7 affordable decorating ideas
If your home needs a lift in the décor department think twice before you head to the high street. You may already have what it takes to inject some serious style right in front of you – all you need is some inspiration.
1. Paint or wallpaper a bedhead straight onto the wall
Let’s face it, we never move our beds. Once we’ve found the right spot in the room, as the biggest piece of furniture it really stays put so painting or wallpapering a bedhead directly on the wall is neither the permanent or daunting decorating decision it may seem at first. Take the plunge with a sample pot of paint or wallpaper offcut and make a statement!
2. Use textiles as art
There are plenty of things already in your home you may not have considered wall-worthy. Take another look at textiles, scarves and fabrics you’ve collected and use one large, or several smaller pieces by hanging them on a rod or directly onto the wall with small hooks sewn onto the back.
3. Pinboard art
For an ever-changing display of art that the whole family can contribute to, paint a cork board out to the same colour as the wall and let your creative juices flow. Be discerning about what you include by working to a theme of colour, texture or style and change and update the display as more creations are contributed. The best bit? They’re free!
4. Think outside the frame
Using objects such as musical instruments and album covers makes a fitting display in your living room – particularly when hung together in a grouping or salon arrangement. Choose matching frames to bring it all together for a cohesive look.
5. Wallpaper with collage
For an eclectic alternative to wallpaper, use a collection of old book pages, sheet music or art posters as a collage on a feature wall. Lay in straight lines with thin double-sided tape or overlap for added texture and cover with wallpaper paste or modge podge for a more textured result. Also effective are old botanical textbooks, foreign newspapers and dictionaries.
6. Bring in plants
We’re huge fans of indoor plants to literally breathe life into a room by adding colour, texture and interesting shapes. They’re good for your health, too. Once you find the right spot to grow a happy pot plant, grow a collection over time for an affordable decorating solution.
7. Op shop finds
Second-hand stores offer a bounty of decorating options if you know where (and how) to look. Scour the homewares section for coloured glass and cut crystal to add to your shelves or bar cart, rummage the kitchenware for vintage enamel gems to pot plants into or hang from hooks on your kitchen walls. Old suitcases or trunks work beautifully as coffee- and side tables and crates and boxes make great storage. Even look to clothing for soft furnishing possibilities – denim, corduroy and sequins all make for fabulously textured cushions if cut from a pre-loved skirt or dress.
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5 Things You Should Never, Ever Pass Up at an Op Shop
