Style Estate Blog

How To Do A Home Makeover On A Budget

It’s a new year, we have a new president and are looking forward to new beginnings. So why not give our homes a fresh new look as well? Oh, I know, you’re worried about money. I don’t blame you. We all are. There are ways to give your home a new look without breaking the budget, though. You just have to get creative with your thinking. Here’s a few ideas I think are great ways to affordably revamp a room.

Cheap Home Makeover: Pretty it up with Paint

We all know paint is the number one way to give a room a new look. It’s reasonably priced, it looks good for years to come and offers tremendous versatility. If you do it yourself, it falls into the most affordable category.

Choose a fresh new color to change the look of your room instantly. If you want to give the room more character, try creating a faux finish with a paint technique or one of the great new textured paints.

Colorwashing is a grand way to add subtle shading to your walls. Choose two paints in the same color family to achieve a natural, soft effect that adds depth and an air of tranquility to any room. It’s easy to do, but if you’re nervous, practice on a board before committing the technique to your walls.

You can buy paints now that come in different textures. Sand, suede and plaster paints give the area a new look and a new feel. You can even use paint to effectively camouflage some flaws in your walls, like small cracks or rough spots. Chalkboard paint is terrific in kids’ rooms, but work equally well in offices or kitchens where you want to take quick notes.

Paint is great for more than just walls, though. You can give old furniture a complete redo for very little money and some elbow grease. Get flea market finds or refurbish old pieces of your own furniture. Again, think outside the box. Try a crackle finish or an antiquing glaze to make your piece feel like it’s brand new.

Would you believe they even make upholstery spray paint now? Just imagine, you can give your old upholstered furniture a whole new look with a can of spray paint!

Cheap Home Makeover: Window Treatments

We all know window treatments can be costly, especially if you have extra-large or unusually shaped windows. Windows are the eyes of our home, however, and changing their treatment can help it be seen in an entirely different light.

If you have furniture of solid colors, here’s where you can bring in a perky print or dramatic design. Use your curtains to create a cozy, cottagey feel or to generate a sensation of elegance.

You can’t afford all new window coverings? Then give the ones you have a bright new look by creating your own cornice. There are kits available or you can make it from scratch. Pick a fabric that coordinates with your room and voila…you have a brand new style for your home.

If you have arched windows that look beautiful but need some type of covering to filter light or enhance the look, try arch cellular shades. They not only look great, they are durable and you can find them for reasonable prices.

Cheap Home Makeover: Slipcovers

We’re not talking about the old throws Grandma use to toss over her furniture. Today’s slipcovers are stylish and affordable. You’ll feel like you bought brand new furniture just by changing the slip covers. Think about getting two sets of slipcovers so you can change them with the seasons. A warm, plush fabric cozies up a cold winter day while a cool chintz or polished cotton turns down the heat.

Cheap Home Makeover: Area Rugs

Area rugs serve many useful purposes. They can cover up a flaw in your carpeting, protect hardwood floors or define an area of a room. You can use an area rug as a starting point for your color scheme or make it a focal point in the room. Choose natural fibers like seagrass or sisal to add texture and an earthy feel or pick a rug rich with bold color to decorate your “fifth wall”, the floor.

Small area rugs can make beautiful wall hangings as well. Choose a rug without fringe and mount it in a frame. This can quickly fill a wall that before looked empty and barren.

Cheap Home Makeover: Accessories Are the Spice

Pick your accessories carefully. These are the pieces that really impart your personality into the room. You may have to tolerate the sofa for another year, but you can probably afford a few new accessories. If not, haunt garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets to find pieces that you love.

Every accessory in your room should be one that is meaningful to you. If you love mid-century modern, why not search out a cool old TV lamp or kidney shaped coffee table? If your family is your pride and joy, use photographs to decorate the room. Choose frames that can be grouped harmoniously together on a wall or tabletop.

If you like plants, get plain terra cotta pots and paint them yourself to suit your décor. An easy and inexpensive project, it lets you add a custom look to your home without spending a lot of time or money. Even if you have a brown thumb, the pots can be used as umbrella stands or filled with decorative grasses and dried flowers.

It’s never easy to keep your home looking fresh and stimulating when money is tight, but it can be done. Try thinking about the little things that make up the overall look of your rooms and consider using nontraditional ideas to perk up your home. You’ll be amazed at what just a few small changes can accomplish.