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You are here: Home / Interior Design / Accessorizing: The Lazy & Inexpensive Way to Room Renovation

Accessorizing: The Lazy & Inexpensive Way to Room Renovation

December 16, 2011 by Dan

Sometimes you look around a room and you know it’s time for a change. What once worked is no longer working and the room now looks tired and boring. But in the current economic climate, who has money for new furniture or the time and energy to install expensive upgrades like new hardwood flooring?  If the answer to these questions is, “Not me,” take heart because you can get a great new look in any room without breaking your back or bank account. Explore the exciting and affordable world of accessorizing, a.k.a. the lazy and inexpensive way to room renovation. Here are three examples:

A Warm and Welcoming Entry Space

If your entry or foyer is less than welcoming, try adding a console table with a stylish lamp, a tray for outgoing and incoming mail and a tasteful grouping of family photos. A wall mirror or sun metal wall decor above the table and a pair of wall candle sconces makes the entry more inviting than ever. If your foyer is not big enough for a table, a wall shelf can give you a similar look in a smaller footprint.

Getting Kitschy in the Kitchen

A dated kitchen can get a quick and easy makeover by focusing on the counter. First, banish the clutter, pitching what you don’t need and storing the rest, making it accessible according to your needs. Give the counters a good disinfecting cleaning and then start shopping! Cute canisters that match the style of your retro kitchen are a great way to add color and style: For example, vintage inspired tin canisters in aquamarine can add a fun, kitschy flavor. Follow through with white window curtains featuring polka dots in the same shade of blue. A throw rug, cookware, placemats and dishtowels in the same color palette can tie everything together. Then add a few vintage items from the same era in wall art, on countertops or on a window sill: napkin holders, salt and pepper shakers, planters and figurines are inexpensive, fun and easy to find at local flea markets and antique malls.

Family Room Fun

Family rooms often project the feeling of having been outgrown from a decorative point of view. Maybe the room was once a play area for tots who are now teens and the photos in the room are dated and don’t match your current family unit. While ‘theme decorating’ is often overdone, a theme in a family room can really bring the focus back to what makes your family unique and it can be done with style and good taste. For example, if your now teenage children are into horseback riding and horse shows, use that as inspiration for the room. Go with a palette of burgundy, cream, khaki and forest green. If your furniture is neutral, use this quartet of colors in throw pillows, area rugs, lampshades and accessories. Or buy slipcovers to refresh existing upholstery. Paint a focal wall in a deeper tone of your wall color and hang framed photos of the kids riding or in competitions and use a handsome horse metal wall art to add focus and pull the details of the room together. A wall shelf can hold trophies, ribbons and fun horse theme accessories.

Filed Under: Interior Design, Wall Coverings Tagged With: accessories, candle sconces, family room, hardwood flooring, home decor, kitchen, theme decorating, wall art

About Dan

Dan Fargo,the editor-in-chief of Archtopia, an online magazine dedicated to architects and designers.

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