If Lady Gaga can use soda cans for hair curlers, then we average people can create awesomeness on a budget too.
Often, I have clients who say they were reluctant to begin a project because they had a small budget. Of course, so many designs we see online or on TV are expensive projects.
Makeover programs on HGTV and other networks like to show unique and sometimes custom-made goods that are sometimes donated for marketing purposes. That is where getting inspired by such images is important.
What is the feel of the space that grabs your attention? How does the design make you feel when you look at the overall picture?
Use those feelings and emotions and then consider less expensive alternatives.
Paint is the least expensive design aspect, and, if you paint yourself, you simply only have to pay for materials!
Consider using a variety of paint colors and techniques. Maybe add an accent wall with a contrasting color. Maybe do a faux finish or use tape and create a geometric pattern using a different color or sheen of paint.
Another tip is to go bargain shopping for fabric. And again, if you can sew yourself, you don’t have to pay for the labor and installation of custom sewing goods!
Take a look at the before and after photos below. It is a nursery project I designed and implemented for a client who was having her first child, a princess to be sure!
I was given a clean slate as the ceilings were only 8 feet tall, and I wanted to give a sense of a taller ceiling, so I added a trim to the wall, dropping it 9 inches below the ceiling. I painted the ceiling and the 9” space in blue and then I took one shade of white and two shades of gray and sponged in some clouds.
See how this treatment really “opened” the ceiling and made the room feel much larger!
I then added a chair rail and painted above and below the trim a medium pink color. I then used painters tape and created a harlequin pattern with a paler pink to create a really unique effect. This helped to fill the walls without the need to add a lot of art and wall decor.
Using a variety of fabrics that were found in a discount bin really helped with the budget on that project as well. In using some fabrics as accents, such as a band on the window treatment, or ruffles on the crib skirt, it gave great attention to detail in adding extra dimension and texture.
Changing out the ceiling fan to a pretty chandelier finished the look, and here we have a fabulous nursery for the newborn princess! And the baby’s bedroom did not break the bank!
Michael Siewert is the owner of Signature Interiors & Gifts located at 3505 Professional Circle off of Furys Ferry Road in Evans.
