Renovation Ideas – 7 Quickest and Cheapest Ways to Transform a Room

When renovating and redecorating your home, it’s easy to go over budget. Cutting corners to save money is never a good idea as you can end up with a poorly built renovation that eventually costs you significantly more to fix. Instead of going through a big renovation, try looking for small and cost effective ways to change your space. It can actually be relatively inexpensive to create something that feels like home and functions well for your family. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Paint

Painting your walls is one of the cheapest ways to completely change a space. Even a different shade of white can give a room an entirely new feel. Consider your personal style and the color palette you want to use in the space and choose a softer, neutral tone that will be easy to match. You also want to make sure it’s something you will like long term and won’t compete with other decor items you will eventually add to the space. Painting walls requires a bit of manual labor so it’s not something you want to do often. Keep in mind the mood you want your room to convey. Light, airy colors will encourage tranquility and relaxation, while bright and bold colors should be used for active and engaging spaces.

Color Palette

As you look through interior design magazines, you will start to notice that there’s usually a repetition of colors in a space. In order to keep your design cohesive, it’s important to choose a color palette. Try to limit yourself to one or two main colors and a few accent colors. Use these colors as the basis of all the purchases you make for the room. If you are struggling to come up with a palette, look at your closet; it will give you great insight into the colors you like and are drawn to. You can also take inspiration from a print, rug, or even a flower.

Create a Focal Point

Much like a painting you should have a focal point in your room. A place where the eye is drawn that you can center your space around. Things like a fireplace, TV, accent wall, and even a water feature or fire pit outside all make great focal points. Basing your seating arrangement around a focal point will help ground the space. When you have a centerpiece you will find it is easier to know how to arrange things and anyone entering your house will have a clear idea of what the space is used for. Clarity and unison are vital when designing a space.

Lighting

It’s easy to become accustomed to the lighting in our spaces and completely overlook it when remodeling, but changing a single fixture can be a cost-effective way to make a big difference. A more stylized fixture can help solidify the style and feel of your room. Look for fixtures that are both interesting and practical. Hanging chandelier-style lighting over your dining table will give the room a formal feel, but be cautious of size. Make sure it fits proportionally in both the room and with your furniture. You should also think about the types of bulbs you have in the fixtures. Different bulbs will give off different hues of light that may not be ideal for certain rooms. Blue hues tend to be harsher on the eyes and shouldn’t be used in bedrooms. Also, consider switching over to LEDs in your home, they can help cut energy costs and last longer than traditional bulbs.

Adding Texture

Texture is another great way to add visual interest to a space. A room full of similarly textured items will not have the “come in and sit down” feel to it. In order to add texture, use items with varied patterns, textiles, and surfaces. Incorporate both organic and inorganic items: think wood alongside acrylic. Don’t be scared of patterns, these are one of the greatest ways to add interest to a space. Mixing patterns can be a more advanced step to take because you will still be staying within the same color pallette, yet things should still feel connected.

Be wary of overdoing the textures, though. Like your colors, you should limit yourself to a few and repeat them around the room. You’ll find that this step can be really fun, it allows a little bit more freedom to walk into a store and find the things that appeal to you. Be conscientious of ways to save money while you’re looking at furniture and accessories. A lot of stores offer price matches, and if you have a smartphone you should look up the item you are about to buy and see if another retailer offers it cheaper. More stores than you would think are willing match a competitor’s price.

Plants

When you are looking for different textures for your room, a great place to start is with plants. Plants can add a lot of color and texture to your room with just a little effort. Not only that, but it helps to keep your space healthier by taking in the carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. There are so many types of houseplants, some even the least garden-savvy individual can keep alive. Succulents are a great introductory house plant as they are pretty resilient and don’t require a lot of water. Be wary of ferns and other plants that can be poisonous to pets.

Use it all
Creativity can go a long way in personalizing and transforming your room. One cool way is to find unique features in your home and create interesting spaces. Things like an awkward nook under the stairs can become cool features and find a purpose in your home. Look for unusual architectural details, brainstorm what kind of space you are lacking in your home and see if you can find a way to create it using that area. A window seat is a great place to curl up and read a book, an unused corner of your kitchen could be a coffee bar, and the closet in your spare room might make a cozy crafting area. These types of transformations are inexpensive and make a big difference in personalizing a room.

These are just a few places to start when you’re looking for low-budget ways to change your room. A little change can really go a long way. Remember that your interior spaces can be ever changing and you don’t have to do it all at once. Allow decorating to be a long-term process where you are constantly looking for cool items to add until you feel like you’ve reached a look you enjoy. There’s no need to go out and buy everything at once to do a complete overhaul. Many times you’ll find great items that only come around seasonally, so never feel like you have to rush or buy something you aren’t 100% in love with just to “finish”.

Do you have any other low budget decorating tips?