Inexpensive Hacks That Elevate Your Home Decor But Not Your Budget
Your home is your sanctuary, so you want it to look as such. At the same time, not everyone has a massive budget to revamp their interior design. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple and inexpensive hacks that can make your house feel more like home. Whether you want to transform the floors, revamp the cabinets, liven up the walls, or enhance the functionality of a space, you'll be amazed at what a shoestring budget can do.
Swap Linoleum For Concrete For A Refined Look
Linoleum is inexpensive, and it looks that way, too. The countertop material can stain and chip relatively easily and ages any kitchen significantly. Rather than shelling out money to get a classier marble or granite material, try revamping the counters yourself with concrete.
Strip the counters down and then slather wet concrete evenly over the top. Once it's dry, sand the concrete so that it's smooth and apply a satin finish to give it a polished look.
Update An Old Light Fixture With Spray Paint
Light fixtures have vastly changed over the years, so older homes can seem aged by something as minor as the ceiling light. Rather than going through the hassle of buying a new light and having an electrician come and install it, you can revamp the look with paint.
This metallic yellow light looked like it was decades old. That's why the homeowner simply removed the cover, lined the ceiling with protective paper, and spray-painted it black. Now the fixture is modern and subtle.
Paint Your Cabinet Doors And Leave Some Shelves Exposed
Revamping kitchen cabinetry can be costly, but there's a way to do it as efficiently as possible while still making the space look like a million bucks. This kitchen's wooden cabinets were making it look old and rural.
The homeowner gave them a major facelift by simply removing the doors and adding trim. They then painted everything a soft white and put the cabinets back together. This time, however, they left two cabinet doors off to expose some classy dishware and add a touch of charm.
Use Wood To Make A Rustic Accent Wall
If you want to give your home a unique feature that you'd only expect to see at an upscale property, try doing a wood accent wall. Anyone can paint a wall a different color, but bringing in a rustic element gives it an earthy look unlike any other.
Grab some wooden planks and stain them to your desired shade and then mount them to the wall. Dazzle it up with some feature lights and decorations, or leave it be and let the texture steal the show.
Reimagine Your Coat Closet
If you're dissatisfied with your coat closet, it may be worth transforming it into something every guest will stop to appreciate. Take out the door and expand the frame so that it's the same width as the interior of the closet.
You can embellish the new frame with moulding like this person did, and add a built-in reading nook with some drawers beneath the seat. Add in some shelves and decorations and you have a quaint yet functional space.
Transform A Room With Wallpaper And Contact Paper
Would you believe it if we told you that the homeowner didn't paint those bathroom cabinets? They actually used contact paper, a material that sticks onto a surface and gives the illusion that it's a different material or add color and patterns without the hassle of paint.
The homeowner also added removable wallpaper to the bottom half of the walls to add texture and design without overwhelming the small room. Now the tile floors and decor match the built-ins beautifully.
Create A Rustic Wall Design With Pegboards
If you're going for an upscale, naturalistic look, try incorporating pegboards into your design. They completely transform a bland wall while keeping things organized and sleek. Paint or stain the boards so that they match the rest of the room and then mount them to the wall.
This homeowner used light wooden pegboards that pair well with vibrant green plants and give the home a modern rustic feel. Use the pegs to hang shelves and other items for countless arrangement possibilities.
Stencil Your Floors Instead Of Replacing Them
If your floors are in good condition but just don't have the aesthetic you would like them to, grab some paints and stencils! This homeowner painted the tile floors in their bathroom a solid, rich black.
From there, they taped down stencils to paint a white design over the black floors. The result is a bathroom floor that pops without breaking the bank. This technique gives you a vast variety of hassle-free options when it comes to flooring.
Make A Stunning Staircase With Paint And Stain
Staircases can take your breath away, and you don't need to knock them down and build them up to transform the look. All you need is a can of stain and paint.
This homeowner made a honey-colored staircase far more dramatic and elegant by staining the wood to a deep red-brown. They then painted the balusters white, creating a striking contrast that compliments the wall color, the carpeting, and the picture frames in the background.
Give An Island A Homey Feel
Islands can be a lovely addition to kitchens, offering extra countertop space and seating. However, they aren't always the most welcoming, especially if they have rigid edges and a bland design.
Making an island feel welcoming is as simple as adding corbels and wood planks. Paint the additional materials first and then mount the wooden planks to the island's sides and the corbels to the corners. Just like that, your island will feel heaps homier.
Add Storage And Style Beneath Your Bathroom Sink
Many bathrooms have a floating sink nowadays, which can be lovely in terms of the seamless look and minimalist style. The downside is that since the sink is mounted to the wall, there's no storage space underneath.
One way to keep the modern look while adding functionality is to build a pedestal that fits underneath the sink. This designer painted some metal legs a slick black and fixed a white shelf to it. They then added a storage basket and hid the clutter with a hand towel.
Make An Elegant Wooden Air Vent Cover
Metal air vents can become morphed and dark over the years, creating an eyesore in an otherwise lovely space. That's why this homeowner decided to cover up the dingy piece with a wooden air vent cover.
There are a variety of ways to design the cover. You can make it as simple as cutting slits into a plank of wood, or as intricate as carving a stenciled design. This homeowner attached wooden slits to the frame and painted the whole thing a clean white.
Make Your Countertops Look Like Marble With Paint
We mentioned transforming a laminate countertop into something modern using concrete, but you can also use paint to make it a stunning marble. This homeowner used the technique on wood, revealing a stark transformation.
The easiest way to do this is to use a countertop kit, but if you're willing to do a little bit of research, you save a little money by purchasing everything separately. Either way, making your counters look like marble is far less expensive than replacing them outright.
Create A Television Frame Over The Fireplace
Though placing a television over the fireplace may sound like a good idea, sometimes the styles clash. In this living room, the flat screen stuck out like a sore thumb over a fireplace that also needed a little TLC.
The homeowner brought these distinct pieces together by adding a curved, white frame to the fireplace and staining the wooden mantel. They then added a wooden television frame that matched the mantel and created a more flushed design.
Avoid Wallpaper With Painted Designs
Wallpaper can be expensive, especially if you want to transform an entire room. Instead, grab a couple of cans of paint and find the stencil version of your favorite pattern. Prime and paint the walls with your first color.
Then fix the stencil to the wall and paint on your pattern with a separate color. Though it will take a little longer, it will save you money and give far more options to personalize your space.
Swap Your Bland Blinds With A Personalized Shade
Blinds can make or break a room from the inside out. They are often bland and made of cheap-looking material that gets easily warped. To maintain your privacy without sacrificing style, try making a simple shade out of your favorite pattern.
First, remove the blinds from their frame and the binding threads. Cut out a piece of fabric that is the same dimensions that the blinds were, and sew it to the thread and frame.
Layer Vinyl Over Your Old Tile
Tile floors come in a wide variety of sizes and patterns, and not all of them are in style. Especially if you've recently updated the rest of your bathroom decor, you may find that your tile floors are bringing down the room.
Replacing floors can be a pain, especially if they're still in good shape and it's only a matter of aesthetics. That's why this homeowner decided to put adhesive laminate over the existing tile to complete their design without breaking the budget.
Give A Large Mirror More Design And Purpose
A lazy design that shows up in many bathrooms is a large, unframed mirror. The slab of glass sits on the wall without adding any flair to the room. One way to give a bland mirror a major upgrade is to add a frame and shelving.
This homeowner found the perfect open-faced cabinet to mount on the wall where the mirror used to extend. Then, they used wood to create a frame with wall molding at the top to match the cabinet.
Give Your Closet Doors Some Barn-like Character
Closet doors tend to be rather plain, but dressing them up can completely transform your room. This homeowner transformed their closet doors into an elegant, barn-like design using laminate and wood planks.
They first designed the door by laying down the laminate and using wood planks to create the v-design of barn doors. The designer then painted it white and added dark, rustic handles and hinges. The result is a homey yet chic twist on the closet doors.
Transform A Wall With Veneer Stones
Some designs don't look complete against a plain wall. This mounted television and firestone wall piece are elegant, but they just don't look right on their own. That's why the homeowner decided to add some veneer stones.
The design trick is very easy to pull off as it doesn't require any construction, yet it completely transforms the room. The result is an effect similar to a tall, brick fireplace only with a modern flair that is also reversible.
Easily Heighten Your Baseboard
If you want to make your baseboards look a little more dramatic, just give them some height with this simple trick. Start by adding a thin piece of wood that sits above the existing baseboard at your preferred height.
From there, all you need to do is paint the space in between the baseboard and the wooden strip you've just added. The result is the illusion of a taller baseboard, when in reality all you've added is a little wood and paint.
Give Your Ceiling Texture By Painting With A Sponge
Though popcorn ceilings are out of style now, part of why they were ever popular is because they livened up a part of the room that isn't typically touched. You can do the same thing with your smooth ceilings by adding marbled paint.
First, mix latex and acrylic paint making one the color white and the other the color you want your ceiling to be. Apply the paint to your sponge and then coat the ceiling with it using a dabbing motion.
Swap A Towel Rack For Floating Shelves
Floating shelves are both stylish and efficient, especially when used against walls that furniture can't be placed against. If the towel rack in your bathroom isn't quite cutting it, but you don't have room for a stand, consider floating shelves.
You can make your own using planks of wood and staining them to your desired shade. Mount them to the walls above your sink to create a mood with candles and picture frames, or above the toilet for extra storage.
Add Dimension With Two-Tone Paint And Corner Shelves
This bathroom looked perfectly fine before, but it was a little ordinary. To bring the space to the next level, the homeowner decided to add a vibrant paint color and some uniquely placed shelves.
They placed a counter-height baseboard around the room to divide the walls and painted the bottom half white and the top half turquoise. The result is a bathroom that pops with color without seeming overboard. The cherry on top is the shelves that fit neatly into the corner for ample storage without appearing cluttered.
Turn Sheets Into Whispy Curtains
If you want a thin curtain that provides privacy without blocking out the sunlight, sheets can be an inexpensive solution. Especially if you have some on hand that fit the color scheme of your room, there's no reason to waste money on something that gives a similar effect.
Find the side of the sheet that is folded over and sewn and use the double layer to create slits where the curtain rod can slip through. You can even dye the sheets to get them to just the right tone.
Make Clunky Stairs Look Like New With A Runner
These stairs were in serious need of a revamp, but the homeowner didn't want to tear them down and start from scratch. Instead, they stained the wood and repainted the banister and the space between each step.
From there, they laid down a mesh net and stapled patterned fabric over the top to create an elegant runner. Now the staircase feels welcoming and makes the place feel more stylish, rather than wearing down the rest of the design.
Class Up Your Bedroom With A Board And Batten Wall
While the other rooms in the house are designed to impress guests, the bedroom is the one place that needs to suit just one person: the owner. To make your room feel like an oasis, consider adding a board and batten wall.
The feature is essentially wooden planks boarded to a wall, but there are many different ways to design it. You can have it going from floor to ceiling, or only halfway up and topped with crown molding. It can even double as a headboard.
Give Your Light Sconces A Touch Of Charm
Light sconces can be a wonderful addition to any space, especially when placed next to a mirror to cast a glowy effect on your reflection. However, sometimes the shade isn't suited for your new and improved design.
Instead of running out to buy a new shade or another light altogether, you may be able to solve the problem with a mason jar. Pick a shade that will compliment your decor and securely fix the glass to your sconce!
Make An Entryway More Homey
This small entryway looked like it had been left behind and forgotten. The exposed beams seemed unfinished and it didn't seem like much effort had gone into the design. The homeowner transformed the space by using the beams to create a board and batten wall.
They used crown molding to make a distinct separation between the board and the lavender wall, which makes the home feel a little more sophisticated. Now the entryway table completes the space, rather than seeming like it was stuck there haphazardly.
Enhance The Room By Swapping Out Door Handles
This tip may seem basic, but the results are extraordinary. As simple as a doorknob is, they make a huge impression on the room, especially since they're impossible to miss. If your bedroom doorknob isn't anything special, replace it with something more stylish.
Pick out something that goes with the hallway and would suit any of your rooms, because you'll probably want all of the knobs to match. The best part is that doorknobs are inexpensive and quick to replace.
