There is a perception that decorating a home is an expensive affair. But with the right knowledge, source and time, you can turn your home into a beautiful abode on a budget. No need for expensive furniture, fancy wallpapers, or a major overhaul. Devil is in the details, so look at the smaller elements that can be changed with the changing seasons
1. Plants and Flowers
The best way to add life to your home is to bring plants indoors! Since summer and the excessive heat damages plants when kept outdoors, this is the perfect time to welcome nature inside!
{Seating and plant shelf in the above image has been manufactured by us}
Flowering plants add the much-needed freshness. They also add pops of colours to the rather green dominated foliage. Since spring/summer is the best time for floral abundance, don’t hesitate to bring the flowers in for a bit. Do keep in mind that flowering plants need the sun to blossom, so you cant keep them indoors for long periods of time. To hide the black pots, you can put the pots inside planters such as baskets and fruit crates. This is how I have used a crate to hide my pot
You can also put in some fresh flowers in a vase. Cut the bottom of the stem and fill the vase with a solution of water and a few spoonfuls of sugar. Flowers will stay fresh for up for longer that way. Whenever you notice them wilting, cut up the bottom of them further. Here are few foraged flowers from our garden
2. Lighting
The key to any beautiful interior is lights. It plays a very important role in setting the ambience of your home and impacts your mood
A few tips to instantly add glamour to home are
-Distributed lighting
Have multiple sources of light in a room. This distributes the light evenly and does not strain the eyes.
-Candles
Candles represent romance and cosiness and are key to creating a cosy atmosphere. Group candles of varying heights and shapes to create a dramatic effect.
Pro tip: make sure you don’t pick candles of different smells. Pick one scent and rest unscented or all candles of the same scent.
-Intensity
The intensity of light plays a very important role in setting the mood of the space.
- A colour temperature of 2000K-3000K gives a cosy, calm and inviting atmosphere. Ideal for Living rooms and Bedrooms
- A colour temperature of 3000K-4500K gives a bright vibrant atmosphere. Ideal for Workspaces, Bathrooms and Kitchens
- A colour temperature of 4500K-6500K mimics daylight and gives a crisp and revitalizing atmosphere. Ideal for display walls with photos. Note:
Pro-tip:
Add as much LED lights as you can which reduces your electricity consumption.
Try to diffuse this light to avoid harshness
3. Fluid furniture
While buying furniture, it’s always a good idea to see its versatility. This makes it very easy to shuffle things around and give a fresh look in minutes. New age furniture like Crates and Pallets are very versatile and can be used as book stands, shelves, use it for storage inside wardrobes or just like catch-alls around the house. Aside from the utility, you can place them in the corners of your house and use them as plant holders or flip them and use them as stands.
Here is how I’ve used pallets manufactured by us in different settings
{Seating and plant shelf in the above images have been manufactured by us}
4. Books
Books, be it antique or new, white or colourful, big or small — are the most interesting accessory that you can have in your home. Books add individuality and personality to your place. They can be stacked up and used as pedestals for a small item to provide varying heights or provide a coffee table decoration.
When arranging a bookshelf, make sure to add other statement pieces and decorative items to add interest to the setting. You can choose to arrange books vertically as well as horizontally to break the monotony
5. Sofa covers and Cushions
With the ever-changing trends and fast fashion, our furniture tends to look a little outdated to flaunt after a while. But it is financially not feasible to change your big furniture every once in a while, nor is it good for the environment. The best thing to do is to keep changing how they look. Freshen up the look of your sofa just by adding a base cover or a throw neatly tucked in. Bright colours for vibrance or muted colours for sophistication, choose your look and match it with fresh cushion covers. You can keep experimenting with different looks to match your mood or the occasion. In case you are throwing a party, switch the cover to an easily washable material to account for spills
Cushions can change the look of the space with minimal spending. Use reds and greens to welcome Christmas spirit or oranges and browns to celebrate fall. Mirroring nature’s colours or using colours of the festivals is always a good idea to begin with if you’re confused about where to start from
6. Decking up your walls
To break the monotony in the design of a room, generally, we have to highlight a wall which we call as an accent wall. Painting an accent wall is the most common way to achieve this but there are more options. A white wall as a background gives you a lot of flexibility to decorate- courtesy its neutrality. You can use things from around the house like interesting souvenirs, carved wooden frames and wall accents like macrame to bring in a fresh vibe
Another new trend is to Turn Plates Into Wall Art. So if you have a collection of single-piece plates, this can make for some seriously chic wall décor. Hang a few in a cluster on a blank wall for an instant update. If you’re into decoupage, you can decoupage on regular glass plates and hang them up
Alternatively, you can also use a stencil to paint up small motifs on the wall. This is super quick with minimal supplies.
{Step plant shelf in the above image has been manufactured by us}
{White stand and crate in the above image has been manufactured by us}
7. DIY Ideas
Whenever you wish to purchase something, do a little research online to see if it can be made at home, Decor objects, wall art and so much more can be made at home mostly with the things you already have. Check out Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration. Here are a few quick ways to turn around your old things
Give an Old Ladder New Life with a fresh coat of bright paint. This could become your next favourite décor piece. You can use this to hang planters, make it a towel stand, but up colourful rugs, the possibilities are endless
You can turn an old wine bottle into a candle stand or a plant holder. Remove labels by soaking in hot water. Once its clean and dry, paint it up and put a candle on top.
Alternatively, you can stick in a few money pant cuttings and propagate them!
To make a festive corner, stuff the bottle with some led lights and this instantly brightens up any corner!
You can make your own photo frames of fun quotes or bright prints using just pain old cardboard strips. Paint these strips up and use them as a border for fun posters or printouts. Quick and easy way to deck up a plain wall
8. Souvenir display
Since summer is all about travelling, why not make a display for the souvenirs collected over the years?
-To display your maghet collection, you can take a sheet of iron, paint it and screw it up on the wall
– To display tickets, receipts etc, you can take a photo frame and display the little knick knacks and hang on the wall
-You can make small wall shelves to display other souvenirs such as shells, pine cones etc
This adds a lot of personality to your home and is a great conversations tarter for when guests come over
9. Cosy corners
You can turn any corner or blank space in your home to a cosy corner with just a few things
- A rug to add cosiness and mark a boundary for the place
- Floor seating made out of pallets or a mattress
- A few plants around to add beauty
- Some fairy lights to create an ambience
- Finally, place your favourite book or game or your laptop
{Seating in the above image has been manufactured by us}
10. Pretty up your Furniture
If you have furniture like cabinets, wardrobes that came with the house and aren’t very attractive, the best way to spruce them up is with wallpaper or stickable vinyl! These sheets and rolls can be ordered online and are very easy to stick and remove. You can use paint to paint up your smaller or movable furniture using chalk paints. Just sand the surface and clean all residual matter and get painting! You’ll have new and fresh looking furniture in no time and without having to spend a lot!
These are some truly lovely ideas. Please could you do a tutorial on painting wine botthes.