In the first two instalments of this series, I talked about remembering to allow for the cost of furniture when planning your new space. This included furnishing your home on a shoestring budget, and how to get the best bang for your buck.
This time, we’re going to assume that the quality pieces are going to have to wait a little, and in the meantime you’re making do with whatever you either had already or have managed to source as cheaply as possible.
Always remember the value of accessories when it comes to dressing up a space! These fall into two broad categories – permanent and temporary.
“Permanent”
Although nothing is completely permanent, I’m talking about bigger, more expensive items that you don’t want to replace any time soon.
Window treatments are one of the biggest areas of space in most rooms after the walls, floor and furniture. So it’s worth taking time to make sure they’re appealing to the eye. That doesn’t mean you have to spend huge amounts on expensive coverings.
Instead, think more about colour and context, using the window treatments as a base palette to other bits and pieces in the room, and so helping to tie it all together.
Smaller furniture can also do a lot to help pull a room’s look together, so choose it wisely.
“Temporary”
This is where you can add the style factor to a room, knowing that if it doesn’t work or you get tired of it, it’s relatively simple and cheap to change.
Accessories are everything in this category! Lamps, art, vignette knick knacks, bedding… Use any or all of these items to create a colour palette that exudes the feel you’re aiming for.
If you plan your space carefully, focus on spending dollars on the items that matter and dress up the space to make it appealing, then you might be surprised just how great a result you can get without killing your budget.