By Guest Blogger Tina Madsen
Have you ever wanted to give your home a makeover, but you think you can’t afford a chic interior design? If that’s the case, then you’d be sure to appreciate knowing that there are some interior decorating tips you can apply to effectively spruce up your home without burning a hole in your pocket. Get your creative juices flowing and take advantage of the following affordable interior design ideas.
Paint
If you want to give your rooms a fresh and inviting new look, try applying a fresh coat of white paint in strategic locations. For example, you could paint the ceiling and countertops in your kitchen white to give it a more charming and cozy atmosphere.
You may also give old furniture a fresh coat of cream paint and then rag roll it with a shimmering top glaze to give it the appearance of antique furniture. If you’re the DIY type, then it should be easy for you to follow the instructions provided by your local home improvement center.
Molding
Molding isn’t really that expensive and it comes in a wide variety of designs. Even better news is that you can use decorative molding for more than just finishing touches for your ceiling or floor. For one thing, you can use it to spice up plain cupboards and kitchen cabinets.
Simply attach a strip of molding about an inch from the edges of the cabinet door to frame it and give it a more expensive and interesting look.
You may even use molding to make your walls more interesting. For example, place strips of molding at the edges of your walls from the floor up to about a third of the entire length of the wall. This should make your home more architecturally interesting. If you don’t have a headboard, then you can use this technique on the wall at the head of your bed. You can even create stylish shelves simply by affixing narrow boards onto bare walls and then trimming them with decorative molding.
Furniture
You can recycle old furniture by using it for purposes other than what it was originally made for. Do you have a bookcase that’s no longer being used? You can place it on one side of your dining room to showcase your glassware and china collection. If you have a dresser that’s just rotting away in the attic, you can place it in the kitchen or dining area.
The surface can be used as a buffet and the drawers can serve as storage for your table linens. Another excellent furniture recycling idea is to shorten the legs of a small kitchen table and then give it a fresh coat of gloss to transform it into an attractive coffee table.
If you don’t have old furniture to recycle, then you may want to visit flea markets and yard sales to find great deals.
Drapes and Other Fabric
The hem of your favorite drapes has become threadbare or perhaps your favorite blankets have become worn due to age. Is it time to say goodbye? Perhaps not. You can recycle the fabric in more ways than one! You can use it to make brand-new seat covers, pillow jackets, and table runners.
You could even cut strips of fabric and use them as appliqué or banding for your bathroom linens. If you’re not that concerned about neighbors looking in, then you also have the option of transforming the drapes into valance and then using them to accent the same windows they used to cover. Another excellent fabric recycling idea is to turn old drapes, blankets, or bed linen into works of art that can be used as wall décor.
This is especially true if the fabric you’re recycling has large prints. Simply cut out a design, stretch it over a wood frame and then choose a wall to display it on. Voila! You have your very own art masterpiece.
Frames and Other Artwork
Speaking of frames, you can find a lot of old framed prints at flea markets. While many of these prints may no longer have much aesthetic value, you can refresh and recycle the frames for your home makeover.
Ditch the prints, clean the frames, and then repaint them in bright colors that complement each other. You may then use the frames for your recycled fabric or for family photos you may want to display.
These are just a few of the decorating ideas you can use for an affordable yet attractive interior design. You don’t have to break the bank in order to spice up your home and give it a more cozy appeal.
Tina Madsen is a design enthusiast who brings her passion for modern décor and writing to her role as the NowModern.com blogger. She also specializes in turning small living areas into spacious social hubs with bar stools and counter stools. Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nowmodernca
