10 Ways to Upgrade Your Home (for less!) Interior Design tips without Breaking the Bank!

We are all trying to save money these days - right? And since we are staying home more often, we are starting to notice that our home is less than Instagram-worthy. So we've put together 10 inexpensive ways to upgrade your space, make it beautiful without spending a million bucks.

Paint Your Doors

Interior doors don't have to be boring. Upgrading your doors with a little paint goes a long way. It's an easy way to inject some color without painting every wall. If you have a home that doesn't have much character - i.e slab doors with no detail - adding color makes the home feel upgraded without replacing doors that actually do their job. Make sure you sand if you need to or use a primer that doesn't require sanding. Taking the doors off the hinges and painting them on a flat surface will ensure you have no drips.

Upgrade Your Hardware

If your kitchen and bathroom cabinets are in good shape, one upgrade that is less expensive is upgrading your hardware. Nothing speaks more to builder-grade hardware than a bar pull. Upgrading to something with more detail will instantly make your kitchen feel custom. Pulls come in all shapes and sizes and are relatively inexpensive now days. Make sure you measure the distance of the holes of your existing pulls to find out what size you need and go shop!

Add Molding or Trim

Adding molding or trim to a basic bedroom or living room is an instant facelift. Try looking at images on Pinterest for chair rails, picture frame molding, crown molding etc. Some are easy to do if you are handy with a saw and a miter. There are also options for peel & stick moldings if you don't want to make a long-term commitment. Molding and trims are what separates a builder-basic to a custom home in no time.

Add Wallpaper

Wallpaper is no longer taboo. We used to think of wallpaper as grandma - harkening back to the 80's and 90's when we wallpapered borders of fruit and vegetables around the kitchen. But wallpaper is an easy and beautiful way to inject pattern and color into a boring space. All the walls or one accent wall - doesn't matter. Just pick something that you feel comfortable installing and that will make you happy. There are tons of options for applying - peel and stick, pre-pasted, traditional, etc. Check out www.spoonflower.com for lots of patterns and if you need something custom or can't find what you are looking for - reach out! We can customize wallpaper to any motif or design you can dream up.

Lamps & Light Fixtures

I cannot stress this enough - the first rule of interior design is to Never Use the Big Light. That ceiling light may be beautiful but we never turn it on. Why? Lamps create so much more ambience and coziness. And the more lamps the better. Lighting is an easy fix to a boring space. Most of the time when we meet with clients and they don't understand why there space isn't cozy or doesn't feel right - it's lighting. Lighting sets the mood, and finding an awesome lamp is just the first step. Make sure you are using the right bulb. 60 watts is plenty for a table lamp and you want to make sure you are choosing the right color. Bulbs come in a cool or warm tone - and depending on your space, either could work.

Curtains - Wide, High & Trimmed

Another issue we see with our clients homes are curtains that are too short. Curtain length varies and you will need to measure your ceilings and to the top of the window. You want to install the rod at ceiling height or equal between the top of the window and the ceiling. The curtain length should barely touch the floor. If you are wanting more drama, you can have the curtains pool a little at the floor but be careful if you have kids or pets. If your curtains are lacking drama and feel a little flat, try adding some inexpensive trims. You can find trims at any fabric store and you don't even need to know how to sew. There are fuse tapes and fabric glue that you can use to attach. Upgrading basic curtains with some velvet or silk trims instantly give it a custom, upgraded look.

Make Your Own Art

Having blank walls is no fun, but art can be expensive. Not everyone is an artist or may feel comfortable wielding a paintbrush but there are a lot of easy DIY art projects on Pinterest that you can do yourself. The key to making DIY art look expensive is the frame. Take your finished canvas to Hobby Lobby, Michaels or a frame shop and have it framed professionally. This instantly makes it look like it came off a gallery wall.

Layer Your Rugs

Another inexpensive way to upgrade your space is layering rugs. It's fun and unexpected and another easy way to inject more pattern and color into your room. Make sure the rugs are similar in color or tone and that the patterns aren't competing. When mixing patterns (and this applies to anything) make sure you are using the following formula: solid, stripe, big, small. Solid colors, striped color, big pattern, small patterns - these four together in the same color family or tone will always be a winner. And if you are really bold - the 5th one is animal print. Any animal print is considered a neutral and will jazz up any space.

Add A Plant

Another thing that is often lacking is plants. Rooms need to feel alive and have a bit of nature to them. Adding a small plant, cactus or even really beautiful silk tree will instantly make the room feel alive. Try researching something that is easy to care for and doesn't require a lot of maintenance. Pothos, Snake Plants, ZZ Plants, and Spider Plants are just a few to try out.

Upgrade Your Linens

I'm not talking about thread count. Yes - that is important. But to upgrade the space visually is not about thread count. Gone are the days of the bed in a bag. Custom homes, high end design will mix their patterns and colors in the bed linens. Choose a duvet with an interesting pattern you love and use the colors to pick your sheets, shams and accent pillows. Mixing patterns, again, will always make a place feel custom.

We hope these tips inspire you to upgrade your space without breaking the bank and like always, if you need help - just reach out. We are more than happy to guide you through the process!