Saturday, December 20, 2008

How to Design on a Budget

By Carter Dutchen

When you decide to do some budget design renovations, the most important thing to do first, is plan. Decide exactly what your budget will be and base this budget on realistic expectations. You will probably do a lot of the work that will be done by yourself, so allow for your own personal experience when deciding what the job will probably really cost. Then, plan your activities. Decide what exactly you would like to do to make your changes and precede in the most efficient manner.

If you are looking to make a major impact for a fairly small amount of money, pick a new wall color and buy some paint. If you are going to paint, take everything off the walls, cover the floors and furniture. Clean the walls, baseboards and any windows. Patch any holes and repair any damage to the walls that will be covered by the paint and truly make a very nice impact. Paint is something that can be purchased and applied in any room of the house relatively quickly and cheaply and can truly change the entire feeling of a room.

Change the tone of the room. If you paint your walls, you can then pick any new accent colors you would like. You can change your linens and comforter on your bed, or maybe buy all new decorative pillows for you couch. The shower curtain, bath mat and guest towels are also easy quick fixes in the bathroom.

The windows are also a great place to create a lovely focal point without having to spend a fortune. If you buy a double rod and hang both lined and sheer curtains, the windows will look richer. If your window treatments coordinate with the rest of the room, it makes a room seem more polished. A new rug, good for covering high traffic areas on carpets and for softening wood floors, can also really tie the room together.

Pictures and mirrors can also make a house feel more lived in and loved. If you want to make a home feel more personal, placing pictures of your loved one around you will certainly do that. Mirrors strategically placed to accent windows can increase the natural light in a room. Mirrors also make a room look bigger. Shelves are also a good way to place personal items out in a decorative manner. Favorite books and even vacation keepsakes are all nice ways to personalize a space.

Creating a beautiful space does not have to be terribly expensive. If you want to revamp your home and stick to a budget, make a plan in advance, use a critical eye and choose big impact projects. - 15252

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