Everyone wants an elegant home, but few people can afford the price. Thankfully, there are some tricks interior decorators have been using for years to spruce up the look of their clients’ homes.
“There are many budget-conscious things homeowners can do to polish the look of their homes”, says Karen Tsao-Pemberton, owner and operator of Budget Blinds.
Before You Begin
Like with any big project, you need to determine your end goals. You don’t want to start making changes to your home, and then find you wasted thousands of dollars aimlessly because you didn’t have a plan.
What you need to ask yourself is four questions
- How is the space going to be used?
- What percentage of space do I want to set aside for décor purposes?
- What exactly do I want design-wise?
- How much of what I currently have can I keep? How much should I replace?
Easy Ways to Spruce up Your Home
If you want, or can only afford small alterations to your home, then we suggest the following:
Fresh flowers—although they only last a short while, having fresh flowers in a room can make it look livelier and add colour.
Custom window accessories—window curtains, shades and other similar accessories can be tailored to just about any design or need. Just having the right window drapes can enhance the look of a room, in the same way a matching tie enhances the look of a suit.
Get matching accessories—like the previous example, getting the right accessories coverings for simple items like lamp shades, goes a long way to giving a room aesthetic cohesion.
Hang high window curtains—doing this is an easy way to make a space look larger and grander.
Karen Tsao-Pemberton also has some excellent suggestions:
- Add in a drapery panel, to this existing window treatment to bring in a lot of drama to this room and making it look all the more inviting.
- Professional decorators often prefer repeating an accent color thrice in a room; once in the lower third, then in the middle third and finally once in the upper third. The accent color can be used together with a drapery panel, but there must be matching pillows and throw rugs.
Making your home look grand and expensive doesn’t have to be… well, expensive. With some careful planning and creativity, you can give your home an elegant aesthetic without breaking the bank.
