Purchasing the 55-year-old home that was lovingly designed by your mother and in which you spent your entire childhood sounds romantic. Having done just that, I would say look before you leap. The home decorating and remodeling aspect is not nearly as romantic as one might think.
Old houses are just that — old. There is no way around it. They are built well, but they are still old. Therefore, there is always something in the structure that gets so old, it wears out and needs replacing. Unfortunately, those expenses are usually things like the toilet or the roof which must be done but don’t necessarily equate with home decorating.
To me, home remodeling or decorating should be something that makes the house look good and the owner feel good. Plumbing and roofing are, of course, necessary but not fun like reinventing the look and feel of your home. And, they always seem to need to be done immediately and with a big punch to the pocketbook.
During the 19 years that I spent trying to lovingly update my dear old house over and over again; one of the easiest ways that I have found to update a room without spending much money is investing in two very inexpensive items: a few cans of paint and area rugs.
Good paint is relative inexpensive and so are good area rugs. Why pair paint and rugs? The best reason is because they are the perfect combination!
Paint transforms the area and makes it look new and area rugs can tie the old and new design elements in the room together instead of opting for new wood flooring or tile flooring. A designer friend shared this trick with me and I have discovered that it works every time. Another wonderful thing a colorful area rug will do for your room is draw the eye away from parts of the room that might still be in need of some remodeling or redecorating. Years before I painted my unsightly kitchen cabinets, an interior designer told me to invest in a colorful rug that would draw the eye from the cabinets to the floor. Try it. It works.
My most recent remodeling adventure entailed totally transforming my kitchen by painting the old, ugly pine cabinets a beautiful Huntington beige color. The design challenge: How to tie in the 81 square feet of off-white and royal blue counter tops, the blue and burgundy window treatments and my new beige cabinets? And, keep the total project expense under about $200.
Enter a beautiful new area rug. I found a blue, burgundy and beige floral rug that exquisitely pulls together the blue tile and blue and burgundy window coverings with the new beige color of the cabinets.
Modern rugs make old rooms feel new, and my new rug did just that while also tying together my old colors (tile and window treatments) and my new colors (cabinets).
Not only do I now have a new kitchen but for less than $150, I have one with a timeless look that will last. Good paint! Great rug! Works every time.
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