Decorating a home, or even a room is not an easy project. There are a lot of things to think about. Unexpected surprises that come up along the way. And than you have still the budget to keep still under control. In general you get out of the budget, but there are some things you can do to keep it in balance.
picture money Sharon McCutcheon via Unsplash - plan and top view bedroom from a projject
When I start working on a new project I always ask my clients to come up with a budget. It is easy to make an amazing project but than your client tells you the budget is half. And you can’t make a second proposal where the budget would be half and still create a wow effect after I have made an amazing first presentation. You can make a beautiful home with whatever budget you have. But it is important to know where to look for the right things to enter in the budget.
First rooms to decorate are the kitchen and bathroom. Those are the most expensive rooms to decorate, so after receiving the budget for those rooms, stress comes in. And it should not be. All the other rooms are easier to do on a budget. You are not going to change the bathroom or kitchen after two years, but you can live with a cheaper sofa and change it after two years.
But even for the more expensive rooms there are solutions.
kitchen via Studio Dearborn - wall lamp Shades of Light - cabinet knobs CB2
Depending on the budget you will decide first with which company you want to work, the material of the kitchen will define the price. A bespoke kitchen in wood will be much more expensive than a modular kitchen in MDF.. So where can we take care that the final budget stays under control?
Drawers are very easy in the kitchen but each drawer needs slides, and quality slides are expensive. So limit the amount of drawers.
Cabinet knobs and pulls are another expensive detail. An important detail as it will, in big part, define the style of the kitchen. So here you need to do a bit of research to find a good price quality offer. Maybe you don’t need all those suspended cabinets and you go for some open shelves. No need to add tiles all around the kitchen, You can limit the use of the tiles to the areas that get easily dirty or the ones you need to protect from water.
image on the via Trendhouse - faucet Berloni - image on the right via Alied Maker
And how are we going to make our kitchen look amazing? Create ambiance. On those open shelves you can add some succulents and your cooking books will add a touch of color. Some interesting light fixtures and why now adding art? You see your kitchen will look amazing and you have made some savings on the tiles, suspended cabinets and the cabinet knobs. Important to go for good quality countertop and the appliances.
image on the left via High Street - on the right Hám Interiors - metal ceiling light Shades of Light
What about the bathroom? Another expensive room. Start decorating with the same mindset as you do the kitchen. Important is to buy good faucets. It can be very trendy to have some black or antique brass faucets. But I would suggest to buy faucets in chrome. Special finishes are more expensive and if you want to by faucets in special finishes on a budget than I can tell you that you will have problems after a few months. The finish will disappear in time, don’t take the risk and have to invest again in them in a year.
bathroom wall decor via Monica Hibbs -soap dispenser That Monochrome Label - 30’s bathroom furniture Vintage
Take care also to buy good quality furniture, it will resit in time. Don’t forget there will be a lot of humidity in that room. So where can you save money? Tiles don’t have to go all around the room, just added them in the areas where the wall will get wet; around the bathtub and in the shower area. The rest you will paint in a paint special for bathroom, easy to clean and resisting humidity. Add plants and art to create a dream bathroom.
Once you finish the bathroom and the kitchen you have a clear idea of the money you still have to spend on the other room. Plan well.
Let’s take a look on what are the items you should not make compromises and where you can safe.
In the bedroom the mattress is the most important item. Your sleep comfort and your health will depend on it. There are a lot of solutions for every budget to create the look you dream of for the bed. Even a lot of creative options to make your bed the center of the room. Check my blog post on headboards to get inspired. You can even make the wall behind the bed a statement wall by painting it in a dark color, or adding some wallpaper. Don’t go for expensive night stands, a small side table or even a small shelf will look great.Look for some nice wall lamps and your are almost done. Curtains can be expensive too. You like to sleep in the dark, not waking up with the first lights in the morning? There are now amazing blackout fabrics. What is a black out? A blackout is a fabric, normally used as lining to keep out 95% of the day light. So instead of buying a nice fabric for the curtains and adding a black out you could look for a beautiful black out and save a lot of money. At the end when you still have some money you can look for painting or prints to finish this room in style.
kid;’s bedroom Milton & King - storage Voges Paris
A kid’s room can always be done on a budget. Even when I do projects where the budget is generous, the kid’s room will be done on a budget as you often will change the room as they grow older. Think out of the box, add color splashes and you can add some timeless pieces where you know they will keep till the kids get out of the house. A kid’s room should reflect their personality, their interests; their own art works in combination with some posters will do the job.
living room via Planet Deco - rattan pendant lamp Anthropologie - floor cushion Mellow S Ligne Pure - art wall Homeplistic
In your living room it is important to have a comfortable sofa. Sofa's can be expensive, if you can choose the fabrics, than those can add also as you need quickly ten or more meters. Good quality fabrics are expensive. as they are treated agains stains and will resit in time. Living room gets cozy when you have different type of light fixtures. A hanging lamp when you need a lot of light, some wall lamps to create a warm ambiance and some lamps or reading lamps for accent light. Curtains come in general at the end of the project when the budget is finished, same for the rugs. Important is that your rug is big enough. Better to wait a few months before buying the perfect rug than to buy one that is to small. Check my blog post and know all about the perfect rug to buy it with confidence. A good solution is to combine a few small rugs and make a patchwork. You will create a very personal look.
dining room via Houzz
A dining table can be expensive, not to talk about the price of a comfortable chair , and you need in general four or six of them. You can always go for a few chairs and a bench on the other side, the kids will love this. Look for some basic chairs and cover them with a slip cover or in case of wooden chairs add a small but colorful pillow., you can even make them all different for a very stylish look. Know more about buying the perfect chair
image on the left via Delightful - on the right via Facilisimo
What you can really do on a budget is the entrance; make it practical. What do you need? A mirror, storage for the shoes, some hooks to leave your coat when entering the house, A small shelf can be practical to leave the keys and at the end when you still have a bit of money left you can add a small stool, will be easy to put on the shoes in the morning before leaving the house.
What do you need at the end to create a home you will be proud of: plants, create a picture wall. Make it personal, make it you!
Ready to get into your project?
pay attention when choosing kitchen and bathroom furniture
look for some beautiful cabinet knobs and handles that are not to expensive
limit the use of tiles
use open shelves
don’t by faucets with special finishes when on a budget
buy a very good mattress and be creative for the headboard
use black out fabric as curtains
do kid’s room on a budget
look for a good quality sofa and decorate in a creative way your living room
buy basic chairs and use a slipover or add a pillow
do entrance on budget
add plants and artworks in every room
Success with your project!
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