Our homes are our castles, our spaces for entertaining, our centres of family life and our place to retreat from the busy world. So it’s no wonder we want to make them look and feel as cosy, inviting and beautiful as possible. Many of us feel caught between the interior design ideas we see on Pinterest and the reality of the flimsy flat pack furniture that matches our redecorating budget, especially if you’ve just moved in. So what are the hacks you can use to add designer décor style to your space on a budget? Read on for some top tips…
Think Laterally –
Upcycling is big news when it comes to getting high-quality furniture that you may not have been able to pay for brand new. Think about repurposing items from other areas of your house – could that Welsh dresser in the kitchen serve you better as clothes storage upstairs? Could that solid oak TV cabinet work as a bedside table? First, take stock of what you already have, but you can also hunt down some beautiful older pieces on auction and repurpose or upcycle them. Don’t be limited by what’s on the doorstep – there are some great reviews about Shiply, a service that connects you a lot of ‘man with a van’ outfits who will transport furniture and other items for a small fee.
Customise For a Unique Look –
Often that designer style décor is all down to using everyday, inexpensive materials in unusual ways or customising pieces to give you something unique. You can do a lot with fabric trims – add them to plain lampshades, curtains or even around the edge of a sofa to elevate the design. Or think about adding a panel of contrasting fabric to a plain shower curtain to make it more luxurious. Scour charity shops for an eclectic selection of pretty frames and spray them all the same colour to create a gallery wall with a difference. Cut and lay standard tiles to a different pattern like herringbone to make them seem far more expensive.
Fall for Shapes, Not Finishes –
With a little imagination, some paint, fabric and a staple gun you can transform the finishing of furniture quickly, so when choosing something to buy or that you already own where the finish is off-putting, look at the shape instead. Love the outline of that wing chair you inherited but over the faded mustard velvet? Reupholstering can save the day at low cost. Repainting furniture and replacing tired handles is a quick job too, so as long as you like the basic shape, the rest can change.
Set Up Sale Alerts –
If you love the style of an interiors store like Made or Dwell, but the budget won’t quite allow for it, make sure you set up alerts for when their pieces go on sale You can use a service like ShopStyle to set up an alarm on specific products you’d like, and when the price drops you’ll receive an email notifying you. It’s a great way to add in a few designer pieces that can mix in with your bargain finds to create a sleek, expensive overall look.
Love,
*This is a collaborative post