How to Create the Perfect Home on a Budget
If you have just had your dream home built or you’ve have decided to gut it and start again creating a beautiful interior needn’t be expensive.
If you had a limited budget and you have spent the main on the build and the architectural design perhaps by a 3d visualisation architect like http://www.redandgray.co.uk then you will need to find some handy hints and tips. Although you can spend a fortune on expensive furniture and decoration, you can also find beautiful items for a very small budget. This guide will get you started.
Look in the Right Places
Avoid high-end and premium stores and look at stores in your budget range. Many of the high street stores and supermarkets have excellent high-quality interior ranges at affordable prices. Look too at second-hand sources such as flea markets, car boot sales, charity shops, auctions and jumble sales. You will often find that an older piece of furniture has been made to last for many years, and you can upcycle it with some sandpaper, a coat or two of paint, some varnish and careful embellishments. For example, an old chest of drawers looks wonderful with decoupage florals and some jewelled handles to replace tired old versions. You’ll find plenty of ideas online and this approach is also very environmentally friendly.
Choose Your Style
If you opt for high-end gloss and luxury, you may need to pay the prices to achieve it. Italian marble and leather will never be cheap, but if you opt for a more bohemian and relaxed feel, you can make use of second-hand items and carefully chosen new furniture for a fraction of the price. A very popular and fashionable look right now is ‘shabby chic’, which describes the idea of using old and recycled things and making them beautiful once again.
Do It Yourself
Don’t bring people in to paint, clean and decorate — get handy and do things yourself. You will learn the skills that you need to maintain a beautiful home for years ahead and have the satisfaction of knowing that you can do it yourself. Whether you are changing a tap, putting up wallpaper, painting a ceiling or putting up shelves, an investment in DIY skills will save you a great deal of money in the longer term.
Have Fun with Accessories
If you invest in good-quality, timeless furniture, then you can have fun with accessories and change them to suit the season. For example, a shabby-chic dresser paired with an old and second-hand leather sofa with a beautiful aged patina will last you for many years. You can have fun with rugs, curtains, dresser decorations, picture frames and vases to tweak the look as the seasons and your tastes evolve.
Stay Inspired
Read interior-decor magazines within your budget bracket for ideas that you can afford. Look at blogs and online sources of inspiration and guidance for creating the perfect home. Create a scrapbook of ideas, whether in hard copy or online, to give you plenty of creative input. Once those creative juices start flowing, you will be able to create your perfect living environment with the minimum hassle or cost and the maximum amount of fun.
