How to Tackle Interior Design on a Budget
If your home needs a facelift, don’t fork out lots of money unnecessarily. There are plenty of tips and tricks to inject a little style into your home without breaking the bank. Here’s how to tackle interior design on a budget.
Rearrange what you already have
You love your furniture, that’s why you bought it and kept it for so long. So, why throw it away for something new? If you’re tired of the way a room looks, try rearranging your existing pieces of furniture. A fresh approach can be all you need to fall in love with your space once more. This is a great decorating idea for those on a budget, as it can also save you money: no need to buy new stuff!
Get the lighting right
Strategic lighting can transform a room, and you don’t have to rewire the house to take advantage of this. These are some of the best small room ideas when it comes to making a space feel bigger:
- Update your lampshades
- Change to a dimmer switch (and invest in dimmable light bulbs)
- Place lamps around the room to create soft up-lighting, rather than rely on harsh ceiling lights to illuminate the space
- Switch out your eclectic mix of lampshades for matching ones
Embrace soft furnishings
Tired of the way your old sofa looks? Buy an affordable throw.
Bored of the cushion covers you have? Throw them out and invest in some more (much cheaper to buy covers than the whole cushion).
Stains on the carpet? Hire a carpet cleaner or simply cover them with a rug.
Curtains looking more threadbare than luxurious? Create a new focal point in your room with gorgeous readymade curtains.
Consider hanging more mirrors
Not only do mirrors help bounce light around dark spaces, but they create an illusion of extra space too. If you have a small kitchen, a narrow hallway or a tiny bathroom, hang a mirror on one wall to give a sense of space. Hunt around in salvage yards for a bargain, or find mirror tiles in DIY shops.
Get painting
One of the cheapest ways to revamp a room is to paint it. White is always an effective option. If you want pops of colour, consider a feature wall or be brave and paint the whole room. If you don’t like the end result, you can just paint over it.
Rethink retiling
Need to smarten up the grouting? Don’t just rip tiles off the wall and start afresh. Buy a grout pen and paint over any mould patches. Reseal around the bath and shower too for an instantly clean, updated bathroom.
Scrub up on basic DIY skills
Why pay a handyman to carry out home-improvements, when you can do it yourself? There are plenty of free courses online which could help:
Ever considered upcycling?
If you know what you’re looking for, try Freecycle or eBay for a bargain. You could even grab your much-desired item for free.
Look under the carpets
If your carpets have seen better days and you’re not keen on adding a rug, have a peek underneath and see if the original floorboards are there. If they are, you could lift the carpets and hire an industrial sander to smooth them down, level them off and paint with wood stain.
Need some help?
Enlist the help of a local handyman to help with those tasks you just can’t manage yourself – find some reputable and local to you!
Unsure where to start?
Find a local tradesman below.
Last Updated: November 1st, 2024
