It’s not a secret that interior design can be pricey to incorporate into your home budget. Even if you are planning to redecorate a single room, the costs can add up quickly. Do you wish to buy carpets or install hardwood to cover the floors? What paint colors will you select? How much of it will you need to cover up the space? Are you planning to buy new furniture? How about illuminating home with new light fixtures and accessories? Don’t forget about wall hangings and other home decor items.
The idea of buying all these items can be bit overpowering. But when you are trying to do on a limited budget, it seems to be difficult, right? Here we have mentioned tips on how to do so:
Proper planning is important
Proper planning is important for any home improvement project, it’s a necessity that increases tenfold when you are working on a shoestring budget. Afterall, no one wants to find themselves in a situation where they have found perfect couch but don’t have enough money in their account or non-refundable cabinet that is oversized for the space. Doing a little homework works a lot. It will drastically cut down on the likelihood of encountering an unpleasant surprise along the way.
Find your design inspiration in various things. Look at the magazines and internet and find out what style that you wish to emulate for your design. Dismantle the project into several components- like flooring, paint, accessories, furniture and decor. Browse local stores to find out idea on how much the components will cost. Be sure to take into account all the associated costs like hiring labour.
Once you have price factor in your mind, have a look at financial options. Think about how much you can spend. If that amount falls short for your project at a particular price point, set aside a particular amount of money each week till you reach the goal. It may take longer than swiping a credit card, but it is worthwhile.
Repurpose old furniture
There is no denying fact that repurposing old furniture is as exciting as investing in new pieces of furniture. But with little leg work and an investment in free time, it is possible to change the overall look of the interior design. Plus, it will help you to save money and for must have purchases later on. Look around your existing home and think outside the box ways to repurpose the furniture that you are currently using. Do you really need a kitchen cabinet or you can apply a dab of paint? Are the hardwood floors underneath the current carpeting? Can you change the look of an old bedroom suit by giving it a coat of paint? As you begin to feel for what furniture items, you can repurpose, do a little elbow grease. Chances are there you’ll be able to find DIY guide for the projects. Make sure to study the guides thoroughly and start a project and continue to consult it as you go. Ask family member or a friend to provide guidance, if possible.
Think about furniture before you buy
While working under a budget is about prioritizing spending. When you have limited resources to spend money or where you want to bang for your buck, you need to think. In field of interior designing, major portion of budget goes towards purchasing quality furniture. Furniture is a wise place to spend money because it will last for several years. Unlike paint schemes that fall out of style or accessories that wither away with time or wear and tear, good furniture lasts for decades. It serves dual purpose of defining a room within a single glance.
Buy furniture without stains
Though you wish to invest in durable furniture, you can save the amount that is unfinished or lack top coating of paint or stain. Even though this kind of furniture comes at low price than the models that you buy from a showroom floor, you’ll get better pieces since the manufacturer is able to hide flaws under imperfections and paint. It is recommended to ask furniture plenty of questions before starting and finishing a project. Ask them what kind of stained wood is the best and which won’t work, what shade is recommended, and if you can have an extra piece of wood to come in order or to create a sample. Once you have decided, get the technique implemented. Ensure to sand the wood before starting between the coats. Apply the finish whenever it is possible, in strokes along the grain of the wood, and always leave plenty of time for coating to dry.
Shop second hand readymade furniture
Finishing on your own wood, seems good option, but sometimes it is not feasible. You could try decorating a small apartment where the space is not optimal or you could have a hectic schedule immersed with work, family problems and social engagements. Whatever the cases be, you always need to remain on a shoestring budget while buying ready made customized furniture, don’t be afraid to buy second hand. Get to know about the same from a local thrift store. Figure out what kind of inventory they accept and get there early to find scope of that place. Shop online or from auctions or from free cycle ventures. Spend your weekend buying from yard sales and flea markets. Ask to your family and friends and see that if they have anything that they are not using. Keep a tab on old business sales and pay special attention to discounts at the neighbourhood or wherever it is organized. When shopping for second hand quality furniture, quality is of much more importance than style, which can always be changed. Inspect every inch of furniture in terms of quality. You can even cover sofa flaws by buying a slip cover or give a rusted coat of paint or buy a lampshade that fits with your interior design.
Paint the home
It’s time to spill out the biggest secret of interior designing- Paint comes cheap. In contrast to other interior design elements, paint costs at an easy rate. Accessories like throw pillows cost even less. Add a high end look to your space by infusing it with lot of colors. Before you plunge into painting the home, ensure that you have selected the shade that you are fond of. Pick up few of free palettes from your local home improvement store. Once you have narrowed down the choices, you can pick up samples from each. Paint small squares of sample color on each wall to see what is best for a room. Check out the samples over the course of some time and see how colors react to varying amounts of daylight. A note on choosing paints: experts recommend using 60-30-10 rule when selecting shades for your home interior. It means that around 60% of walls of the space should be filled with neutral shades. Then the next 30% should be filled with secondary color and the final 10% with bolder shades.
DIY option for home decor
In the field of interior designing the term decor refers to the items of a room that have no specific function than to decorate the space. These can be things including an artwork or other wall hangings, decorative rugs, coffee table assortments, etc. While it is essential to get a cohesive design, these items are also the place where you can save the money easily. Decor is open to personal interpretation, so use the skills that you already have to create your own items rather than buying from open market. If you are behind a camera, frame a few favourite family pictures and put them on a family gallery. Complete the look of the home by painting or adding a creative wall art. If you wish to create sea side inspired theme in the bedroom, collect some sea shells to give a room relaxing feel. Don’t be afraid to search for items that serve dual purpose. Display your vast collections of books by artfully arranging it on an open bookcase. Use old wine bottles in lieu of vase filled with fresh flowers. Anything that brightens up your personality, add it in your home.
Choose minimal style furniture
As the name suggests, choose minimal style furniture and decorate the interiors of the home. It will cost you minimal as compared to others ornate furniture. Plus, minimal design of furniture will help you to save a lot of money and you’ll still remain on a trend. In the field of interior design, minimalism is the key and is defined by neutral shades especially monochromatic ones, the use of natural materials, clean lines on furniture and kitchen cabinetry. Lightning should be not hindering, yet it should be plentiful! Be sure to place few accessories in home, and when selecting items to decorate space, opt for one or two large statement pieces rather than bunch of knick knacks. Keep in mind that the ability to keeping the space neat and clean is an important component of pulling minimal style. Make sure to invest money in plenty of concealed storage and straighten it up on regular basis. Bear in mind that ability to keep the space is important component of pulling off a minimalist style. It is important to invest money in multi-storage baskets and to straighten it up regularly. While this style may not be visually appealing to everyone, but you can pull it off easily, it’s an easy way to streamline the costs without looking that you did anything intentionally.
Take it easy
One of the biggest interior design mistakes that you can commit, especially when you are trying to save money is to take lot of interior designing projects at once. New homeowners particularly make this mistake often. While it may be tempting to be able to feel like that you have completely finished decorating, your wallet will be appreciating this. The best advice we can give to live in a space without making any big changes to the interior. As you start using a room, you’ll better understand the quirks of it. Replace the old kitchen cabinets in a minute may seem like a waste, six months later, you find yourself wishing you had taken home renovation project later. Again its all about prioritising the work. Pick the room of your home that needs more help and start from there. In a meanwhile, make the others livable, even if it is not magazine perfect. Then, you will have little time to let your budget recuperate for big project.
Find a student interior designer
All of the above-mentioned tips are useful if you have a strong sense of style and an idea from where to start interior design work. But what if you don’t know from where to begin? Even if you want, who says you have so much of time? For all these occasions it is better to hire a student interior designer. It is a great way to get help when you need. Student designers are easy to find and they are often looking to sharply discount their rates in exchange of experience. Some may even forgo labour costs entirely if you would be willing to give an impactful testimonial and let them to take a few photos of the finished project for their portfolio. Call around to the interior design schools of your area and post the ad online. Chances are there, there will be enough of students waiting for this opportunity. As with anyone you would like to hire, ensure that you interview potential interior designers agreeing for a contract. Search for the interior designers that suit your style and preferences. It is important to make budget and compensation expectations clear. If you would like to take any steps, such as thrifting items rather than purchasing them, mention it as soon as possible. It is important to interview the potential candidates before you hire them on a contract. Don’t hesitate to put argument in writing. However, once you find a good match, you are good to go.