Tips for a stylish home on a budget

Tips for a stylish home on a budget

Is your home in need of a lift before the bright evenings disappear for another year! We got together with Interior Designer Avril Murphy Allen to get her insider tips on stylish home decor – whatever your budget.

  1. Pop of colour You don't always have to paint a whole room or wall, get braver with bright, bold colours on a smaller scale first. A pop of colour can act as an interesting contrast in an alcove, the inside of a window or as a simple stripe along a skirting board. Paint the back wall of a bookcase a hue that’s a couple of shades deeper than the room color.

  2. Lighting Lighting is so often forgotten but can transform your room. Professionals build layers of lighting to create interest, intrigue and variety. In a room where everything is lit evenly, nothing stands out. Pick a focal point and perhaps a secondary focal point and highlight those. Add general ambient lighting and some lower lighting, like table lamps, for interest too.

  3. Door vs Frame Try painting the doors and door frame in different colours. A white frame around a coloured door can really help it stand out. Try a lighter or deeper shade of same colour used on the walls for the door. Keep in mind that any time you paint a door a deep colour, you should take your time and prep well because the darker the paint, the more lines you can see.

  4. Flooring For high traffic areas like hallways, invest in better quality carpets or flooring, it will stand up to the wear and tear, making the extra spend worth it over time!

There is oodles of great content online to give you a helping hand. From design blogs to help you narrow your style, to online shops for finding that perfectly quirky piece, it’s all at the click of a button. The ultimate aid has to be the new Visualizer app for smartphone & tablets. It will let you choose colours and see them live on your walls. And if that wasn’t enough it can also colour match existing items in your room, match them to a paint colour or even suggest complimentary colour schemes… eh what are you waiting for!

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