Wouldn’t it be lovely if our homes functioned in a way that made our everyday life feel easier! With effective layout and storage that created a more relaxing and enjoyable space for everyone in it. Getting big style on a small budget is an important part of what I offer as an interior designer and stylist, so let me share some ideas with you that may be helpful. Let’s look first on the practical side: What do you enjoy within your space and what doesn’t work so well anymore? What are your favourite features and aspects of each room?
Rooms have become such multi-functioning spaces these days, and the way we use certain spaces can often change. I find it helpful to re-assess which areas (and why) certain people in the home gravitate to for any particular tasks. Are there certain pieces of furniture or accessories that no longer serve a purpose in a certain room? Could they be used more effectively elsewhere? How could they work harder for you?
Tell A Different Story
Finding new ways to display your possessions, in a way that is both practical and unexpected, gives them a new lease of life. Large groupings of similar items can really make a statement. Keep an underlying theme to help get the balance right, creating something that looks considered and not just a cluttered jumble. Grouping items in 3’s or 5’s is usually a failproof styling trick when grouping items on a shelf.
Re-locating accessories around the home gives a fresh new look without spending a penny! Examples could be mirrors, lamps, rugs and cushions. I have first-hand experience on how different a home can feel by helping people update and refresh a space this way.
Most of us have more pictures and ornaments than we have the space to display them, so you may want to swap-out images in your existing picture frames or change the knickknacks on display at different times of the year. This will help create bigger impact and a more curated look.
When creating a certain style for a room, remember to add different layers of texture, tones and shapes for interest. Personal and unique interiors are often created with an eclectic mix of finds – Too much matching wood in a room, for example, can feel rather flat.
An Open and Shut Case
The key to any well-designed interior is to be clever with layout and what you decide to have on show. Having a healthy mix of open-versus-closed storage will create a welcoming and convivial space. How much open storage do you want for items that you enjoy looking at daily, and how much closed/hidden storage could you benefit from?
Up-cycle and Re-purpose your Furniture
Auctions, markets and second hand stores, both online and on the high street, are one of my favourite ways of finding unique pieces at a snip of the original price – Helping our wallets and our carbon footprint. I’m also a great believer in re-styling, re-vamping and re-purposing existing items within the home before shopping for additional pieces that may be required. It’s a great way to bring new energy into your space without unnecessary spending and waste. Let me give an example:
A client of mine loved working in her bedroom as it was the best view in her house. She and I did not want her work to affect her sleep, as this can often happen when an office and electrical gadgets are stored in the bedroom. With plenty of fitted wardrobes already available within the room, we decided to make a feature of her pretty armoire and adapting it into a pull-out workspace. A joyful coloured paint and wallpaper were used on the inside, and a carpenter made extra storage shelves and a slide-out desktop for her keyboard. The repurposed armoire held her printer and all her paperwork and could be easily closed away when not in use.
The Power of Paint
Paint is a wonderfully easy and affordable way of transforming a space or piece of furniture. Paint is a wonderfully inexpensive way of transforming a space. Warm colours create cosy, comfortable ambience to a space, while cool colours tend to have a more calming effect. Bright, bold colours can be used to stimulate activity or creativity.
A project I recently worked on had a very small and narrow box bedroom. Instead of putting a small single bed with a narrow walkway by the side of it, we installed a double bed that embraced the full width of the room. The Ottoman bed base allowed for storage under the bed, accessed at the foot. Wall-mounted furniture allows for floor space not to be compromised. Here, a vintage wooden crate was fixed to the wall to serve as a bedside table. We chose a soft grey blanket on the bed, the grey stripe it created on the bed was extended up the walls and across the ceiling to form the illusion of a complete square. This added a little drama to the small space and gave a cosy focal point.
Declutter
There’s a great saying: “Things feel uncluttered when everything has its place. Things feel cluttered when every place has a thing!”
It’s funny, but most of us have drawers full of things we no longer look at or forgotten we had. So what’s the point of having them if we can’t enjoy them? We create our own Black Holes – under the stairs, above the wardrobe, the back of drawers. Sifting through these areas allows us to de-clutter, re-gain space and re-connect with the things we’ve forgotten, thereby giving them a new lease of life.
Let There Be Light
Carefully considered light bulbs and lighting are key to a well-designed room that feels welcoming and encourages people to linger. One of the biggest faux pas in interior design is to rely on one bright central ceiling light as the main lighting source. Using a combination of floor lamps, table lamps, wall lights and down-lights is key. Incorporating multiple points of light allows a room to gain layers of interest and ambience.
Lighting can accentuate drama or be soothing. It adds visual interest to a room and is an integral part of creating a well-designed space. The choice of lighting, both in its type and style, is made easier when we take the time to consider how the room is used and where you wish the eye to linger. Do you need a task light for reading? Is there certain artwork or piece of furniture that could be highlighted? Size matters: I tend to veer towards larger sized table lamps as they bring an extra point of interest.
Pinpointing lighting on certain objects within the room is an important addition to creating a comfortable ambience in the evenings. For example, I often place a light behind plants as the leave s create beautiful textures and silhouettes.
Above all, the secret to big style on a small budget is to choose your items carefully, only buying things that you need or really enjoy – “Less is more”. Have perhaps just one or two statement items in the room and allow space for them to take centre stage. Above all, be confident with our own style and have fun!