I first did a five part series describing Decorating on a Budget in June of 2009. Because everything about that series is still relevant today (maybe more so, the economy being what it is) I’m going to redo that series here this week. Enjoy these posts and let me know what you’re doing because of them!
Can’t move (or don’t want to) but want to freshen up your home? What inexpensive things can you do to get a whole new look? How can you get the most bang for your buck?
One of the least expensive ways to achieve the most dramatic change is with paint. Painting a room gives it an entirely new and/or fresh look. Painting just one wall adds accent or drama. I’ve done a one wall paint in several different ways. One idea is to paint the focal wall. In most rooms with a tv, the tv wall is the focal wall. If that wall is darker, you’ll be surprised how it improves the look of the images on the tv screen. I think everything looks better against a dark wall.
Or, you may want to accent a wall that’s not the focal wall. A wall with a door and/or windows takes less paint and will accent the trim around the doors and windows. If you have nice trim, an accent color paint on the wall will really make the trims pop.
I also like to accent odd shaped walls. Maybe the roof slopes on one wall, or the doorway in a wall is arched, or you have a wall with a recessed door. Painting those walls a different color accentuates the interest that a non-rectangular wall already has.
If you don’t like the color you’ve chosen or you eventually tire of it, the great thing about paint is that it’s inexpensive and easy to redo! Painting is probably the least expensive, easiest to achieve, most dramatic change you can get. It freshens up a room and makes the whole room look newer than anything else you can try.
Unsure of your color choice? Buy a sample size and try it in a laundry room or closet to make sure you love it before you spread it out on a large focal wall.
Give it a shot! Give yourself permission to let go, be bold and have fun!
Let me know what you’ve tried and how it worked out. Happy Decorating!
Sep 16th, 2012 / 8:30 am
This is what I usually do for walls:1) Fill the nails holes with conpoumd (of course).2) When it dries, sand the patches. While I’m at it, I lightly run the sandpaper over the walls to knock off nerdles, bumps, cobwebs, etc. I don’t think you need to go overboard, just get it smooth. Most bumps knock right off. Should take just a few extra minutes.3) Wipe the walls down with a wet towel to get the dust and junk off.4) Have a blast painting it!Regarding the parquet, I’ve only used it twice. Both times, it was from Home Depot. Both times it was with the Commercial Grade stick-on tile, as compared to the lighter duty Residential Grade. So far, both floors are holding up great! The Commercial Grade had a better warrenty, and I figured if it is meant for commercial use, it will hold up in my home.