DECORATING ON A TIGHT BUDGET

Decorating Effectively & Cheaply.

PAINT.  I really do mean it when I say that paint is often the answer. Introduce light and bright paint colours into darker rooms & use something a little more adventurous in a dining room, study or child's bedroom.

Paint is relatively cheap, and most people have some full or half full tins in the garage. 

    

Just remember, some of these paints can be mixed or re-tinted.  

Paint some kitchen chairs or the odd accent chair in something different for an eclectic look.

 





STORAGE is also a major asset, whether it's a cheap item being re-purposed, or something more expensive.  Naturally built-in or hidden storage is best, but again, make the best of what you have 

with paint or a makeover.

Is one room in the home disproportionately large? Take a small section & turn it into a room divider or walk-in storage, whether it be a pantry, or something else.

Or do you have a dead-end hallway that could be cut-off and turned into a built in.

LAUNDRY.  Are you able to turn a largish otherwise dull laundry into  a

laundry plus “mud-room”? 

A small bench, coat hooks on the wall, & a footlocker for shoes.  Great self-assembly ones available at Ikea (or similar retailers). If you have carpentry skills - make your own.

SPOT COLOUR.  Outside.  

Spots of colour in the home, or garden, give an instant lift & inspire us to bigger & better ideas.  

  

Once you have painted a few pots & arranged them skilfully on that dull patio or backyard, you will give the spot (& yourself) an instant lift.  Turn rusted wheelbarrows & bits of rusty objects into garden features with colourful planting. Search Hard Waste piles for little treasures.

SPOT COLOUR.  Inside. Most of us can afford splashes of colour with scatter cushions or throws.

(Target now have cheap ranges that look smart).  If that’s a stretch, search your local Op shops.

Keep your kitchen neutral & then introduce spot colour with a few made, found or repurposed items in colour. 

 

 

Here again, Target & similar stores have colourful storage containers that can be put on display.

DE-CLUTTER.  Essential to any change is de-cluttering unless you don’t have that many of this world’s goods.  If the room is cramped, identify those items that you really don’t need but can’t bear to part with.  Send them to the garage or outdoor storage or sell them online.  If it’s a family heirloom that just doesn’t fit - store it!

MIRRORS.  Always use mirrors! 

 

A reflection visually enlarges your space & when properly placed can reflect little vignettes that you have set-up.

For a dull wall, place multiple mirrors of all shapes & sizes, being careful to have a layout plan.

WALL DECORATION. 

Can't afford art-works? Buy a set of matching frames or Op Shop finds & use photos, magazine cuttings, pieces of fabric, pressed leaves etc.

Arrange them in a formal display & they will look stunning.

Pantone has announced Ultraviolet as the colour of the year for 2018.

To all those closet lovers of violet and purple, now is your time to splurge.

Embrace this majestic colour in all its splendour.

Violet is a spectral colour with its own wavelength on the visible spectrum of light, but can be combined with purple to great effect.

Purple is a colour intermediate between blue and red. It is similar to violet, but unlike violet, purple is a composite colour made by combining red and blue.

According to surveys in Europe and the U.S., purple is the colour most often associated with royalty, magic, mystery, and piety. When combined with pink, it is associated with eroticism, femininity, and seduction.

Purple was the colour worn by Roman magistrates; it became the imperial colour worn by the rulers of the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire, and later by Roman Catholic bishops. Similarly, in Japan, the colour is traditionally associated with the Emperor and aristocracy. The complementary colour of purple is yellow.