Redo Renew Recycle - Home Decorating On a Budget

Built-in bookshelves are a great way to save space and complement your décor. They add a designer touch to your home. Unfortunately, they can become a storage place for every décor accent in your home. By paying attention to a few simple design practices though, you can de-clutter and organize your bookshelves, and with a little effort, have them looking fit for any high-style showroom.

Many of us enjoy collecting, whether we are “gifted” with those items by our friends and relatives, or we purchase them ourselves. For some of us, the thrill of hunting down the perfect piece to complete our collection is almost a sacred quest. However the collectibles arrive in our homes, they all seem to find a final resting place in our bookshelves.

So, what can we do about this?

Here are some tips to help you keep the clutter at bay.

Less is more… Choose a few of your favorite items, and put the rest in a box. Display the selected items in your bookshelves. Remember that the books themselves are design elements, so arrange them carefully, too. Group books of similar heights together in a row that fills up about 2/3 of a shelf. Then use a stack of the oddly sized books for a bookend at one end of the row. Place a vase or grouping of small objects in the empty space. Vary the size of your pieces – placing a tall vase with a shorter, rounder sculpture can add visual interest. Groups of three smaller objects can be used as well as single, larger pieces to add interest and variety to your display.

Color scheme… Nothing conveys a high-end designer look like having all your accent pieces in a single color. Just as nothing says “antique store” or “Grandma’s parlor” like a colorful display of floral china plates and figurines, choosing one color for your accent pieces can make a strong design statement. One designer trick to make a room look fresh and modern is to use mainly white décor pieces, with a splash of contrasting color here and there in the soft furnishings – pillows, furniture cushions, and bolsters.

Think of this principle when assembling the decor pieces for your bookshelves, with the books adding the color in place of the soft furnishings. The same holds true there, regardless of the color of your shelves, light or dark, wood or painted finish.

Your built-in bookshelves can be given a facelift, too, by painting them all the same color. Using the color of the room’s trim, such as painting the shelves white to match the white baseboards and window trim, will also contribute to a unified presentation.

Texture… Rather than using differently colored design pieces – vases, knick-knacks, candle sticks and the like – use size and texture to add variety to your décor. Wooden or metal candle sticks and picture frames can be spray painted a single color, white, black, or metallic, whichever best complements your overall décor.

Gold or silver can be used to add the glow of precious metals, for a rich and sophisticated look. Table lamps and chandeliers can be given the same treatment, with the bodies painted to match the rest of the décor pieces, and the shades covered in one of the complementary, soft-furnishing fabrics.

Just keep these principles in mind, whatever pieces you do add to your bookshelves, whether it is your collection of African masks (which, of course, you would never paint another color) or your great-grandmother’s china (which really should be displayed in an antique dresser).

Be selective – you don’t need the all 184 pieces of the collection on display at the same time.

Use groupings for visual interest – group varying sizes together rather than scattering the pieces willy-nilly through the shelves.

Rely on texture rather than color for variety.

You have taken the step to redo the look of your bathroom, and now you need to find the right accessories to tie it all together.

Supplies:

Shower curtain, rings, bathmat, light fixtures, mirror and towels

Two items that can make or break a bathroom makeover are the shower curtain and rings, and the bathmat or rug. Keep in mind, a small bathroom can be overpowered by adding the wrong shower curtain and bathmat. If you have a visually busy room, you might need to tone it down a bit when it comes to choosing a shower curtain and mat. Give yourself a decent budget when shopping for these accessories – around $70.00 to $150.00 for curtains/rings and matching mats. Quality costs, but the results can be spectacular. There are a lot more selections to choose from and the durability improves exponentially when you up the ante! I’m not saying these items will cost that much, because there are always sales, but having a decent limit will allow you to choose exactly the right accessories.

Matching bathmats or rugs will ramp up the look and feel to any bathroom. Make your choice with quality in mind. Wearability is a big issue with the moisture content of the room, and the many washings this accessory will be sure to see. For a tad more decadence, a smallish area rug is ideal.

Your next addition should be towels. Nothing says luxurious more than thick, beautifully textured matching towels. You can find really good quality hand towels for $8.00 to $15.00 and bath sheets for approximately $15.00 to $35.00. You can save yourself a few dollars by keeping an eye out for sales at your favorite stores. Depending on the size of the bathroom, you might want to have the towels match the shower curtain and rug. This will help to give the room a more open, spa-like feel.

You will be surprised at how the above additions will change the look and feel of your bathroom. Even child friendly households can have a fabulous looking room, and still cater to the kids, all it takes is a little imagination!

Our next step is to tackle the medicine cabinet. If you aren’t a homeowner, and can’t change the cabinet, then think outside the box! Pick up some flattering, patterned wallpaper and add it to the outside of the medicine cabinet. (I’m speaking of those all white, utilitarian models that some apartments or houses have.) However, for those of you who have the ability to change that aspect of the room, why not opt for something a bit different to give your room some ‘wow’ factor. You can get some excellent selections for approximately $50.00 to $150.00 at many of your favorite stores.

The last item on this list is lighting. To keep your project from going over budget you need to consider doing the installation yourself, or work something out with a knowledgeable friend. There are several outlets that have great lighting selections at very reasonable prices. That ‘perfect’ fixture will most definitely show off all your hard work in the ‘right light’!

Not everyone can afford to do a complete renovation, especially when it comes to a bathroom. Replacing plumbing, tile, bathtubs or sinks can be costly with today’s prices. These next three posts will explore what you can do to re-energize a boring, tired (or heaven forbid, visually “challenged”) bathroom and not break the bank.

Supplies:

Paint, hardware for the vanity, towel racks/toilet paper holders, and accessories.

Before you get started on any makeover, you need to take a good look at the room you want to redo. Check out the patterns and colours of the floor tiles and tub enclosure, any moldings and plumbing fixtures (tub, sink, etc.) These can be costly to replace (and will be covered in the subsequent postings,) and for now, you might need to accept them the way they are. However, with a little creativity, you can change an eyesore into a glorious accent!

Painting is the quickest and most economical solution to spruce up any room. At $20.00 to $35.00 a gallon, anyone can, providing you supply the elbow grease, soup up a tired room. Whatever colour scheme you choose, you should buy eggshell finish paint. This stands up best to moisture, and is easy to wipe clean.

Add sophistication to a boring, white bathroom by adding black accents with a touch of red, yellow, or green for eye popping appeal. If you have ‘outdated’ floral patterns, or dull earth tones, brighten them up with splashes of rich browns, or bright yellows (depending on the colour schemes.) If you have light blues or browns in the floor tile, you can paint the moldings in a corresponding vibrant shade to draw out and accent the colours. Choose a pastel, or paler shade for the walls.

Changing the hardware and accessories, such as cabinet knobs and drawer pulls is another inexpensive way to add some zest. Most hardware stores offer a variety of modern handles to choose from, at around $10.00 to $20.00 per set, or consider checking out your local flea markets or garage sales for a more eclectic or bohemian look.

Towel or ‘coat’ racks can be a great way to spruce up a tired bathroom. These items are very affordable at around $20.00. Choose something that accents or blends with the tiles or tub enclosure. If you have limited space, perhaps some wicker accessories to hold the toilet paper or towels would be your ideal. Look through some home renovation magazines to get ideas about accessorizing – you will be surprised at how easy and fun it is to indulge your ‘inner artist’!