I’m back with more tips on how to elevate your decor without spending a lot of money. In fact, a lot of these tips could probably be accomplished in an afternoon with things you already own! As a decorator, I am not trying to convince you all that decorating is overrated or unnecessary but I do want to provide tips for those of you who can’t hire professional help. And who doesn’t like to tweak things throughout the year so why not give you some simple ideas of how to make small changes that can have big impact?! This is a follow up post to this post and I am doing these right now because I am taking part in a #nobuyJuly challenge so I thought it was the perfect time to focus on spending less…or nothing at all!
1. Color Clusters
{photo: Ariana Clare}
My first tip is one you can do in literally 10 minutes…go gather up books from around your house that are all the same color (take off book jackets to see what’s underneath!) and stack them or line them up all together. Bonus points for finding a couple other accessories in the same color family to complete the vignette. Having a color-coordinated grouping creates a focal point that looks intentional but not too fussy. We flanked this mantle with blue accessories and it created perfectly simple but thoughtful decor. And that’s what good decorating comes down to…creating spaces and little moments that are interesting without things looking forced!
{Photo: Ariana Clare}
2. Everyday Accessories
{Photo: Laura Sumrak}
{Photo: Ariana Clare}
As a decorator I want to help my clients see the potential in every inch of their home. This means coming up with design plans to address every part of a room including the small forgotten corners or blank spots. One of my tricks for these little spaces is to use everyday items as accessories. This not only creates a more personal feel, because you’re seeing things that reflect the owners, but it also helps meld function and beauty. For example, I displayed books in my daughter’s room in these clear ledges. The books act almost as art while also being easily accessible to her. In this dining room we displayed a pretty caddy full of extra cloth napkins, taper candles, silverware, and a pretty flower.
3. Make Easy Art
{Photo: Ariana Clare}
DIY art is not a new concept by any means but it is worth revisiting! Everyone has the ability to create “art” by simply taping calendar pages to the wall (above), framing a pretty page from a book, creating a simple geometric pattern on a canvas (I did it HERE and there’s a piece in my last post), creating a plate wall or trying your hand at a more difficult type of painting. I even shocked myself when I free handed this Fiddle Leaf Fig art.
Not only is it therapeutic but DIY art can be done for very cheap and what looks more expensive then one-of-a-kind art on your walls?! If you search “DIY art” on my blog you will see lots of my attempts from over the years…excuse the fails!
4. Fake a Built In
{Photo: Laura Sumrak}
Built-in furniture is definitely a splurge that can make a space a thousand times better but it is also not realistic for every budget. You can fake the built-in look by combining store-bought pieces and achieve a similar, but less expensive, look. Consider flanking a bench with bookcases as I did above for this client’s playroom. The shelves are anchored to the wall and positioned to keep the bench in place. You could place a storage bench under a window to create a faux window seat or floating shelves on either side of a tv to create a media center. The options are endless and you can find all kinds of hacks just by searching “Faux Built Ins” on Pinterest.
5. An Unexpected Gallery Wall
{Photo: Ariana Clare}
Back to my first tip…don’t ignore the fringe spaces of a room and this means creating a moment where maybe it’s a little unexpected. A fun way to do this is to create a gallery wall where you least expect it. My kids’ bathroom is small and my first instinct was to leave the walls as bare as possible to create an illusion of more space but then I decided to toss the rules and fill the wall with all kinds of fun art. It actually seemed to make the room grow and packed this small space with tons of visual interest. Decorators know how to come in and add those unexpected touches that make a room memorable not just decorated. Try your hand at this with that forgotten stair landing area or blank wall in the powder room!
I hope you have enjoyed more tips on how to make your house look more expensive for cheap. I am a firm believer that style comes from creative thinking and a thoughtful approach. No one said that had to cost a lot of money so get started today! Do you have any tips that have made your house feel more put together without breaking the bank? I’d love to hear in the comments! And stay tuned for more topics related to budget-decorating as we move through #nobuyJuly. I have lots to share through the end of this month!