Inexpensive Tricks That Will Make Your Home Look Amazing

As the reflection of your personal taste, your home should feature a stylish look with a distinctive atmosphere. It can boast a specific interior style, some unique features or an ambience of glamour and luxury. What’s even better is the fact that you can completely reinvent your home using just a few simple, inexpensive tricks. 

Start with a neutral base

Simplicity always exudes elegance, so you should start by creating a subtle, neutral base. Not only will this fill your home with a sense of sophistication, but it will also create a simple backdrop that will allow other elements to stand out. Soft colours, such as pastels and neutrals, are the perfect option for creating an elegant home base. 

Add character with colour and patterns

While a simple backdrop will set the mood for your entire home, lovely colourful accent and focal points will elevate your home décor. Bold and conspicuous hues can be used to accentuate different pieces in your home, create visual interest and design a more dynamic atmosphere. Stylish accessories, area rugs, drapes and your statement features in dark, bold shades or with intricate patterns will draw the gaze and create an authentic look. 

Create a clutter-free atmosphere

Stripping your home of visual clutter will create a more open, positive vibe where each design element can come into focus. Furthermore, an organised, minimalist look also radiates with effortless beauty and elegance. You should keep your surfaces clean, decorating them with just a few impactful embellishments. Your shelves and other storage compartments should also be neatly arranged. Such a clutter-free atmosphere will seem airier, more open and more spacious. 

Clean it meticulously

Cleaning is a simple step that can give your home a fresh look. Just imagine how beautiful and healthier your bathroom will look after a thorough clean-up. If you don’t have enough time to clean your home or you simply find it boring, you should hire a cleaning crew. In addition, it’s always better to go with in-depth professional tile cleaning because it will provide you with a spotless bathroom, kitchen and other tiled areas. Pros can use effective cleaning products and methods and ensure that your home is immaculate, giving it a beautiful glow. 

Discover the beauty of pre-loved items

When furnishing and renovating your home, you don’t have to spend a fortune on new items. Instead, you should give your old ones a new purpose or buy second-hand products. You can find enchanting pieces on flea markets and in thrift stores that will introduce a sense of antiquity to your home. Furthermore, you can also combine vintage details with modern pieces and create a unique interior where the old and the new world merge. 

When in doubt, paint it

Painting your interior or furniture is one of the most affordable, yet infinitely effective solutions to reinvent your home. You can give your entire room a new vibe if you simply repaint a piece of furniture and transform it into a mesmerising focal point. For example, you can paint an armchair and give it a brand-new flair. Repainting your kitchen cabinets is another great idea that will style up your kitchen at an affordable price. These simple upgrades can be completed quickly and easily, yet they bring a higher return on investment than major remodels. 

Upholster your furniture

Why buy new furniture when you can give your old pieces new appeal? You can use beautiful fabrics to reupholster your furniture and implement intricate designs and patterns into your space. Your choice of fabrics will also help you introduce a specific vibe to your home. While velvet will help you add a touch of opulence, organic cotton and other natural materials are perfect for designing a Zen-inspired space. 

Wallpaper it

Wallpaper designs are numerous, inspiring, and trendy, with a world of inspiration just waiting to be discovered; aesthetic wallpaper has made a huge comeback, applying it onto your walls will help you create a stylish atmosphere. You can even use it in unexpected places such as the ceiling, which will help you create a true “wow” effect in your home. From inspiring florals and lush botanical motifs to textured design and geometric patterns, you can truly create a playful ambience using nothing more than enticing wallpaper. 

Mix up your lighting fixtures

Aside from creating a specific atmosphere and boosting the functionality of your home, lighting fixtures can truly spice up your home décor. You can mix and match different styles, experiment with different types of lighting and use it creatively in your home. Floor and table lamps can be used as lovely accent details while elegant pendants and glamorous chandeliers can be used as stunning focal points in your home. 

Introducing even just a few simple changes can help you create a completely different home environment, giving it your unique personal touch. 

Six Ways to Incorporate Something Blue Into Your Wedding Look

Even in today’s modern weddings many brides still following the traditional ways of the Olde English rhyme: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in your shoe.” While putting money in your bridal shoes isn’t widely followed, these other charms are still thought to be tokens of good luck. The something blue represents love and fidelity--qualities that every bride wants in her marriage, but an accessory that many struggle to find. Let’s explore six different ways for a bride to incorporate blue into her wedding look.

Shoes

Embrace your inner Carrie Bradshaw with a pair of blue shoes on your wedding day. Even if you can't afford the classic Manolo Blahniks she was gifted by her husband-to-be, you can still find a pair within your budget. If you’re not feeling a fully blue shoe, then look for decorative accents or a colored sole. Keep in mind that longer dresses might disguise your footwear and tone down the contrasting color.

Jewelry

Jewelry is a fun way to add blue to your ensemble. Use your ‘something blue’ as an excuse to purchase a sparkly new pair of earrings or a subtle touch of turquoise in a ring or brooch. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a new sapphire bracelet--blue costume jewelry will also do the trick.

Undergarments

You can still wear your something blue without showing it off. Incorporate light blue lace or ribbons underneath your wedding dress--it will be a colorful surprise for your new spouse to find later. A garter is also the easiest way to don the color without it distracting from your wedding attire, but be ready to show it off during the garter toss!

Flowers

Add sprigs of hydrangeas, orchids, or hyacinth for a beautifully blue wedding bouquet. If blue flowers won’t match the color scheme at your wedding venue or reception, then add a bedazzled brooch to the base of your bouquet or a simple Tiffany blue ribbon to finish off the look. For a more traditional wedding, a rosary with blue beads offers the chance to include the color without going overboard.

Hair piece

While an aqua veil might look out of place, a hair clip with small blue gems would be a sweet touch to your updo. For a summer wedding or more relaxed affair you can also pins flowers or wear a crown of them on your head.

Dress

Since your wedding dress is one of the main attractions of the big day why not include a periwinkle or alice blue touch to it? Your dress itself doesn’t have to be entirely blue, but can feature buttons, ribbons, or trim of the shade. There are boutiques that specialize in designing wedding dresses with creative hints of blue to match your style.

When looking for your ‘something blue,’ start by reaching out to your family members. Many parents and grandparents will pass down their blue item  to you as part of tradition, which is perfect because then you can get your ‘something old and something borrowed’ items covered as well!

There are many different ways and shades of blue to add to your wedding day. Whether you want to go all out with a pair of royal blue pumps or subtly place a delicate comb with sapphires in your hair, the possibilities for incorporating this romantic color are endless. Get as creative or traditional as you want with some of our ideas above.

Four tips on how to choose the ideal furniture for your backyard

Are you looking to make the most of your backyard? Your garden is an extension of your home and if you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, there is every reason to maximize its potential.

Do you need to find the top outdoor furniture to ensure a comfortable and cozy space for relaxing and entertaining? In this article, we bring you our top tips for choosing outdoor furniture to suit your own unique space.

Think about the size of your backyard

Size needs to be considered for both practical and design reasons.

Naturally, it makes sense to do some measurements before installing any sort of outdoor furniture. You can’t add a large gazebo and huge amounts of furniture to a tiny yard if it simply won’t fit.

The other consideration is how much space you are looking for in your backyard, and whether you opt for wide open expanses or a cozy enclosed space.

Many people prefer to use furniture and foliage to add points of interest and a more welcoming feel to a garden. Often, empty gardens can feel clinical and uninteresting.

Furniture can be decorative as well as functional, and even in small yards, there are plenty of design options.

Seating arrangements

Another vital consideration is the feel and ambience you are looking for when you spend time in your backyard.

Do you like to spend time chatting with friends over a few drinks? Maybe gathering the family for a BBQ?

There is furniture to fit whatever you want to get out of your yard, from full outdoor dining tables and chairs to these amazing outdoor swivel bar stools, perfect for drinks with friends.

Daybeds, swing chairs and even hammocks can all be suitable additions depending on the space you have, your budget, and the time you plan to spend in the backyard.

Take cover

 

When we imagine ourselves spending time in the backyard we probably don’t want to think about the rain, or even having to shelter from the sun.

However, these things are pretty essential, and deciding on whether you need a pergola or gazebo as shelter is an important outdoor furniture decision.

The climate of where you are living will come into play.

Whether your location is prone to rain or the sun can get overpowering, it is a good idea to have some sort of shelter.

A gazebo can also keep out the bugs, and make other aspects of outdoor living easier. Many people are even taking their office work outdoors, and a gazebo is vital to allow you to use electronics and spend long spells outside during your working day. For a great guide on choosing your gazebo, head here.

Consider your materials

 When we’re talking about materials in an outdoor furniture sense, we do not just mean the coverings such as cushions and other fabrics, we also mean the material the furniture itself is made of. Having a theme is a great way to ensure a professional outdoor look, but quality comes into play too.

Plastic furniture is cheap, and though it can be weather resistant and serve a purpose, it doesn’t exactly illuminate in terms of design.

Think about whether wooden furniture is suitable for your backyard, and even whether the classic garden furniture material rattan will win the day.

Rattan woven design, usually combined with a plastic or metal frame, make it an affordable but quality material.

Coverings should be considered, too.

Having cushions is great for your comfort, but if they aren’t waterproof they can be susceptible to the rain. This is especially true if you are unable to keep them somewhere dry such as under a gazebo.

Conclusion

Have you enjoyed our outdoor furniture tips?

Thinking ahead before diving in and purchasing furniture is always a good idea, and these tips help you to prioritize the most important aspects of your decision.

Feel free to comment or share this post with anyone who might be struggling with perfecting their backyard design.

About the author

Nadya Jones is a blogger and an entrepreneur.

She is the co-founder of Allen Roth HQ, a blog about home design and improvements that was established in 2014.

With her husband Brett, she writes tips and tricks they learned while renovating their house. Nadya handles the interior design and Brett implements her ideas in a cost-efficient way.

Follow Nadya on Twitter and Pinterest.