It’s a good idea to update your living area in the spring or summer.
In addition to cleaning everything, you can make some inexpensive and small changes that will improve your mood.
It’s a busy time on the Island for interior designers, this season when people tend to get their homes ready to sell. Two Island designers were asked to share their five best budget-friendly tips.
Turquoise Shed Designs was founded by Melissa VanToever and her partner 10 years back.
VanToever stated that they had taken a break while their children were young, but have now been working on the business again for over a year.
She said one thing you should do is look for ways to re-think and re-use things you already have.
VanToever recommends clearing the clutter from flat surfaces to start off with a new eye.
Sort your clutter
She said that if you remove all your decor and are careful with what you place back, you can edit what you have and add some vintage items or a couple little things to refresh what you already own.
“I like to walk around, if I have a spare hour. I love going to thrift stores and seeing different things. They’re also always a great price. When you mix them up with things you already own, they just refresh.”
VanToever recommends changing or painting your shelves to help you love your home again.
“I have a lot of shelving in my house and I always add it to clients’ houses too — open shelving for storage and for display,” she said. “I was in a tiny powder room, and there was an old blue shelf on the walls. I replaced it with a wooden shelf. It changed the entire vibe of the space.”
Printing art
Another idea is to add art to your walls by pressing the print button.
“You’ll find lots of great digital art online, especially [on] Etsy, for example. VanToever explained that the art is either their original artwork that they are selling you rights to reproduce, or vintage art which has passed its copyright.
You can print it at Staples and Walmart for a very low price. Then, you simply need to buy a frame. It looks like your art is custom made and matches the space.
Set up a small outside area
VanToever is a big fan of setting up small seating areas outside or in a three-season indoor area where you can relax.
“You don’t need much if you have, like, a couple of painted chairs — or you can find an outdoor dining chair fairly inexpensively — but again, using something you have.”
Go out and look for “a little corner that isn’t being used.” It does not require much space. “It’s great for enjoying coffee in your morning, or having dinner outdoors.”
Create a feature wall
VanToever stated that 15 years ago, everyone was using paint to create walls with vibrant colors. Nowadays feature walls create texture with things like strips of wood or other materials.
She said that any type of moulding or panelling will work.
She explained that you don’t have to have lots of materials if a friend or family member is handy. “It adds interest without making it a major project.”
You can also use wall decals that can be easily removed instead of wallpaper, a great idea if you are just renting a space.
I love wallpaper. VanToever: “I like the look, but I am afraid to use wallpaper in my home in case it becomes boring.
“It’s a lot of money for a really big statement, so I find that using a wall decal is a nice option. You can peel it off easily and it is not expensive. So if you can do a little strip on your wall … you get the look for much less.”
Consider mood
VanToever doesn’t think in terms of a specific colour that’s popular, instead focusing on what vibe someone is going for.
If someone tells you what mood they’d like in their room, I’d be more inclined to go with that than a specific color. But I like warmer colours right now — like those kind of earthy, kind of terracotta colours or a really saturated colour,” she said.
Kelli Enright owns Bliss Home Interiors. She finally launched her business last autumn after having dreamed about it for years.
It was her desire to make this happen that pushed her forward. She had to prepare her home to sell, and her agent suggested she do it as a profession.
Fresh Starts
Enright’s advice starts with giving your bedroom — or sanctuary, in her words — a facelift.
A new set of sheets or duvet covers is a simple and easy solution. She said that adding something new and crisp can give your bedroom a breath of fresh air, a breezy oasis feel for summer.
Enright suggests adding some decorative pillows and a nice throw blanket to help pull it all together. Instead of buying new inserts for your pillows, simply change the covers.
It’s a great way to save space and money. Throw pillows are a favorite of mine, but they can take up a lot when I start collecting them.
Houseplants in Baskets
Give your houseplants new homes to freshen up the space.
It’s an excellent way to display your house plants. You find a beautiful decorative basket — wicker, rattan, fabric, whatever you have on hand,” she said. If you want to add some height, elevate the plant by placing a box under it.
It doesn’t need to be expensive either. Mix and match sizes, colors, and textures at your local thrift shop to add some dimension.
Replace coat hooks
“If your entryway is looking a little tired, give it a boost of energy. You can find a lot of beautiful and lovely hooks… Enright: “I’m a big fan of the wrought iron style hooks.”
You can take it a step further if you wish by adding a floating shelving above your coat hangers. And you can place baskets there for extra storage.
The best towels for a spa
Enright suggested that there are a few small things you can do to transform your bathroom into a spa.
“Our bathrooms might get neglected from time to time, and we are aware of how easy it can be for towels to get beaten up,” said she.
“I add a fluffy, white towel to the display and layer it with a hand towel or face cloth. And if you don’t have a towel bar or shelf to display towels… just roll up some small towels or face cloths and put them in a basket.
She said that gives the display “that extra little bit of luxury — and it does have a good visual impact when you walk into a bathroom. It makes the bathroom look vibrant and fresh.
More Mirrors
Enright suggested adding a large mirror to your home as a way to increase natural light in the room and make it feel bigger.
It’s difficult to go wrong with mirrors, whether it’s for a floor mirror that’s the full length or a wall mirror that’s smaller,” she said.
Enright says you can play with the shapes of the frames and paint or spray them to change their color.
If there’s one trend Enright is seeing more of these days it’s terrazzo — tiny chips of marble or granite set in concrete and polished to a smooth surface.
She herself has a little pedestal table that has some terrazzo on it, but the treatment can also be used on floors and walls.
Both designers agreed that small changes could have a huge impact.