How to create a beautiful home on a limited budget
I was having a conversation the other day with a friend who just finished building. She was reflecting on the days when she lived in a rental home she didn’t like, and constantly felt ill at ease. Once she created a beautiful space to live in, that feeling just vanished. These days, her family loves to spend languid weekends hanging out in the space they call home.
The joy of 'just hanging out' is one of the keys of slow living. If you want to live a slower, more grounded life, you need to enjoy your surroundings. There is something about a beautiful space that uplifts the spirit and keeps a person present.
Whether you live in a tiny studio apartment or a sprawling farm, it’s possible to make it amazing without spending a fortune.
Here are my top tips to start creating a home you love.
1. Make a detailed plan
In order to create a cohesive space evoking a sense of harmony, you need to make a plan about how you want it to look and stick to it. Pinterest is your friend! Create a board for your new room/lounge/house and pin away. Once you have Pinned to your heart’s content, go into that board and edit it down, ensuring you are sticking to one type of style. Then you need to look at the details of that space, and try to find cues about how you can achieve that ‘look.’ Once you are clear on that, write down what you need to add or change in your existing space to make your plan happen!
2. Stick to a color palette
The best way to ensure your décor items work together is to choose a color palette and adhere strictly to that palette. I love Design Seeds for this – they have a fabulous online tool for building a palette around your favorite color. Follow this link to Design Seeds to use the color palette tool. Print the palette, stick it on your wall or Pin it to your board and when sourcing goodies for your home, work only with those colors. This also allows you to slowly purchase décor items over time.
3. Harness the power of paint
Before you get overwhelmed with the need to purchase new furniture, consider what you can “upcycle” by simply applying a lick of paint. Chalk paint is really handy for painting furniture, and gives a finish that ideally suits wooden furniture pieces. When painting, don’t forget your color palette!
4. Upgrade light fixtures, switches, and doorknobs
Go back to your plan from point #1, and choose details like light switches, light fixtures, and doorknobs which work with the overall look and feel. These minor finishes are easy to change and make a big impression on the space.
5. Create an outdoor living area
We all need space to breathe fresh air and enjoy sunshine on our skin. Even if you live in a small urban flat with a juliette balcony, try to find a way to create a cosy nook that allows you to enjoy down time in the great outdoors. It could be a palette sofa on your veranda to a café table on your balcony, replete with cosy cushions. Don’t forget to add some kind of outdoor lighting – fairy lights and hurricane lanterns are ideal for outdoor areas and make a big impact on the atmosphere of the space.
These are just a few basic tips to help you create a living space that invites you to slow down and enjoy being where you are. For further reading, check out a few of my favorite renovation and design websites:
Apartment Therapy An interior design community well-known as a leading resource for decorating, inspiration, and DIY projects.
Decor8 is a fantastic resource for design and décor inspiration
Abigail Ahern creates incredibly dramatic living areas, so if that’s your thing her blog is full of expert tips on creating the look.