Ever flip through home design magazines and catalogues and dog-eared pages with the looks you like? Do you wish you could achieve that look in your own home without breaking the bank? If you are looking to redecorate your home without spending a fortune, here are some smart tips on how to get the look you want for less.
Take your time, you’ll do fine
The more time and consideration spent coming up with a general design concept, the more likely you will avoid hasty decorating decisions that will inevitably cost more money in the end. Now is the time to put those home furnishing publications to good use. Magazines and catalogues are a great search tool in finding a look you love, they offer innovative ideas on everything from colour schemes and flooring options to accessorising and room organisation.
Slip on something new
Slipcovers are the fastest and most efficient way to update a couch or chair without having to purchase a new one. Offering an enormous variety of styles and patterns, slipcovers allow homeowners to experiment with different looks with little financial commitment. Toss a few throw pillows on the couch and your living room will look dramatically different.
Fresh paint and wallpapers always please
Chances are, with an active family your walls have taken a beating. Fortunately, nothing says new like a fresh coat of paint or a washable wallpaper. Changing the colour of your walls is a great way to revive the energy of your home.
Rearrange, reuse, and revive
The simple act of moving around your existing furniture can often allow you to see the space in a new way. Whether it be putting your sofa against another wall or bringing in furniture from another room, rearranging your floor plan every so often keeps your space dynamic and lessens the likelihood that you will tire of your furniture.
Some of the best things in life come free
With feng shui, an antique Chinese philosophy, you can change your attitude just by rearranging your living space. The goal is to arrange a home in such a way as to maximise feelings of safety and comfort, which will, in turn, positively affect your health, attitude, even your level of success. Plants, for example, can have a calming effect. Annoying sounds, such as creaking doors and dripping taps, can disrupt the ch'i (life force ) of your home.
Rave rugs
Another simple and inexpensive way to add some excitement to a room is with area rugs. Like slipcovers, area rugs change the look of a room without breaking the bank. Today’s synthetic nylon fibres allow for the mass production of rugs that were once handmade, dramatically lowering the cost of a Persian or Oriental look-alike.
See the space in a whole new light
Sometimes all that is needed to brighten and revive a space is a change in lighting. In the past window treatments were costly investments. Today the most popular window treatments include modestly priced sheers, café curtains, and faux-wood shutters. Replacing dated, discoloured, lampshades with new crisp white shades or changing from a standard light bulb to a softer one can show your room in a new light.
Laurent Billiet
La Maison Chic interior design www.lamaisonchic.ie
