Many people are looking for easy and affordable room makeovers that update their homes without calling in the professionals. There are some simple and inexpensive changes you can make that will give your home a fresh look.
Painting does wonders
A new coat of paint in a different color is one of the most inexpensive ways to change the look of any room, and if you visit your local home improvement store, you’ll find a wide selection of colors to choose from.
Light blue or green creates a calm and relaxed atmosphere, brown creates a warm and inviting mood, and the color red creates an energizing backdrop for any room. You’ll save mega-bucks by doing the job yourself rather than bringing in the professionals.
Update your kitchen
If you want to save money in the kitchen, go with laminate, which is the least expensive countertop material and gives the illusion of stone, says Gail Prauss, president of Gail Prauss Interior Design in Oak Park, Illinois. “Some of the laminates look like limestone, granite, or marble. Some of them look like metallic finishes, and they give a clean, architectural look to your kitchen,” Prauss says.
Adding new lighting is another inexpensive way to give your kitchen an updated look without spending a lot of money.
“You can use halogen and fluorescent lamps to not only highlight the kitchen counter and under-cabinet space, but also give a soft ambience to the space,” Prauss notes. “It’s also energy efficient.”
Transform your living room inexpensively
In the living room, you can add simple touches and rearrange accessories without spending much money.
To bring new life to your living room, simply rearranging the layout can give it a new look, says Kimberly Riley, interior designer with Offay Design Studio in Newport Beach, California.
“Not only can you move around the furniture, area rugs, and art in your living room,” she says. “You can also swap pieces from other rooms of your house to achieve a new and fresh look.”
“Another element that is very important to a polished room is the element of ‘life,’ ” Riley says. “Plants, candles, and even water features are all good examples of bringing life into a space. The best part is that they are all very inexpensive additions.”
Prauss says different window treatments can also give a new look to your living room.
“The least costly window treatment is an inexpensive fabric you put on a rod that you can buy at a home improvement store. And you can buy some interesting finials to give it extra pizzazz.”
Simple bedroom ideas
To add some flair to your bedroom without spending big bucks, redo the bedding, Prauss says.
“Add a wonderful duvet cover and coverlet,” she says. “You can purchase some Euro shams (big pillows) to lean on when you’re reading in bed. Add new end tables, or refinish your old end tables and add some new hardware to them.”
“A bedroom is such an intimate and private space,” Riley says. “Why not add some cherished photos, light a new scented candle, and pick up a few new pillows to mix things up?”
Easy & Affordable Room Makeovers
By Karen Schwartz
Many people are looking for easy and affordable room makeovers that update their homes without calling in the professionals. There are some simple and inexpensive changes you can make that will give your home a fresh look.
Painting does wonders
A new coat of paint in a different color is one of the most inexpensive ways to change the look of any room, and if you visit your local home improvement store, you’ll find a wide selection of colors to choose from.
Light blue or green creates a calm and relaxed atmosphere, brown creates a warm and inviting mood, and the color red creates an energizing backdrop for any room. You’ll save mega-bucks by doing the job yourself rather than bringing in the professionals.
Update your kitchen
If you want to save money in the kitchen, go with laminate, which is the least expensive countertop material and gives the illusion of stone, says Gail Prauss, president of Gail Prauss Interior Design in Oak Park, Illinois. “Some of the laminates look like limestone, granite, or marble. Some of them look like metallic finishes, and they give a clean, architectural look to your kitchen,” Prauss says.
Adding new lighting is another inexpensive way to give your kitchen an updated look without spending a lot of money.
“You can use halogen and fluorescent lamps to not only highlight the kitchen counter and under-cabinet space, but also give a soft ambience to the space,” Prauss notes. “It’s also energy efficient.”
Transform your living room inexpensively
In the living room, you can add simple touches and rearrange accessories without spending much money.
To bring new life to your living room, simply rearranging the layout can give it a new look, says Kimberly Riley, interior designer with Offay Design Studio in Newport Beach, California.
“Not only can you move around the furniture, area rugs, and art in your living room,” she says. “You can also swap pieces from other rooms of your house to achieve a new and fresh look.”
“Another element that is very important to a polished room is the element of ‘life,’ ” Riley says. “Plants, candles, and even water features are all good examples of bringing life into a space. The best part is that they are all very inexpensive additions.”
Prauss says different window treatments can also give a new look to your living room.
“The least costly window treatment is an inexpensive fabric you put on a rod that you can buy at a home improvement store. And you can buy some interesting finials to give it extra pizzazz.”
Simple bedroom ideas
To add some flair to your bedroom without spending big bucks, redo the bedding, Prauss says.
“Add a wonderful duvet cover and coverlet,” she says. “You can purchase some Euro shams (big pillows) to lean on when you’re reading in bed. Add new end tables, or refinish your old end tables and add some new hardware to them.”
You can also integrate a few inexpensive accessories to produce a dramatic look in any bedroom space. (Click here for more bedroom decorating tips.)
“A bedroom is such an intimate and private space,” Riley says. “Why not add some cherished photos, light a new scented candle, and pick up a few new pillows to mix things up?”