THRIFT! Home Facelift Without Breaking The Bank

October 26, 2018
Nik A Ramli
Posted in Home and Wellbeing

“The idea of the thrifty face lift is to be smart! A lot of people start to realise that expensive purchases are not always essential.”

(Article first published in DUNIA print magazine, Winter 2017 Edition)

It is now the end of the year… and a lot of people have plans in their diaries. Some might want to re-decorate their home and give it a new face lift. However, many will be wondering how to make it look beautiful without spending too much cash, especially in the current economic situation.

Thrifty Scheme!

The idea of the thrifty face lift is to be smart! A lot of people start to realise that expensive purchases are not always essential. So, avoid the pressure of keeping up with others and with the current trends and this will help keep the bills down.

Thrifty Face Lift

Get creative, be wild and BOLD! Make a list of which areas in the home you would like to face lift.

There is a lot you can do. The scheme is not only about cheap investing. Do spend more on one item you like. This is a better way to spend your cash than the false economy of buying too many inexpensive goods you’re not too keen on.

A) Wall Treatments
Get some ideas by visiting high end showrooms and get some samples of the wallpaper that you like. Then find another wallpaper within your budget and try to match it as best you can to have an alternative wall covering that will provide the look you want to achieve.

Be ‘BOLD’ by using your wall as a giant scrapbook! Use a colour scheme that will complement the room concept. You can use postcards, even your photographs, extra cuts of wallpaper, magazines page cuts, even fabric samples are suitable to be placed on the wall. You can even make a photocopy and enlarge these cuts and place onto the wall. But do maintain some sort of order in the scheme to avoid it looking messy.

These methods I have mentioned are also good at hiding any defects on the wall such as cracks and holes and also un-even plastering.

B) Window Treatments
Curtain designs and styles come and go. Some people prefer to use blinds to dress the windows, some may just let the windows look naked and this is the ultimate thrifty solution…however the window will look dull. But this is only suitable if your windows are not easily seen by the public.

If you are thinking of making your windows look interesting I would suggest you dress them up with curtains. If you don’t wish to spend a lot of money on a curtain, I would recommend using eyelets. The style allows you not to use too much fabric and no extra money needs to be spent on hooks and rings for hanging the curtains. All you need is a nice-looking pole within your budget.

Another economical way of making the window look exciting is by recycling old fabrics. Use old duvet covers, lace table covers, even throws that you may not use anymore. If you have enough fabric to cover all your windows that is fantastic, on the other hand most of the time the fabric is not enough to curtain all your windows. So, I would suggest be brave and use your imagination to use a variety of different fabric designs to cover the windows. Do not be afraid this will give a great impact to the window treatment. Try to balance the pattern or colour of the chosen recycled fabrics. Lastly, if your curtains are plain and you wish to get the wow factor without spending too much cash, liven the curtain up by bordering it with something special or extravagant.

C) Furniture – Display Storage
You can invest in a nice storage unit, ready assembled or modular systems for the living room. The unit that you love can be taken to a new home or even moved to a different area of the home. This is another way to have a new scheme in your home from time to time without spending more cash.

However, if you do not need to buy a new unit, there are many ways to update the look of existing furniture in your home. For example, re-sand the furniture and re-coat it with a different veneer or varnish. A wide selection of varnishes is available in many DIY stores. Pick and choose the ones suitable to the scheme of the room. Re-paint the unit and apply another coat of different paint and then use fine wire wool, rub off some of the area and finish it with a wax to give a new appearance to the unit.

D) Accessorising The Room
Your imagination can go wild in this department. A few well-chosen items can always provide the extra touch to your home face lift.

You can splurge or save money depending on the scheme of the room. Spend money and invest on a beautiful rug for example. Mixing an expensive item with more economical purchases can make a whole room look high class.

Save some cash by making your own bespoke cushions by using new fabrics or existing material from your bed sheets, clothes, even an old pair of curtains. You can give a ‘COSY’ feel to the room by making your own throws. Other example includes updating photograph frames, mirror frames and picture frames. Sand them, re-paint or even re-vanish and this will provide you with a fresh new look.

Conclusion

There are so many ways you can give your home a face lift without breaking the bank. In this article I have mentioned just a few ideas to get you started.

Remember we are all eager to create a new look for our homes and it is easy to overlook the good points of what we already have in our homes. By adopting a few ideas from glossy magazines, interior design books and TV shows you can add a little glamour to your home. We all want beautiful things but without the high price tag!

However, the odd relatively expensive item also can be a worthwhile investment. But by creating your own bespoke items and reworking existing pieces of furniture in your home you will end up with one off designs – your own unique piece of work!

Making the most of what you already have can be a less stressful and more THRIFTY way of making your home more attractive and glamorous.

Now you are ready to give your home the ‘FACE LIFT’ the ‘THRIFTY’ way!

Nik A Ramli’s website: www.nikaramli.com; www.facebook.com/NikARamliPage; www.instagram.com/nikaramliinteriordesign