Whether you’ve watched a hefty dose of home renovation shows and suddenly want to refresh a room, or you’ve just had enough of looking at a particular problem area, revamping your home can be exciting but also a bit daunting at the same time. Where do you start? What should you keep and what should you change? And how can you do it without totally blowing your budget?
That’s where interior designers Katrina Garrett and Millie Alison of The Design Paddock come in. Experts in both residential and commercial projects, they have extensive experience in reworking a space and giving it a fresh new spin. And here, they share their tips on how to re-do a space to achieve maximum impact on a budget.
Pick up a paintbrush
“Paint is one of the easiest ways to make a huge transformation to your home. When considering paint, look to places such as your front door, the exterior, the entry hallway, get rid of feature walls and look to something more neutral that can make the spaces feel larger, particularly in your main living areas. It’s obvious why people are drawn to the neutral tones as they are so timeless and work with varied furnishings.”
“Look to your kitchen and bathroom joinery, there are so many paint options out there now for tiles, benchtops, laminate and more. A fresh coat of paint can make a massive change to these areas, particularly if they are dated and need a facelift.”
“Paint doesn’t just apply to the home, look at painting some furniture pieces inside or even your old outdoor pots, there are endless ways with paint. You can even paint your roof if it’s looking shabby.”
Focus on details
“These details in the home that get used daily and most of the time are somewhat forgotten about, but when updated to something more durable and consistent with the style of your home, can make a massive difference.”
“We find that a lot of older homes tend to have inconsistencies in their door hardware, particularly noticeable when down a hallway. Look to changing to something the same that allows the home to have “flow”. This doesn’t just apply to doors, look at changing your hardware in bedroom robes, the kitchen, laundry and bathroom.”
Dress an empty wall
“Sometimes all your home needs is a reshuffle. Look closely at some of your walls and where might be an opportunity to decorate.”
“Find free art! We are actually the biggest fan of hats, not only wearing them, but decorating with them. Hats are always something that people seem to hang onto forever, they might be tucked up at the back of your laundry coat hooks.”
“Try bringing them out and clustering them on a wall over a console. They not only look great but bring a sense of a ‘story’ from a collection.”
“Print out some new photos, black and white photos framed in a feature wall always look sophisticated.”
Let the light In
“There are honestly endless window furnishing options out there and we feel that they are just a beautiful piece to finish off a space. Their softness, texture and warmth can instantly make a home feel “homey”. We love to specify sheer curtains in living spaces for their floaty aesthetic and a feature roman blind for bedrooms. A block-out is always great for the colder climates.”
“Bring in more natural light. You might find yourself in an older home with large verandahs or an overgrown garden. Look at ways that might increase the natural lighting in the home. It might even be a case of replacing some full panel doors to be half glass or adding in some skylights.”
“Look at updating your light fittings. Commonly some rooms can offer little light or can be placed simply in the wrong location. Look at incorporating varied lighting styles; combine table lamps, floor lamps, dimmable downlights and pendants; these can all provide different levels of lighting for different times of the day offering the home some ambience and an all-round cosy feeling space.”
Revive soft furnishings
“Old, tired patterns and fabrics can date the space. Whilst high-end specialty fabrics are in the designer’s toolbox, there are plenty of handsome and budget-friendly fabrics available. Quality doesn’t always mean big name fabrics. Replacing accent cushions on the sofa, consider getting slipcovers made for existing furniture that is in good condition and you’re not ready to part with. This will give the room an instant lift with the added benefits of being able to throw the covers in the wash.”
Semi-customised curtains
“Try repurposing ready-made natural linen curtains from [a store such as] Pottery Barn that don’t cost an arm and a leg and adding a fun and sophisticated trim. Get an upholsterer to sew the trim along the side seams for added depth and detail. They will look completely custom!”
Introduce paneling
“Looking to add interest to a featureless room? Try adding paneling to the walls! We are a big fan of Hardie Groove – durable fibre cement VJ sheet panels. Not only does this provide sophistication uniformity to a room but it’s also a cost-effective solution for the home. We love using this in kitchens, bathrooms (excluding showers) and laundries as you can paint it your own colour, they offer a range of styles and they won’t shrink or swell with moisture.”
