Get The Look for Less

Nothing compares to completing a home renovation project or redecorating a room to make it feel like you’ve stepped into a fresh new space. But how do you achieve your design goals when you are decorating on a budget?

There always seems to be an eternal struggle of wanting to attain elegant home decor while also sticking to your budget.

While a home refresh is fun, finding interior design ideas for small homes on a low budget can be tricky. Here we give you several ideas of how you can elevate your home decor on a budget. 

Use Clean Color Palettes

Design: HIBOU DESIGN AND CO  Photography: DREW HADLEY

Using clean color palettes can elevate your space and create a sense of unification. This can be as easy as applying a fresh coat of white paint to your walls, cupboards, and ceilings. Starting with a blank canvas can sometimes be the best way to trigger your imagination. You can use this space to figure out what design direction you want to take in terms of patterns, colors, textures, and materials.

Repurpose Materials

Design: KRIS BRIGDEN

Keep it clean and inexpensive by using recycled materials like old barn wood, recycled crates, and barrels to create benches, bookcases, or tables. Repaint your kitchen chairs and tables to liven them up with a hue that fits your kitchen decor. Or, if you find a mismatched set of furniture that you adore at a second-hand store, you can easily match them with a new coat of paint. Repurpose your old mirrors as trays for your vanity or coffee table and use old fabric swatches to make unique table runners.

Bring in Nature

Design: MICHELLE BERWICK  Photography: LARRY ARNAL

Make the most of the light in your space by bringing in natural elements. Plants and flowers are inexpensive ways to liven up your home and breathe life into your place. Scatter small succulents on your desk and place bigger plants near your windowsills. Making sure that there’s plenty of natural light brightens not only your home but also your mood. If you don’t want to bother with the hassle of watering plants, invest in dried flower arrangements, faux leave plants, or assorted air plants. 

Install Resilient Floors

Floor by KARNDEAN

Let’s be honest, our flooring solutions make a huge difference when it comes to home renovation. And having a floor that can withstand kid’s shoes, pet messes and an occasional spill is crucial in keeping your home neat and functional. Nowadays, you can get the look of natural hardwood and stone tile with the durability of vinyl by selecting luxury vinyl planks or luxury vinyl tiles. There’s an endless array of grain patterns, textures and plank sizes available for you to elevate your space whether you’re searching for a trendy distressed white oak or a sleek white marble.

Elevate with Art

Design: REBECCA HAY  Photography: MIKE CHAJECKI

Most likely, all of your favorite interior design trends include some fun artwork. But elevating your space with art doesn’t always mean that you have to shell out on expensive famous paintings. DIY artwork can often do the trick nicely! Frame the pretty pages of last year’s calendar or hang up photos in a grid formation or even create a collage of postcards from places that you’ve visited. 

Hand-painted wallpaper using a sponge brush, a pretty stencil, and leftover paint is an economical and personalized way to increase a room’s appeal.

Create a Cohesive Space

Design: MICHELLE BERWICK  Photography: LARRY ARNAL

One of the most effective approaches to achieving an elegant design is by creating a cohesive space. You can do this by simply installing new hardware with mixed metal finishes of brass, copper, silver, or black and investing in new matching lampshades for your living room. 

A straightforward option to emphasize cohesion in your kitchen and bathroom is by freshening up the cabinets with a new coat of paint. Currently, grays, whites, and deep forest greens, and blues are trending in kitchens. These colorways are easy to match with flooring solutions and can tie together your kitchen exceptionally well.  Use glass canisters or ceramic jars to stow away utensils and baking supplies in an orderly way.

Scatter statement pieces

Design: PAUL SEMKULEY  Photography: GILLIAN JACKSON

Showcase collectibles, thrifted finds, and vintage antiques by placing them center stage on your coffee table or entryway counter. Decorate your kitchen and dining rooms with glassware like hand-blown wine glasses. You can stage small light decorations using fairy lights in giant glass jugs or hanging string bulbs over the mantel.

If you’re working with a smaller space, use mirrors to your advantage by placing them in areas like the living room or the wall in the entryway to give the illusion of space. Set your space apart and highlight statement furniture by installing a chair rail. This way, you can paint the wall above the rail a slightly different shade than the wall below it and set the backdrop for artwork or ornamental pieces to shine.

Use the most of your space

Design: MICHELLE BERWICK  Photography: LARRY ARNAL

There are endless ways to create multifunctional areas in your home. For those who live in a studio or have a room that you want to split up, try using a bookcase or t.v. stand to cipher off portions of the room. Use open shelving units wherever you can to display your statement items in an organized fashion. Shelves over cabinets can quickly free up counter space in the kitchen and bathroom areas without having to spend too much money on new cupboards. If you lack space in the kitchen, swap out your kitchen table for a small bistro counter. Or, use casters for a rollaway kitchen island that you can easily stow out of the way for more cooking space.

For many of us, working and learning from home became a harsh reality this year as we scrambled to find private places to set up our workstations. If you don’t have an extra guest room to spare, try transforming your closet into an office or craft space for the kids.

Often, the bedroom can get messy with all of your clothes, electronic chargers, and various sundries strewn about. Simple solutions like raised beds with storage bins/baskets underneath, clothes racks, and ottomans can be easy ways to hide the mess and provide a clean look. 

And if you’re wondering about how to make your house look expensive from the outside, here’s an easy switch! Change out your house numbers with an elevated font for instant curb appeal. You can even repaint your front door with a pop of color to make it stand out against the rest of the house.