Sprucing up your home on a tight budget is all out being creative

Chances are, you have an area or two in your house that needs a facelift. But like most of us these days, you're wondering how you can afford to do so.

Never fear. Sprucing up your home on a tight budget is all about being creative, decorators say.

To get your creative juices going, some local members of the American Society of Interior Designers have come up with ways you can update the design in your home by spending little or even no money.

Paint

A fresh coat of paint on your walls is one of the quickest and most economical ways to give your home a new look. Don't forget the ceiling, which is the forgotten fifth wall.

"Painting your ceiling a half tone lighter than the surrounding walls will give your room a distinctive, monochromatic look that will give pop to your trim and crown moldings if you have them," said Sarah Anderson of Sarah Anderson Interiors in Wheaton.

If painting an entire room is still outside your budget, put new color on an accent wall, or even consider painting a portion of one wall by taping an interesting shape or pattern.

Consider bold colors such as metallics or suedes for your bathrooms. A glossy, bold black on your entrance door will add sophisticated charm.

Don't forget that paint can rejuvenate old furniture. Metallic or faux finishes can give furniture an antique look, while painting a piece a bold color can give a room just the right accent. When painting furniture, make sure you add the proper finish to complete the look.

Add some bling

You may not have the money to buy new cabinets or vanities for your kitchen and bathroom, but you probably can afford new hardware. The same goes for dressers and end tables.

"Knobs and pulls are like jewelry for our cabinets, and just like any great outfit, the accessories can make the difference," said Holly J. Waxman of Humanimal Habitat Inc. in Mundelein. "Updating knobs, handles and pulls - from brass to brushed nickel, or polished chrome to oil-rubbed bronze - may be just what your kitchen or bathroom cabinets need."

Another way to add visual interest is to change the towel bars in kitchens and bathrooms. Even inexpensive, ready-made window treatments can be dressed up in this manner. Pair your treatments with decorative hardware such as rods, rings and finials.

Change accent pillows

Many retail stores have a wide selection of silk pillows in many different colors. Mix them with ones you already have or replace them to give your rooms a new color accent. Make sure the pillows you buy have a blend-down insert so they contour to your arms and back. Consider shopping at stores such as HomeGoods or even Target for trendy bedspreads and similar furnishings. Inexpensive items can make great design statements.

Use ready-made furnishings

"There are a lot of interesting things that you can do with ready-made items," said Adele Lampert of Page One Interiors in Barrington. "By mixing wood finishes and patterns you can get the designer look."

Recover with interesting fabric

This is especially easy to accomplish with a staple gun on dining room chairs if the cushions easily pop out of the frames and do not have a cord welt.

"Find a fabric that you love and don't worry about the price," said Nicky Quartermaine Scott of Quartermaine Interiors in Plainfield. "Fine fabrics give that 'high end' feel and when used in small quantities will save huge amounts in your pocket."

Update light fixtures

Nothing outdates a room like an old light fixture. Lampert calls it the builder's special effect when a home has overhead globe-type light fixtures that contractors purchased inexpensively when building tract homes in the 1980s.

"Changing these overhead fixtures is such a simple way to give you individuality in your home," Lampert said.

Replace old amber glass in fixtures with frosted or seeded glass or change out old lamp shades with a new drum shade. Use patterned fabric to create an interesting focal point in the room. Sew beaded trim onto the bottom of an overstock lamp also adds an interesting touch. Adding fixtures such as wall sconces in appropriate areas will add warmth to a room.

Another overlooked feature is the type of bulb used. Most homes have 75-watt floodlights shining on fireplaces, Lampert noted. She suggested purchasing PAR spotlights, typically used for stage lighting, which create a richer character on brick or stone.

Make sure you have appropriate lighting for the space. Anderson indicated that dimmer lighting works well in foyers, while bright task lighting is good for work spaces. Consider using colored light bulbs to create atmosphere.

"Pink light bulbs are nice in the bedroom as they make people's skin look better," Anderson said.

Work with what you have

Take all of your accessories and accent pieces from every room in the house and lay them in a large space where you can see everything. This will take them out of their usual environment and force you to look at them in a new manner. By doing this you can create new groupings, vignettes, etc. Place the new groupings in a different room to further the effect.

"I have never been in a home where I haven't been able to use what the owners already have," said Angie Gardeck of New Perspective Design Inc. in Algonquin. "This is simply taking what you have and merchandising it better. Clients look at their items with emotional attachment and the designer looks at things based on how they will fit in the space."

Don't forget your old photographs and portraits. Those ancient pictures of grandma and grandpa can end up becoming the focal point on a wall. Swap out old framed photos for ones that haven't seen the light of day for awhile. Hang your groupings at eye level to achieve harmony in the room.

Think outside the box

Use unusual items such as old recipes and children's artwork that you can frame and use as accent pieces. Quartermaine Scott is a big fan of using children's artwork.

"A simple frame, with or without matting, will add personality and affordability to a change of décor in a kid's room," she said.

Don't underestimate the design ideas you can come up with on your own. One of Anderson's favorite ideas is to take two-inch black and white tiles, or another color combination, glue them to a piece of plywood mounted around a simple beveled mirror plate purchased from a glass company. Add trim from a home improvement store, and paint it in a metallic finish. For less than $200 you will have an interesting and personalized bathroom mirror.

Think unconventional, or rather repurposed, when looking for items you buy when redecorating on a budget. Joyce Kocinski, owner of Design in Balance in Elgin, loves the challenge of finding great items for little money. Kocinski, who teaches periodic design workshops at Elgin Community College, regularly advises students and clients to shop secondhand furniture stores such as Barrington Resale in Algonquin, or CORT furniture outlets, to find great furniture at low prices. Another favorite is Fort Pitt Furniture Liquidators in Chicago.

"This is a huge warehouse that buys used furniture from hotels from all over the country," Kocinski said. "It's worth a trip there just to see the variety."

For art and similar focal pieces, Kocinski suggested visiting summertime fairs to find quality original artwork at prices that won't break the bank.

Declutter

Get rid of outdated and unused items to make your rooms feel fresh. Clean out curio cabinets and shelves that simply have too many items. Organize a swap meet with friends who also want to spruce for less. Have everyone bring art, accessories, throw pillows or even furniture they no longer want or need. Donate usable unclaimed items so others may use them.

Rearrange furniture

The way you have placed furniture in a given room is, most likely, not the only workable solution. Because homeowners often don't know how to place furniture, pieces get shoved up against the wall. Consider floating furniture in the middle of the room or flip your pieces in the opposite direction.

"Floating and flipping can create new pathways and lines of sight," said Waxman. "By moving the sofa from there to here may give you a whole new vantage point in your room."

Use flowers and fragrance

Make sure your home smells wonderful. Periodically bring in fresh flowers and greenery to enliven displays. Candles and fragrance diffusers not only make your home smell good, they also evoke a sense of well-being.