How to decorate your home on a budget

Small decorating projects can freshen up your home, change your interior considerably and be inexpensive. Try one or two of these budget-friendly fixes for an instant update!

• Rearrange all of your paintings and other art to different walls or rooms.

• Update lampshades with more contemporary shapes or fresh white shades also make a space look shiny and new.

• Paint is one of the first go-tos when updating interiors but instead of repainting a whole room; why not just paint one wall in a statement colour. Some paint stores sell mixed paint for much less than custom-mixed paint because the colour was off or it was returned to the store. So ask about this next time you visit the paint shop.

• For an unexpected twist try painting the insides of bookshelves or your ceiling in an opposite colour.

• Updating your window dressings will instantly pep up any room. IKEA have reams of readymade draperies you can hem to the right size.

• A gallery wall of family photos in matching, or contrasting, frames that are arranged in a collage on a stairwell or hallway wall make a great focal point in any home.

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• Regularly look on GumTree and eBay for finds. It’s amazing what shows up for a bargain or even free. Be sure to check regularly, as good things go fast.

• Some carpet stores often have offcuts of high-end carpet at low prices that could make a great area rug. The store may bind the edges for you, or you can do it yourself with carpet binding tape and some tidy hand sewing.

• Remember it’s the little details that make a big impact. Beautiful coasters, interesting desk frames, a small but exquisite crystal vase filled with fresh flowers.

• For an instant freshener for even the most dingy bathroom, replace your bathroom shower curtain and curtain hooks.

• Hang a couple of vintage plates or smaller framed pictures artfully inside, or leave the framed space as-is, for an artful and simple focal point that shows you have considered the little details. Antique and charity stores are great places to look.

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• Take a walk in the great outdoors and you’d be surprise what you might find in the park, woods or beach. Pick up interesting seasonal accents for your home. A tray filled with pinecones or a bowl of colourful pebbles will make eye-catching home decor accessories.
• First impression last! Why not consider sprucing up your entrance by painting your front door a happy colour. Pair it with a new lighting fixture, mailbox and house numbers – and voila, home swe