We all like to put our own stamp on a home, whether we’ve been in it for a while or if we’re just moving in and inheriting someone else’s décor. In the UK, it seems like we just can’t resist spending a lot on DIY projects, and the amount we splash out has been on the rise. But not all of us have the budget to go on a spree, especially if we’ve spent a lot on a new home. But there is a solution, or a number of solutions in fact, that mean that we can create the home we want at a price that we can afford to pay.
Paint Yourself Out of a Corner
Something as simple as giving a room a lick of paint can change its appearance entirely. Yes, you can get a professional decorator in to do it, but why not tackle it yourself?
The first thing to do is to choose the paint colours carefully. It’s fairly obvious, but if there is a dark room that doesn’t get a lot of natural light, lighter shades will be best, and you should also try to pick a relaxing colour for bedrooms. It might be that you don’t even have to paint all of the walls in a room. Just painting one feature wall can transform its look completely.
Another tip is to avoid going for the cheapest paint you can find. This might sound like strange advice when you’re on a budget, but you’ll end up having to paint many more coats than you would with a higher quality brand like Farrow & Ball or Little Green. If these are still beyond your budget, many trade paint suppliers will be able to mix the same colours for less if you ask them to.
See the Light
The way we light our homes can also have a major effect on how they look. This doesn’t mean you have to buy new lights for every room. Something as simple as buying new lampshades can have a surprisingly significant effect on the way a room look and feels.
Also, buying several cheap table lamps and dotting them round a room can create a much warmer and more welcoming ambience than relying on a ceiling light to illuminate a room.
In dark rooms, the strategic use of mirrors can also work wonders when it comes to maximising the available light—and these can be picked up relatively cheaply from places like Ikea or Dunelm.
Bring the Walls to Life
Another way that you can breathe new life into the décor is by changing the artwork that’s on your walls.
Look for cheap posters online and get some matching clip-frames to put them in. In this digital age, you may even have all the images you want to display already on your camera or smartphone, like family snaps or holiday memories.
So, all you’d need to do would be to stock up on Epson printer ink, or the right kind for your particular machine, feed in some good quality paper and you’ll have artwork ready to display.
Don’t Forget the Furniture
Sometimes something as simple as draping a new throw over an old sofa can be all that’s needed to change the look of a room. Other times, a more radical approach, and new furniture, is needed.
Luckily, today, there are more ways than ever to get your hands on old furniture you can upcycle—and here are just a few places to look for it:
- eBay
- Facebook Marketplace
- Local charity shops
- Local auctioneers
- Community noticeboards in supermarkets, etc.
As to how you choose to upcycle, we’ll leave that to your imagination. You’ll be able to get plenty of inspiration from online sites like Pinterest, and this is also a great place for you to start putting together a mood board of your own.
Then, before long, you’ll be starting the transformation of your home and saving a fortune in the process.
Image Credits: Curtis Adams
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