With many of us confined to staying at home during the current global pandemic, now could be the ideal time to embark on a DIY home design overhaul. Of course, transforming a tired living space into one that’s timelessly stylish and effortlessly practical comes with a number of cumulative costs, but there are plenty of ways to save money along the way.
SAM SHALOM - The following is a guest post by Alex Jones
With many of us confined to staying at home during the current global pandemic, now could be the ideal time to embark on a DIY home design overhaul. Of course, transforming a tired living space into one that’s timelessly stylish and effortlessly practical comes with a number of cumulative costs, but there are plenty of ways to save money along the way.
In this post, our friends over at Trendy Floors will be sharing some savvy secrets on how to keep costs down during renovations while still achieving your desired look.
1. Refresh areas with a new feature wall
Giving any area of your home a fresh coat of paint is a quick, affordable and satisfying way to make tired spaces feel brand new with minimal effort. However, you can make this transformation even simpler by focusing on just one wall and making it the stand-out feature.
Feature walls are a tried and tested interior design trick to instantly add interest and character to almost any room of the house – and by focusing your efforts on just one wall, you’ll also be keeping the costs down.
Whether you paint one wall in a bright hue, add some funky wallpaper or get creative with artwork and old picture frames to create an eye-catching gallery wall, putting your efforts into updating just one surface will save you time and dollars.
2. Upcycle fittings and furniture rather than replacing
Upcycling has been a popular interior trend for some time now and for good reason. For one, it helps reduce the amount of discarded furniture and fittings needlessly ending up in landfill. Secondly, it also offers the chance to create truly unique home furnishings while also helping to declutter your home – a win for you and the planet!
With the right mindset and the help of some video tutorials or Pinterest, you can create new pieces from old things you were planning to throw away in no time at all. This could be as simple as fixing that wobbly table leg and repainting it, using silverware to reinvent old light fittings into quirky lampshades or spray-painting a time-worn bike and hanging it on your wall as a piece of art – the possibilities are limitless.
3. Create the illusion of space with mirrors
If you’re looking to make your home feel bigger, but don’t have the budget to extend its physical blueprint, then mirrors are a trusty accessory to have up your sleeve. When hung in the right position, mirrors have the ability to reflect light around the room, add depth and give the illusion of space when there actually isn’t any.
With the added benefit of being readily available to buy in a vast array of designs, sizes and price points, incorporating mirrors into your interior decor is an effective and budget-friendly tactic for making even the coziest spaces feel grand.
For the best results, hang mirrors opposite or adjacent to windows or an artificial light source to maximize the light bouncing around the room – leaving you with a room that feels spacious and bright. You could even get creative and use multiple mirrors hung on the same wall in different designs and sizes to deliver a striking feature wall that serves to enlarge the area.
4. Opt for multi-functional furniture
Splashing out on new furniture for your home is a sure-fire way to give outdated interiors a much-needed new look, but this can be an expensive undertaking if you’re buying numerous furniture items that each serve a single purpose.
Instead, make your money stretch that little bit further and invest in multifunctional pieces that can double up as extra storage space or additional seating. Think ottoman beds with storage space below for stowing away extra cushions, bed linen and more, blanket boxes that double up as extra seating and storage units, nesting tables that can be split up to give extra surface space when you need it or even floor lamps with built-in shelves.
By making the most of multifunctional furniture in your home you can still achieve your desired aesthetic, while saving on space and money.
5. Get wooden floors for less
If you long for hardwood floors in your home but don’t have the capital to spend on the real deal, you don’t need to abandon that dream. Opting for alternatives like luxury vinyl tile flooring or click-and-lock laminate will give you an authentic, luxury looking wooden floor at a far lower price point.
Choosing wood-look alternatives like LVT flooring also come with a raft of practical benefits. They’re waterproof, easy to clean, durable and low maintenance, meaning they’ll stay looking pristine for years without the need to reapply varnish periodically.
Whatever grand plans you have for giving your home a makeover, we hope the above gives you plenty of ideas on how to make the right changes without breaking the bank.
Alex Jones is a content creator for Trendy Floors, the home of discount flooring products with all the hallmarks of luxury – from affordable luxury vinyl tile to engineered parquet