If your living spaces look drab, there are lots of quick, easy and inexpensive things you can do to your home that will make it look bright and fresh. You may suddenly find inspiration or feel the urge for a change, but it may not be in the budget. Gorgeous decorating doesn’t have to be just an unaffordable dream.
Don’t let the fact that you’re on a budget stifle your enthusiasm or squelch your creativity. You can make just a few seemingly small changes and your rooms will suddenly seem richly reinvigorated. You can create decor that looks like it’s straight from the pages of a magazine and get the look you love while maintaining a budget that works for you.
Give the rooms a boost with DIY projects from repurposed items or use what you already own to create a brand-new look. Decorate your home in a fashionably affordable way with savvy ideas. Small decorating projects can freshen up your home and be inexpensive.
We’ll show you how to spend less and get more when decorating your home. Here are five inexpensive do-it-yourself ideas to help you spruce up your place without breaking the bank. Try one or two of these budget-friendly fixes this weekend for an instant update.
Photos Courtesy: Arjun Shah
Remember there’s no better budget stretcher than your imagination!
Focus on the small stuffs
Small accessories make big impressions. Changing the cabinet handles and drawer knobs in your kitchen and bathroom can bring a whole new style to your existing cabinetry. It’s a great fix for outdated furniture, too. We often take light switches and electrical outlet covers for granted, but they’re important decorating points. In the bathroom, add interesting shower curtain holders and towel hooks. Some types of faucet handles are also easy and inexpensive to change. You can also use leftover interior paint to make unique flower planters and picture frames. To put your own touches on lampshades, glue on eye-catching trim or other small decorative items to it. You can add a bunch of candles to a corner for an instant update.
Get the clutter under control
A room looks its best when it’s neat and tidy. In everyday life, however, things get messy. The best way to tackle this issue is to lighten the clutter load. First, toss out the unnecessary stuff. Then get creative with nifty storage containers to take care of the necessary stuff. Baskets or bins that slip into entertainment units and bookshelves work great for keeping small items organized. Larger, decorative baskets can help works in progress; newspapers, books and toys look like part of the décor while keeping them conveniently close at hand. One easy way to tackle clutter is to stow away stuffs you don’t use often but don’t want to throw away, either, under tables, sofas and even beds in labeled boxes.
Paint a wall, window or…something
One of the cheapest and simplest ways to give a room an overall feeling of freshness is to try a new coat of paint. Even if you don’t want to change your wall color, consider painting your door a different shade. Use an unexpected color for prop. You can even use two colors to bring out the contours of paneled doors. Colors like turquoise, pink, yellow and royal blue can instantly make a stylish impact. Even just painting the interior panels of your bookcase or a side table a vibrant color can have a refreshing impact. Adding one or two accent colors can be a quick way to bring character into a room.
Make your coffee table interesting
If you have a boring looking coffee table, then here’s a quick fix to glam it up. Get a glass slab the size of your table cut and fitted over the tabletop. Next, get some of your favorite photographs printed and slide them underneath the glass. You’ll have a quirky and fun coffee table ready without spending a fortune. If you don’t want to display private pictures, then you can also get a fabric or wallpaper in an interesting pattern and color and slip that underneath the glass top.
Give objects different roles
You don’t have to buy new pieces to turn your tired domicile into a hip space. Instead, turn a fresh eye to what you already have and think about how it may be camouflaged, repurposed or reimagined. Make over that old couch with a slipcover in a fabulous fabric. An old chair can be sanded down and repainted and used as a nifty side table. An old jar can be used as a vase for a vintage look. Look for things that can be repurposed and given a new life. You can stitch a couple of old saris together and use it as curtains. Don’t throw away old clothes. You can make pillow cases out of them. You’ll not only be saving money this way but it’ll add an eclectic feel to your space.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Copyright © Nepal Republic Media Pvt. Ltd. 2008-10.