I know, we can’t all just buy a new home and start over. However, I know most of us want to after we have been entertaining and finding so many faults with our homes. Not enough space for guests. Feeling inadequate when our friends invited us to their spectacular homes. We want new furniture. Our painted walls look drab. The artwork is stale. The rug is worn. The sofa is uncomfortable. I get it. We get these feelings every year around this time.
Well, if you plan now and do a little bit every month, you could reinvent your living spaces and WOW your guests by the time the Holidays come around in 2026!
You always have to have a plan. Don’t just randomly make purchases because you saw something you liked or because it was on sale. Come up with a plan to change everything you dislike and then add a budget to each line item. Be reasonable with your estimations. However, you might just find a bargain on some items and you can move the budget around. If you make a total plan you are more likely to stay focused with both your design and your budget.
Consider how you can shop on a budget. Keep your eye open on various social media platforms where people sell their used goods. Ones mans trash is another persons treasure sometimes! Depending on the room(s) you want to focus on, there are certain times of the year where certain home furnishings are on sale. January tends to be the best time of the year to purchase bed linens. October begins the time of the year that appliance prices are slashed the most. My furniture store tends to have a tent sale in the slower Summer months. However, if something has been sitting around my showroom for a while, I am always willing to discount it. So consider asking any store if they have “stale” merchandise they would like to move out.
Is there hardwood floors under your carpet? Consider giving your room a totally different feel with a rug layered on a hardwood floor. If your carpet is worn and there is no hardwood under it, think about LVP to give the room a hardwood floor look….and you can do it yourself!
I know, we can’t all just buy a new home and start over. However, I know most of us want to after we have been entertaining and finding so many faults with our homes. Not enough space for guests. Feeling inadequate when our friends invited us to their spectacular homes. We want new furniture. Our painted walls look drab. The artwork is stale. The rug is worn. The sofa is uncomfortable. I get it. We get these feelings every year around this time.
Well, if you plan now and do a little bit every month, you could reinvent your living spaces and WOW your guests by the time the Holidays come around in 2026!
You always have to have a plan. Don’t just randomly make purchases because you saw something you liked or because it was on sale. Come up with a plan to change everything you dislike and then add a budget to each line item. Be reasonable with your estimations. However, you might just find a bargain on some items and you can move the budget around. If you make a total plan you are more likely to stay focused with both your design and your budget.
Consider how you can shop on a budget. Keep your eye open on various social media platforms where people sell their used goods. Ones mans trash is another persons treasure sometimes! Depending on the room(s) you want to focus on, there are certain times of the year where certain home furnishings are on sale. January tends to be the best time of the year to purchase bed linens. October begins the time of the year that appliance prices are slashed the most. My furniture store tends to have a tent sale in the slower Summer months. However, if something has been sitting around my showroom for a while, I am always willing to discount it. So consider asking any store if they have “stale” merchandise they would like to move out.
Is there hardwood floors under your carpet? Consider giving your room a totally different feel with a rug layered on a hardwood floor. If your carpet is worn and there is no hardwood under it, think about LVP to give the room a hardwood floor look….and you can do it yourself!
Paint is the least expensive design element. And again, you can do it yourself to help with the budget. Consider a neutral color with an accent wall in a contrasting paint color or wallpaper. Speaking of wallpaper, it has made a comeback. Wallpaper your powder room. It is the one time your guests are alone in your home and a wallpaper can make a really great statement!
More than anything, make sure to declutter. I know I speak of this all the time, but group smaller objects together. Whether it is objects on a shelf or mantel shelf or artwork on the wall, make a larger statement by grouping the smaller items together. Add visual height by layering these smaller items.
Recover the existing pillows you have. Find some inexpensive fabric and again, do it yourself. I have a TV Show coming up, (The Signature Mike Show, CBS, WRDW Channel 12 at 3:00 Tues., Wed. & Thurs.) where I demonstrate how to easily sew your own pillow with a sewing machine and no hand basting or zipper. Pillows are always inviting and add a nice pop of color in almost every room.
You know what you like and don’t like in your home. Take your time to figure out the best solutions. If you get stumped, email me at Mike@SignatureMike.com and send me some photos with your dilemma. I will be glad to talk about it on my TV Show!
Michael Siewert is an interior designer in Augusta who also has a lifestyles television show on WRDW that runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.
