Thursday 1 May 2014

Decorating on a Budet

Decorating on a Budget






“Decorating isn’t about breaking the bank,” said Susan Fenn, Interior Designer and owner/operator of Sensational Spaces, “it’s about injecting your own taste, style and flair into your home.”
                Fenn explained that designing your home can be performed exclusively while remaining on a pre-determined budget.  Deciding your financial commitment to the project prior to beginning is a positive step, and creates a very realistic goal.
                “To begin we look at what the clients priorities are,” said Fenn, “ their wish list, what they picture in their mind when they close their eyes, and to what end we can work together to transform their  financial expenditures into a redesigned living space.”
                If it is all new furnishing that are your goal, Fenn says the start point would be hunting through used furniture, flea markets and lower end outlets, always being sure that the client is okay with gently-used furniture pieces. “There are some very cool and creative treasures to be discovered in some of these places,” she said, “some of them just need freshening up to uncover a whole new life.”  Fenn explained that sometimes a simple coat of paint can breathe new life into an old forgotten piece.
                The two most important items worthy of an affordable makeover consist of paint and lighting. Fenn says that these two items can make a world of difference in a living space, and can be planned and executed while sticking to the all-important budget. Neutral colours in painted walls have been the mainstay for a long time, showcasing beiges, sand and taupe colour schemes. The big change in this chapter of decorating is seeing the neutral shades move from the beiges on the colour wheel, to the grays, said Fenn.  The gray family of colours is able to maintain the likes of a neutral palette, but issue in a breath of fresh air with cool grays that are easily adaptable and customisable with coloured accents. Grays tend to present a more ‘airy’ feeling than earthy beige tones, offering a huge fresh look as affordably as buying a couple of gallons of paint.
                “And it’s not only the walls that can be reincarnated with a luxurious coat of fresh paint,” added Fenn, “don’t forget about furniture. An old chair, a run-down table, any neglected piece of furniture can be an astonishing addition to a made over room with just a coat of paint.” A flat black, or a high gloss black, promises to showcase and renew furniture in your newly gray painted room.  But don’t limit your creativity there, rather encompass the art of change by splashing some coordinating primary colors into a room of neutrals. Even a subtle white or a stain can give life to old furniture. Fenn says to be creative with your ideas when it comes to reinventing the colour and theme of accessories.
                While shifting to neutral grays or “greige”, another affordable alternative is to go neutrally with large pieces in the room such as the sofa or headboard. The alternative is to now present an interesting colour scheme into the room via accessories.
                “There are stores locally that present colour coded accessories,” said Fenn. Apparently everything accessory is categorized, such as a lime green, or a slate blue, boasting everything from lamps to cushions to throws and area rugs, even vases and clocks, all in a matching colour. Selecting accessories in such an eloquently mannered matching colour scheme prove to set off the room’s neutral tones with whichever colour from the rainbow that you decide upon. “You owe it to yourself to visit stores such as Bouclair to browse through their colour co-ordinated lay out of accessories,” said Fenn.
                The second most important feature of any room’s overall look comes down to the lighting. Fenn admits that approximately 90% of the homes that she visits are under lit.  “It’s not a large expense to re-light any room with lamps; floor lamps, table lamps, ceiling light fixtures, and the endless possibilities of shapes and styles available is impressive,” she added. “Not to mention the plethora of options available with the shades for the new lamps,” she said.  Fenn also suggests that lighting up some of the artwork in your room is a great idea.  A light over a painting not only adds more illumination to an under lit room, but serves to highlight focal points, and can be done very affordably and inexpensively.
                It can be done, redecorating on a budget. Select the amount of money you are dedicating to the project, follow some of the ideas above or call an Interior Decorator, and let the magic happen.

For additional information about Sensational Spaces and Susan Fenn, visit her on-line at www.sensationalspaces.ca

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