If you are on a tight budget and keen to do some DIY interior design then here are some tried and tested changes you can make to your home that are easy and inexpensive but will have a big impact.
It is not uncommon for people with the budget to do so to spend a significant proportion of the cost of their home on having it updated by a professional interior designer. But not all of us have that kind of budget or want to spend it on an interior design scheme. Many expensive interiors have a certain “over-designed” look reminiscent of a smart hotel, which can look fantastic but don’t create the cosy and unique look that can be achieved by using personal mementos (whether they fit the style and colour scheme or not), unique contemporary art or modern art and a more eclectic choice of furnishings and fittings.
But whether you crave a highly-designed look or a more original look for your home there are some basic tips that you can steal from the professional interior designers about home interiors and decor that are simple and relatively inexpensive to implement. These tips can transform your home without requiring a second mortgage to pay for them and if you are keen on DIY then you might even be able to do some of the work yourself and save even more money.
- If you live in a cold climate then fitted carpets can make a room feel warm and luxurious, but the disadvantages of fitted carpets are that the colours and patterns date quickly and they soon become grubby, particularly in busy living areas. So rip up those old carpets and replace them with a wooden floor – there are styles of wooden flooring to suit any type of home from ultra-contemporary to cosy and rustic. A wooden floor will not date in that same way as carpets and can still give a feeling of warmth to a room. And when you want to introduce colour for the changing seasons or for a more permanent design statement then you can simply add a colourful rug. Top Tip: Choose an engineered wooden floor for all the advantages of a wooden floor without the disadvantages.
- The kitchen is not a room that can be completely re-designed without substantial expense but there are still ways to update the look of your kitchen without ripping it out and starting again. The least expensive way to give your kitchen a facelift is to buy some new accessories such as storage jars, utensils, tea towels etc. Another option is to replace a dated tiled splashback with new wall tiles – because the area between the worktops and the wall cupboards is small this is an inexpensive job that can transform a kitchen.
- Curtains are one of the most effective ways of transforming a room, whether they are dramatic full-length curtains with matching pelmet and tie-backs or sheer voile on a simple pole, they can provide a perfect finishing touch to an interior design scheme. The main disadvantage to curtains is that patterned fabric dates quickly and even some plain fabrics will also date rapidly if they were a particular fashion statement when they were first hung. Deep colours will also fade quickly in rooms that receive a lot of sunlight so replace those dated or faded curtains with a fresh new look.
- Bedrooms can be neglected spaces in terms of interior design because they are not on show to visitors in the same way as our living spaces are, but there is a very simple way to give them an update that requires neither much effort nor much cash. Investing in new bed-linen for all of the beds in your home is one of the easiest ways to completely transform your space. There are so many different colours and designs available for every budget that there really is no excuse not to make this simple but highly effective change.
- If you are unfortunate enough to have a coloured bathroom suite – maybe you have moved into a new home that is a renovation project – then there is simply no choice but to replace it with a white suite. Thankfully, the majority of bathroom suites in homes today are white, which offers less expensive possibilities for a design update. If your wall and floor tiles still look good then the changes could be as simple as new towels and bath products, and maybe a vase or candles to add an accent colour. For a more radical change why not install new wall and floor tiles. Installing ceramic tiles or, for a more contemporary look, large porcelain wall tiles with matching floor tiles will instantly update your bathroom’s image.
Try any one of these interior design tips to give your home an instant update.