If an abundance of spare time has you itching to take on a home makeover project right now, I feel you. I’ve been searching for art I can’t afford every other day.
Lockdown or no, however, understanding how to cut costs when you decide to restyle your home is an incredibly useful skill. Some areas of interior decorating can cost you a whole heap of cash and to the average person, it can be tricky to tell which elements really require the big bucks.
To help decipher how we can best save money when updating home decor, I chatted with Morgan Inglis, Styling Consultant for Lounge Lovers over email. Here’s what she shared.
4 ways to restyle your home on a budget
1. Buy dual-purpose items
Inglis explained that it’s smart to get into a creative headspace when it comes to furniture purchases.
By looking out for pieces that can be used in more than one way, “You are not only increasing your usability of the item but potentially extending its lifespan as it can have another life once it has served your original purpose by facilitating a different function,” she said.
In terms of examples, Inglis pointed to a few fun options. Like using benches all around the home. “Use them as shelving, be it in the lounge to display books, in the hallway to hold your bags, or in the wardrobe as extra shoe storage,” she said.
“A bench seat can [also] double as an extra long coffee table when extra guests come around.”
She also highlighted that ottomans can be a great substitute for pricey sofas with a chase.
“And when you’re not using the ottoman to rest your weary feet, pop a tray on top and hey presto, you’ve got yourself a coffee table.”
Ultimately, Inglis shared that product labels should never restrict your design choices.
“Try a bedside table in the lounge room as a side table with additional storage,” she said. “Often bedside tables cost slightly less than larger coffee tables or storage solutions” so you are bound to save yourself some coin that way. There are no rules, here.
2. Ditch the spare bedroom set up
Yes, the idea of a spare bedroom is lovely but Inglis explained that “lately this space is needed for home offices or storage”. Rather than spending the money to fully deck out the spare bedroom, she suggested a cheaper option – a sofa bed.
“The idea of a clunky pull out sofa bed is unnerving for some. Why not hide a spare bed in plain sight by picking a funky armchair design?
“…There are so many beautiful sofa armchairs available in the market right now, like our popular Happy Sofa,” she explained.
3. Don’t waste your money on expensive paints
Giving your home a makeover with a fresh coat of paint is a great and affordable way to updated a dated space, but it’s worth noting that you can save even more by being savvy with your purchases.
Inglis recommended perusing the clearance aisles for bargains.
“You can purchase tins of seconds paint at your local hardware store for cheap (returns or mistints) or grab a sample pot with a gold coin for small projects or touch ups,” she said.
“Clearance paint can be re-tinted to a more desirable colour and you could save hundreds. I stay on the look out for clearance paint and have scored multiple different versions of the colour white – winning!”
4. Art doesn’t have hurt your wallet
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, art pieces can be costly. But if you’re looking for ways to restyle your home in this way, you have options.
“If art is too expensive at this point in your life, you can use hats and bags as texturally interesting art pieces,” Inglis said.
“If you are running low on wall space to hang artworks (or your aunt’s attempt at macrame), bring colour and texture in through soft furnishings, like throws, pillows and rugs which can play the role of art in a more affordable way.”
You can also find fun prints online by local artists that may be at a more appropriate price point, too. Etsy is a good place to start your search.
If you’re curious about styling trends right now, our recent piece on popular home decor themes on Pinterest may be up your alley, too.
And if you have any quirky home decor savings hacks you’d like to share with us, let us know! We’re all ears.
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