Low-budget home decorating ideas everyone can try this summer

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Akustikbilder für Zuhause, freiraum Akustik freiraum Akustik Salas de estilo moderno
Loading admin actions …

So, you’re dreaming about making your home look amazing without spending a fortune? Well, then the first thing you need to do is forget what you’ve seen on those makeover television programmes. Those decorators (together with the producers) usually do what they do in the most expensive way possible by investing in high-end replacements.

Real life is a tad more… real. So, instead of foregoing your design ideas just because your decorating budget is not the size of the jackpot, let’s see how you can spruce up your home quite effectively without breaking the bank…

1. DIY

Although professionals ensure an unmatched touch for a client’s project results, DIYing tends to be the quicker route. So, instead of hiring (and waiting for) a professional for your next little design / decorating task, how about DIYing instead? Easy DIY tasks can include:

• Painting a wall

• Installing a new kitchen backsplash

• Deep-cleaning your house's walls / terrace flooring…

• Cleaning your garden.

homify hint: Economists refer to the satisfaction one feels when showing off a DIY project as “The IKEA Effect”, after the popular store specialising in ready-to-build furniture. 

2. Appreciate what you have… and then move it

Aren’t you tired of seeing the back of that sofa every time you enter the living room? How about moving it to the opposite wall, regrouping the other chairs, and treating your living room to a fresh new layout without spending a penny? 

If you’re having difficulty with rearranging a room’s furniture, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to hit the stores. Try seeing what other pieces in other rooms you can experiment with, switch out, etc. 

Your house, your rules, remember? 

3. Repurpose furniture and accessories

It’s a cause for celebration every time we can make what we want/need simply by altering something else and giving it a completely new purpose. Especially in our modern ‘going green’ age. 

Repurposing furniture often means changing the look. For example, you can repaint or refinish an old wooden table before changing it into a modern desk. Alternatively, you can take apart an entire piece and use the various tiny parts in other ways. 

Examples of old pieces put to new uses include:

• A bookcase from dresser drawers

• Shelving from a dresser

• Turning a bookcase into a bar. 

4. Shop second hand

At times, you just can’t find the right one among what you already own. But just because you need to spend money on a new piece doesn’t mean it has to cost a fortune. Or be brand new. Scope out your local area to see where thrift stores, garage sales, and similar spots are located. And remember about websites and online groups (like Craigslist and Freecycle) specialising in selling second-hand furniture and décor. 

5. Play with paint

A calm and tranquil living room with the Dulux Colour of the Year 2020 Dulux UK Salas de estilo moderno living room, lounge, dulux, green grey, paint colour, colour of the year, tranquil dawn, green paint

Paint remains one of the easiest, cheapest, and most fun ways to transform a room. And with some experimenting, you can do a lot more to your walls than just change their colours. 

By combining various colours and everyday household objects, it’s possible to create a wide variety of interesting effects, like stripes (taping off sections of the wall and painting between the taped lines), stencilling, etc. 

Don’t stress if one of your rooms doesn’t have any architectural features to brag about – maybe you can create one (or, at least, the illusion of one)? For example, you can:

• Create an accent wall (by painting one wall in a contrasting colour)

• Make ceilings look higher (by extending the wall colour a little way up onto the ceiling)

• Make open-plan spaces feel more separated (by painting two adjoining walls in contrasting colours).

6. Alter tiny details all over

Another option would be to forget about the bigger picture and focus on the little things – both in life and your home. Doing this can help you see that, for instance, your kitchen drawers’ hardware can be changed to upgrade the look. Or your bathroom’s faucets can be replaced with newer (but not necessarily pricier) models. Or the living room’s window treatment can do with a spruce up. Or the lighting in the study can be adjusted. Or the clutter on the back porch can be cleared…

Need some inspiration? Maybe 5 of our favourite interior design projects could help? 

¿Necesitas ayuda con tu proyecto?
¡Contáctanos!

Destacados de nuestra revista