Interior Design 4 the Rest of Us

There are many great budget decorating products and tips out there, but when it comes to freshening up a room for under $15.00 nothing tops the following three items.  The beauty of each of these selections is that they are multi purpose purchase that can be used in a multitude of ways.

A Quart of Paint:  Paint is the unsurpassed winner in budget makeover projects and a quart of paint typically cost between $9.00 and $13.00.  The cost is low and the uses are infinite.  A quart of paint can easily cover Powder Room walls giving a room an entirely new look.  Additionally, you can paint existing furniture items such as tables, chairs and dressers.  Painting furniture can make an old item feel new.  Kitchen and Bathroom cabinets when painted receive a welcomed facelift.  Other items to think about painting include lamps, baskets, planters, and other accessories.

A Flat Bed Sheet:  Shop discount stores and clearance centers for flat bed sheets and you can find steals on these paying less than $15.00 a sheet.  This can be the most lovely pattern fabric for the lowest cost around.  Use this fabric to make throw pillows for a sofa or bed.  Flat bed sheets can also be used as drapery panels for a no sew project.  Other applications in which you can use the sheet it to make custom shower curtains, chair covers, table clothes, placemats, and nearly anything that involves using fabric. 

Blank Artist Canvas:  For under $15.00 you can purchase a stretched artist’s canvas in a large array of sizes.   Typically made of cotton duct and stapled on a wooden frame, these canvases can be easily turned into custom works of abstract art, and you do not need to be an artist.  Please note, abstract is the key word.  Go to your local library and find pictures of abstract art with broad expanses of color and simple lines.  You can then replicate the masterpiece on your canvas.  Or if you would rather come up with your own version of a masterpiece, you can use foam brushes to make wide stripes of colors allowing drips and paint build up to add to your piece.

Try investing $15.00 or less in any of the above items.  Each one (paint, bed sheet, and an artist canvas) offer unlimited opportunity to decorate your home for a small amount of money.

New colors come into fashion with every season change.  Keeping up with color trends is a great way to help a home decorated on a budget look fresh and current.  Before jumping in, consider these tips to help keep you in style yet on track with your budget decorating goals.

1. One surefire way to incorporate new colors each season into your home is to have the major furnishings and walls in a neutral palette.  This will allow you to bring in new colors without clashing.
2. Make sure that when you use the latest color in your home, it works with your other items.  A well color coordinated room can make even the shabbiest of interiors look expensive.
3. Do not feel like you absolutely have to use the latest and greatest color in your home.  Just because a color is in style, does not mean that you must like it or use it.
4. Think very carefully about investing money into a piece of furniture or other large item in the latest and greatest color.  You don’t want to be stuck with a sofa for 20 years date stamped spring of 2008.
5. Think small and cheap.  For example, an inexpensive lacquered bowl in a fresh color brings the trend into your home for a small monetary commitment.  A single throw pillow in the season’s hot color is another budget friendly way to dabble in a new color.
6. Consider painting a small table or other furniture item in a new hue.  A quart of paint is very inexpensive; the only real investment with this option is your time.
7. Think practicality when purchasing something simply to partake in a trend.  You might consider purchasing an item for your Kitchen such a set of plastic tumblers or coffee mugs.  This small purchase will give a taste of the color you crave with the ability to store the items in a cabinet once trend has passed.

Remember these seven tips the next time you see those great new colors.  If possible, bring new colors into your home regularly for a true designer look.  Just remember that you can participate in a color trend without sacrificing your decorating budget.

What could be better than this?  Imagine an afternoon hanging out with friends, an excuse to clean your closet and some great new free decor for your home. Bargain shopping has never been so much fun and so cheap!

In the current economic climate people will try anything to save a little cash. If you are the sort of person who is careful with their finances, perhaps you use a site such as http://www.lovemoney.com/ or collect coupons, then this will be right up your street. People everywhere are picking up on this great bargain based activity, which you too can be a part of.

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Who says good things don’t come in small packages?   Sometimes a small item can add a lot of style impact to your home.   Small items can be great looking and budget friendly; in fact, some of these items are even free.  Check out these undersized items that deliver big decorating impact.

Produce:  Yes, you read correctly, produce.  Display colorful, fresh fruit or vegetables in a bowl in the Kitchen or Dining Room.  When used as an edible accessory, produce adds color and a delicate smell to your home and is great for your waistline.  Some varieties to try include pears, apples, lemons, limes, pomegranates, artichokes, and eggplants.

A Tassel:  Use tassels in unexpected ways.  Add a single tassel to the end of a pull cord on a ceiling fan or light fixture for a touch of color and instant sophistication.  Tassels can also be hung over a knob on a dresser or armoire to freshen the look of an existing piece of furniture.

Three Way Light Bulbs:  Replace a standard light bulb with a three way light bulb in a lamp that accommodates such a bulb.   The smallest wattage can be used for soft lighting to create instant ambiance.  The highest setting can be used for task lighting and reading. 

Throw Pillows:  Use throw pillows as a small yet effective way to add color, pattern and texture.  Adding a throw pillow in the season’s hot color, this spring the color is yellow, instantly updates a room.

Door Mat:  A new doormat welcomes guests to your home.  Rather than the basic green or tan color mat, look for a brightly painted mat to add color and warmth to your entrance.  First impressions last, so make yours representative of the details inside your home.

New Cabinet Knobs:  Replace your old cabinet knobs for a quick and effective transformation.  New knobs can transform the look of Kitchen cabinets from old to new.  A modern knob on older cabinets can result in an instantaneous updated look. 

Lamp Shade:  A tired looking lamp becomes new again with a fresh shade.   Seek to change both the shape and color of the old shade, and you will feel like you purchased a new lamp.  Bring your lamp base to the shade store for the most successful results. 

Fresh Flowers:  Flowers add color and smell to your home and help to brighten just about any room.  Pick flowers from your garden or purchase stems from growers at local farmer’s markets for a fresh and budget friendly alternative.

Hand Towels:  Perk up a Kitchen or Powder Room with hand towels.  These objects of necessity can do much more than simply dry your hands.  For just a few dollars, colored or patterned hand towels add a bit of interest in these utilitarian spaces. 

Paint:  One gallon of a new paint color can dramatically change the look of a small room or piece of furniture.  Drab walls can instantaneously change to stunning and a piece of furniture can be given a whole new personality with paint color.

Child’s Artwork:  Nothing adds character and color to home like a picture made by your favorite child.  Simple artwork can be transformed to look like a masterpiece when placed in inexpensive frame.  You can even commission your child to color a picture for you to fill a specific place on your wall or add a needed touch of color in a room.  

These ideas are simple and inexpensive.  Go ahead and give one a try, you will be impressed with how big of an impact the addition of one small decorative item can have in your home.

A shabby chic look is a style that naturally lends itself to decorating on a budget.  This is because the Shabby Chic look is based on using furnishings that are comfortable, time-worn, and in keeping with simple and practical living.

If you are on a limited decorating budget and want to create a look that is unpretentious yet elegant, Shabby Chic may be the style for you.  Here are a few of the basic elements that make up a Shabby Chic look that you may want to try in your own home.

Slip Covers:  Slip covered furniture is the cornerstone of a Shabby Chic interior.  Not only does slip covering furniture give an old item a new look, the cost is quite inexpensive and slip covering allows you to easily purchase used furniture.  The Shabby Chic style often uses lots of simple white slip covers that look clean and fresh and are extremely budget friendly.

Unmatched Printed Fabrics: To liven up the white slip covers, printed and patterned fabrics are added as comfortable throw pillows, chair cushions, bedding, etc.  These fabrics are often floral but can also be striped, paisley or any other type of subdued print.  These various patterns and colors creates a relaxed feel in a Shabby Chic home, and allows a budget decorator to purchase remnants to mix and match.

Painted Furniture: Painted furniture is another key element in a Shabby Chic interior.  Furniture can be purchased at flea markets and garages sales, and then painted for that old but loved look.  Adding paint to an item of furniture gives a clean appearance, and painting several items all one color (typically white in Shabby Chic) gives unmatched furniture a look of an imperfectly matched set.

Flowers: Fresh flowers add lightness and color, and an instant Chic in the home.  To achieve a Shabby Chic look with flowers, use cut flowers from the garden or make you own bouquets from flowers you purchase.  The floral arrangements are typically informal and organic, with a look of just being thrown together.  Flowers are used in all rooms of the home including the bedrooms and bathrooms.

Unique Lighting: Shabby Chic features light fixtures and lamps that typically appear to be flea market finds.  Often the light fixtures have glass or crystal beads which in juxtaposition to the casual furniture creates an unexpected look.  Lamps are often painted, and feature fabric shades made from printed fabrics.

Now that you know some of the key fundamentals that go into making a Shabby Chic look, you can try to incorporate some of these elements into your own home.  A major appeal and the beauty of a Shabby Chic look is the imperfection, so do not be afraid of making a mistake when giving this style a try.

With the economy in turmoil, some of us are forced to give us up our hobbies, including decorating.  Never fear, using old and forgotten items you already have is one of the best budget decorating tricks around.   The possibilities for using items found around your home in unexpected ways are limitless.  Here are five suggestions for re-using old items in new ways:

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Lighting is one of the keys to good design, yet lamps can often cost a small fortune.  Creative bargain decorators can make their own custom lamps out of numerous inexpensive items that you may already have in your home.  Here are a few suggestions of items to use as a unique lamp base.

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Budget decorating is more than simply just finding good deals.  Basic principals of interior design apply to any decorating project and using these principals of design does not cost a penny.  Balance is one of these design concepts that needs to be considered with all decorating projects.

Good balance can make an interior look just right, especially when decorating on a budget.   Conversely, incorrect balance can destroy an otherwise good design, even a room with high end furnishings.  But what exactly is balance and how can a novice decorator achieve good balance in a room?

The simplest definition of the word balance in decorating is equilibrium.   Often, designers use the word “visual weight” when they are referring to balance.  A balanced interior features furniture, accessories, and colors that are distributed throughout a room in a way that bring a sense of stability.

There are a few basic characteristics of decorating that affect the visual weight in a room.  Here are three basic concepts, ideas to consider when looking at visual balance.

• Large items appear heavier in a room.
• Colors that are warm, bright and dark appear to have heavier visual weight than colors that are cool, soft and light.
• Materials that are opaque appear heavier that materials that are translucent.

It is helpful to keep these concepts in mind when decorating.  So now that you understand the term balance, here is how to put together a room to help achieve a balanced look.

1. When arranging furniture, start with the largest pieces first.  Furniture such as an armoire, sofa or bed will act as the anchor in a room to which all other furniture will work around.
2. After your large items are placed, bring in the rest of your smaller furniture and place these items around the room.  Distribute your furniture by varying the height of items throughout the room.   For example, place a low chair next to a tall bookcase.
3. Bring in your accessories.  Consider placing a translucent item on top of a heavier piece of furniture to continue mixing up the visual weight in the room.  If you have a group of small accessories, consider grouping smaller items together to give them more weight in the space.
4. Use color to finish the look.  If an area in the room is looking unbalanced in relation to heavier visual areas in a room, use a bolder and bright color in these places as an accent.  This will add visual weight and a pop of color.
5. Conversely, you can lighten the visual weight of something like a dark sofa by adding lighter colored pillows.
6. Continue moving things about the room until a visual balance is achieved.  You will know when you have the visual weight correct because suddenly the room will just “feel” right.

Keep in mind these tips plus the basic concepts of balance when working on decorating projects.  Budget decorators that use the basic principals of good design are often the most successful in pulling off a great looking interior at a rock bottom price.

Most savvy bargain decorators know that there are treasures to be found at flea markets. Knowing that treasures are to be found and knowing what to look for are two very different things. Here is our list of top picks to keep your eyes open for when browsing a flea market.

Fabric: Vintage fabrics can be plentiful at flea markets. Look for unique patterns to give your home a custom flair. Use the fabric to make throw pillows, bedding, chair pads or draperies. Be sure to examine the entire piece of fabric before purchasing to make sure there are no holes or stains.

Art: Framed and unframed art can be found quite easily at flea markets. Look through the stacks of art, toward the back of the pile, to find the best bargains. Buy only what you absolutely love and do not be afraid to negotiate as art is the most subjectively priced item at a flea market.

Suitcases / Trunks: Old suitcase and trunks can be stacked together and used as a side or coffee table in your home. When searching for two or three to use together, do not worry about matching colors or styles as that can be an impossible feat. More important is to look for suitcases that are in good condition, are visually appealing, and at a rock bottom price.

Table Linens: Old tablecloths and napkins come in a wide array of colors and patterns. The best bargains are found on items that are not part of a matched set. Use your creativity to make your own set by finding linens all on one color family but with different patterns.

Antique Spools: For just dollars a piece, antique spools and bobbins can be purchased at flea markets. These spools can be turned into lamp bases or stacked and used as inexpensive and unique candle holders.

Wood Crates: Interesting old crates can be used as a magazine rack, or a firewood box, or be placed on their side and used as a table. Look for crates with writing or logos painted on the sides for a bit of color. Crates are typically found in abundance at flea markets, and were made as a utilitarian item rather than as décor, which gives you lots of negation room.

Cabinet Hardware: Hardware for your Kitchen, Bathroom, or a piece of furniture is a great thing to hunt at flea markets. Just like with table linens, matched sets are at a premium, so if you can pull together several knobs that work cohesively as a group, you will achieve an interesting look at a bargain basement price.

Planters: Just about any type of vessel can be used as a flower or plant pot in the garden, and the choices at a flea market are truly endless. Consider purchasing old cooking pans, serving bowls, coffee mugs, wood boxes, and other types of container to be used for visual interest in the garden or on a porch.

Decorative Frames: Search for old frames in different shapes, sized and materials at the flea market. Typically the glass from the frame is missing or damaged, allowing more room for negation on the cost of the frame. Take you new treasure to a framing store and have new glass cut for just a few dollars.

Postcards / Maps: Postcards and maps are colorful, educational and just plain interesting to look at. They can be snatched up for mere pennies at flea markets and used in your home. Consider framing postcards for inexpensive vintage art. Large maps can be used as custom wallpaper when applied to walls.

Flea market shopping can be both an exhilarating and exhausting experience. The trick is to know what you are looking for before you go, always keep your budget in mind, and remember to keep your eyes open at all times.

The Kitchen is the room in a home most frequently used by family members, and therefore should be an inviting space.  Kitchens are also the most expensive room to remodel and update.  Do not be discouraged by the high cost of a Kitchen renovation as there are many inexpensive updates that you can do to freshen your Kitchen on a budget.

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