Regardless of whether you
are a professional interior designer working on a large project or just want to
redesign your kitchen, it always pays to know the best ways to save as much
money as possible. Decorating your home is rarely a cheap thing to do and usually
comes with stress, hassle and a lot of mess. Even the smaller tasks are never
as easy or as quick as you think. Keeping that in mind, we‘ve made sure that
the tips chosen in this guide will save you time, hassle and of course, money.
Saving money when
decorating is always important as the budget of decorating can often determine
the style we decide to go for. For example, you may wish to turn your room from
modern and minimal to retro chic and to do this you will need wooden type
furniture, bespoke features and vintage lighting. All of these things are
usually every expensive, but with these tips you can achieve this look and have
money to spare. In this guide we are going to show you the top 20 tips on how
to save the most money when decorating this year.
Tip
1 – Find free materials around you
By this we don’t mean
rummaging through bins of course. You will be surprised to find out how many
things you can actually get for free! Many people will want to just get rid of
items they don’t want anymore because they are moving and can’t be bothered to
try and sell them. This is where you can get some amazing bargains. From small
table lamps to large tables and chairs, people will often happily give you
these things for free if you are able to pick them up.
Tip
2 – Improve your existing furniture
Before you start throwing
out all of the furniture in the room it might be worth considering if it can be
updated or improved. One of the biggest trends right now in interior design is
repurposed and reupholstered furniture, especially with wooden furniture. As
the vintage look has never been more popular, we are seeing a huge rise in
people repurposing old tables and chairs, bringing new life to something that
was once nearly thrown away.
Tip
3 – Feature Wall
One of the simplest ways
of adding a fresh and new feel to a room is through painting or wallpapering
the walls. Paint and wallpaper vary in price, but one thing that is consistent
with this is the amount of time it takes. Updating the walls in your home is a
long process and one that needs care and attention if it is to look right.
However, to save money and time you can simply just update one wall; the
feature wall. You might be surprised at how much a feature wall can change a
room’s dynamic. It draws the eye as soon as you enter and instantly sets the
tone for the rest of the space.
Tip
4 – Update the plumbing fixtures
Your bathroom and kitchen
plumbing fixtures are often untapped resources when it comes to adding a new
design feature to the room. By simply changing the usual metal finish to
copper, brushed chrome or brushed bronze you can quickly update the style without
having to purchase a new sink or bathtub.
Tip
5 – Laminate Worktops
Replacing your kitchen or
bathroom worktop is usually a very expensive thing to do, but also one of the
best ways to redecorate a room. It instantly breathes new life into the space
whilst setting the tone and creating a brand new feature that is guaranteed to impress.
This can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of pounds. This is because
people will usually prefer the feel and style of natural wood or stone for
their worktop. Well, the good news is that you can now have this natural style
without having to pay out big thanks to modern laminate worktops. Recent
technological advancements has meant that laminate sheets now look identical to
the real thing and even have the same texture. They come in a vast selection of
styles/colours and if you wanted to know more about this then please find here
an ultimate
laminate sheet guide.
Tip
6 – Door handles
Changing your door
handles is a very quick, easy and cheap way of creating a new design style.
Although small, the right colour door handle can have a surprising effect on a
rooms look. Research what material and colour goes with what colour and type of
home to ensure it doesn’t look out of place.
Tip
7 – Never underestimate the power of a mirror
Mirrors do so much more than
you might think. They can add light to a room, increase the size and add
seamless flow. However, many of us are guilty of not making the most out of the
mirrors we already have. Before you go out and invest in new ones, look at the
ones you have already and see how they can be improved. Maybe it would look
better in a different room or nearer natural light.
Tip
8 – Bring the outdoors inside
The past few years has
seen a surge in popularity with indoor plants being used to create a new type
of bohemian style. Often in vintage looking pots and hanging from the ceiling,
these indoor plants are relatively cheap and a great way of updating your
interior design.
Tip 9 – Shop Second hand
This may seem like a more
obvious one, but shopping through second-hand stores, thrift stores, markets
and car boot sales can result in finding fantastic furniture for incredible
prices. Some designers make a great living this way so it’s definitely worth
checking out your local area for bargains.
Tip
10 – Use lighting
Lighting has the power to
create a mood and even add size to a room. If used right, lighting can
completely change how a room feels and looks. Whether you make use of the
natural light more or invest in some new lamps or lampshades, lighting is an
interior designers best friend. To save money, look at simply changing the
lampshades, bulbs or position of where these are and see how different your
room can look.
Tip
11 – Rearrange the Furniture
Sometimes the best way to
change the dynamic of a room is to simply rearrange the furniture. For a calm
and serene environment try looking into how to implement Hygge and Feng Shui
into your home.
Tip
12 – Utilise Paint
If you feel like your
home needs redecorating but would like to keep it as cheap as possible then
sometimes all you need is paint. A new lick of paint on the walls can totally
revamp your room without having to change anything else. If your home has a
shed or garage where you keep old tins of paint then check these first before
buying new ones. If there isn’t much in some of them then you could mix these
to make a bespoke colour and add a touch of your own personality to your home.
Tip
13 – Use Fabric
Whether it’s sheets
draped over lights or a throw on your sofa, fabric has the potential to turn
your room into something completely different. By using them over lamps you can
create a soft and subtle ambience that’s much cheaper than purchasing a brand
new light.
Tip
14 – Don’t forget about the details
Sometimes the smaller
things have the larger impact, so if you’re looking to spruce up your home but
don’t want to pay big prices for big pieces of furniture then have a look at
tweaking the smaller things. This could be anything from new cushions on the sofa
to new towels in the bathroom, anything that can inject colour into a room can
change the interior style.
Tip
15 – Declutter
Decluttering your home is
sometimes all you need to do to revamp a room. If you think you need to
redecorate then always declutter first as you may be surprised to find that
this is actually all it needed!
Tip
16 – Layer rugs
Carpet or hardwood
flooring can be pricey, but a fantastic way of updating your floor without
having to break the bank is to simply layer rugs together. You haven’t got to
use expensive rugs for this because you are layering them together. Get
creative with it and enjoy making your own bespoke design feature.
Tip
17 – Group similar items together
If your home has large
walls then this can sometimes cause a problem when decorating within a smaller
budget. Trying to fill a large space can get expensive if you are looking at
buying large items, such as a full length mirror. However, if you group
smaller, cheaper items together then you can fill this gap, save money and add
a whole new dynamic design feature to the room.
Tip
18 – Wallpaper Offcuts
Do you have any wallpaper
offcuts at home? If you do then you can still put these to good use by adding
them to staircases or wall borders. They can add a boost of colour to any room
whilst also creating a beautifully bespoke design feature. You can find some
great examples on Pinterest here.
Tip
19 – Mix and Match
It’s almost too easy to
go over budget when decorating your home as there is just so much to choose
from. Sometimes it really pays to compromise, only on the items themselves, not
the style. Mixing different types of furniture is a great way of adding a modern
style to any room. For example, a dining room chair isn’t too expensive for
one, but if you need 6 then this really adds up. So, instead of this you can
simply get two for the ends of the table and then cheaper chairs for the
middle. It can still look fantastic and save you money.
Tip
20 – Swap Party
Swap parties have become
much more popular recently thanks to the fantastic bargains you can get! We all
have different tastes so these parties are a wonderfully collective mix of
furniture and furnishings. Get swapping with friends and family and have a
great time whilst doing it.
