Our friends at www.visualedge.com wrote this fantastic blog on renovation tips and tricks and we wanted to share it with you! Interior design projects both large and small often result in an overall improvement of lifestyle for the occupants. It's something that you can only really appreciate when you remember what it was 'before' the work began... We love to compare before and after photos of a project to really grasp the scale of the transformation. It makes it all worthwhile!
Styling on a tiny budget
The brief was to restyle this living room on a tight budget. A shopping tour sorted this one out in a few hours for just over $1000 worth of decor - a quick transformation was achieved using local suppliers - easy.
Most people don't realise that you can do a shopping tour with your Interior Designer. It's the perfect way to decorate if you lack confidence.
Alternatively, you can provide a budget and let your designer do it all for you.
Troubleshooting your Interior
Professional Interior design services can be helpful for people who can't quite figure out what's wrong with a space. In most cases a designer can identify what the space needs right away... sometimes it's just a few well placed items and sometimes there's a bit more involved. You probably already know that paint can give you such a wack of gratification for very little financial outlay! Paint is hands down the best bang for buck when renovating. The below project was fairly simple...colour selection, furniture items, window coverings to soften, a rug, a fan and a small budget for a few decor statement pieces.
Money well spent
Knowing where and how to spend your money is a very important part of any renovation project. A professional can point out whats going to be good value spend and what is less bang for your buck. Ah yes, that all valuable perspective can save you a lot of money and heartache too.
This renovation project is a great example of a fairly low budget yet high impact transformation. This project was a property that was 'flipped'...(bought, renovated and sold for a profit). Naturally, this kind of project needs to adhere fairly strictly to a set budget. A flip needs to be planned carefully and money spent only where it represents some kind of benefit for the resale.
Completely redoing the kitchen would have cut into the budget too much and a transformation was completely possible using the old cabinets as you can see. They looked great with only a coat of paint and a new benchtop.
A coat of paint to ceiling and walls, and glass panels in some of the cabinets was altered for a more modern finish. The floor was refinished (not replaced), modern window coverings throughout, layer lighting and of course new furniture and decor items brought it all together.
You would be surprised how inexpensive this project really was. Amazing how spending money in the right place can save a motza on a renovation and achieve a wow factor result too!
Just two hours with a designer and you could plan a whole renovation together. Sounds like fun right? - but don't forget about all the hard work that follows.....
Keep it Simple
Here's another example of a low budget transformation and wow what a difference!
Before you start your renovation, I can't emphasize how important it is that you get the bones right first. All the best design projects start with a carefully thought out plan. This guarantees a great result and is the best way to roll out a renovation without the sleepless nights and financial stress. Know exactly what you are doing before any work begins...this is the best advice I can give you.
Here's a few renovation and styling tricks for you
• Plan and budget the whole project
• Choose one statement item first, like the artwork or cushion, and then pick accessories which tie back to the colours in that item. Understand where your focal points are.
• Furniture placement can make or break the result. By reorienting a rug to better suit the furniture – or rearranging furniture – you can make a huge impact to the overall feel of the space.
• Freshen a look with white, a simple coffee table or a coat of paint will do wonders.
• Accessorise and layer your room. Add colour to a room with decor items to add character.
• A lamp or a pendant light will also provide lovely mood lighting in the evenings - don't forget your layer lighting.
• Give a pot plant height and create a feature with a plant stand or a large potted plant. They soften a space considerably.
