticated look. No matter how much you love your knick-knacks, your home will look better with less of them. If you want a space that looks professionally styled, personal items need to be less prominent. Select a few favorite pieces and display them proudly, then pack the others away. When you’re ready for a change, you can swap out some of the pieces on display for a no-cost update.
Add a Backsplash for Style in the Kitchen
Adding a backsplash is a quick and easy way to improve your kitchen design. No matter your budget, there’s an option for a backsplash that will add instant appeal. For a really low-cost DIY backsplash, vinyl wallpaper is easy to install and comes in a wide variety of colors and designs to complement your décor. For a modern look, a stainless steel sheet cut to right size will make an easy to clean backsplash. If you love the look of a tile backsplash, peel-and-stick tile squares are a fraction of the cost and look like the real thing.
What did you think of our list of our inexpensive tricks to make your home design look better? We’d love to hear some of your ideas for low-cost home improvements. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoyed the article please share this post with your social networks.
Bio:
Nadya Jones is a blogger and an entrepreneur.
She is the co-founder of Allen Roth HQ, a blog about home design and improvements.
With her husband Brett, she writes tips and tricks they learned while renovating their house in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nadya handles the interior design. Brett implements her ideas in a cost-efficient way.
Follow Nadya on Twitter.