Being on a budget doesn’t mean you should compromise style and design; it is possible to have these things without having to break the bank.
Focus on small changes that will have a big impact. Where possible you should try and do as much yourself without hiring trade or buying all new furniture pieces and accessories. Get inventive with it, it’s a chance to be creative and think outside that usual box!
Try and use what you have on hand, have a shuffle around of furniture, move objects and accessories, paintings on walls, reupholster existing pieces, paint objects, or timber furniture. Even adding new knobs and handles is a small change that can create a new lease on the life of a drab or dull areas and pieces.
Before buying anything new, take a look at what you have and what you really don’t need, decluttering can make you see the wood through the leaves. Only then will you truely know where you might require adding in something new.
Shop wisely and not reactively, as a less budget doesn’t mean a less quality item, take your time and have a look at the need for the piece you are after and whether this will work with your lifestyle. Try to avoid any rush decisions that you may quickly regret as this will end up costing you more money in the long run.
Think second-hand shops, auction houses to find bargain pieces. Mix these inexpensive items with more quality pieces to create a collective style while keeping costs down. Bring those drab pieces of art or family photos back to life by placing them in oversize mounting or framing. Reprint some of those old family photos in black and white and place them on a wall in a collection or gallery-like, to create a focal point in those small places like an entry or hallway.
Paint a wall…or two! Paint is the simplest and most affordable way of bringing a new lease on life to any room. Think calming colours and continuity, use similar tones throughout different spaces to give a sense of flow. Light fittings, where possible add a new lamp shade to that old worn-out lamp or find a bargain on a floor lamp to add a sense of ambiance to space where you require a gap filler and at the same time not having to worry about an electrician rewiring anything.
Greenery is good, but sometimes it can come with a large price tag, start with seeds or plant smaller plants in larger pots and grow them from there, once matured you’ll feel the satisfaction of having grown them yourself along with the added bonus of bringing softness and calm to any space.
A budget doesn’t need to be a scary word, make it fun, and make it your own, part of creating style is trying out new things!
Leah Frost – Interior Designer at Frobisher Interiors.
