Ten Ways To Add Style For Under $100

It's not hard to add style or freshen up your home even if you're on a budget. Just like with your wardrobe, you can refresh your style with a new accessory, adding color, and mixing things up a bit.

1. Freshen up with a pattern. You can do this with draperies, an ottoman, pillows, accessories, and so much more.  Do you have solid colors? Bring in florals, stripes, and prints. Got stripes? Add a vine pattern. A rule of thumb in pattern matching is to watch the scale; mix a small pattern with the large and vice versa instead of keeping everything the same size. Keep the colors similar to make it easy or use complementary colors - opposites on the color wheel - for drama.

2. Bring in a new accessory in a different color or shape and make it a focal point. Blue and white is classic and timeless. Most discount stores have bowls, candlesticks and canisters for under $25. It will truly make a statement and add a bit of glamour. How about a fabulous mercury glass vase? Take a look at Target, HomeGoods, and Marshalls for pieces under $20. Come check out our San Diego showroom. 

3. Update a light fixture. If you can't stand what you have - bath bar fixtures are easy to DIY -  and refinishing with spray paint - as in an old brass chandelier transformed to bold red -  is not a good option, you can find nice fixtures in any style at www.LampsPlus.com

4. Bring in some new pillows.  This alone could completely change the look of your living room or bedroom. Almost all of the big-box stores have great selections for  $17-$25 each. I went shopping with my client at IKEA and found fabulous options for under $15. You can purchase just the pillow cover and use the fill that you already have.

5. Add to throw to your bed, sofa, or your favorite lounge chair. For about $25, a wonderful textured throw will keep you cozy and make a chair or bed more inviting. I found some fabulous faux furs at www.Amazon.com and know that they'll make a great gift.

6. Paint an accent wall or a piece of furniture in a new color. You can buy 'oops' paint for five dollars a gallon at Home Depot. Whether you already have the chair, nightstand, or find from a garage sale, changing just one piece will make a style statement.  

7. Set your dining table. Having your favorite dishes on display will make you feel wonderful. Mix them up for a creative and personal style. Place seasonal greens or findings – like acorns, pine boughs, leaves or pinecones - in a bowl or tray in the center. Add a candle or two and you'll create a beautiful display. 

8. Add candles to table tops, your credenza, the mantle and even bookshelves. There's just something about a candle that provides terrific ambiance. Use flameless candles since they don't need a candleholder, they're safe, and the realistic waxes look good by themselves. There always seem to be good options at www.Amazon.com.

9. Bring in something metallic.  I love mercury glass, and the new votive holders in my shop are under $5. Pillows with beading are a fabulous way to add silver or gold and be festive for the holidays. One of my favorite ways to add sparkle is with a bowl full of silver or gold ornaments. For about $6 you can get a pack at a craft store like Michaels. Mix in potpourri, greenery, to create a pleasing and seasonal display.

10.  Rearranging your furniture is a freebie. Reposition the largest piece of furniture first work in your other pieces. That alone should make a big difference in how your room feels. Even swapping tables or nightstand from living room to bedroom and vice versa can create a totally different style.

Update A Bedroom In Ten Minutes

The bedroom is a space where you begin and end  every day. It should be relaxing, enjoyable, serene, and designed just the way you like it. Here are a few tips that with advanced planning you can make a shopping trip to a big box hardware store, a discount home goods store, IKEA, a thrift/consignment shop a success.  Some of the easiest changes are a walk-through of your own home taking inventory of what you have. You can gather some fabulous items and install a new bedroom in about 10 minutes. Take a look at these ideas. 

First change one of the largest surfaces. Add an area rug. Yes, you can also place one on top of carpeting if that's what you have. Select the right pile height, position it correctly and it will not be a trip hazard. You can do it for no cost if you simply swap one from another room.  Are the bedroom colors not the same as the living room so you're not sure of the swap? An accent color could be fab and allow you to add more of the same color in pillows and accessories to pull it all together.  You can get fabulous 8' x 10' wool or sisal area rugs at big box import stores for approximately $200. I've even found some at www.rugsdirect.com that are wool! 

Next, improve your lighting.  It can be as easy as moving a fixture from a room that you don't use much to the bedroom. Since we always gather in the family room, my living room lamps were unused. They're a bit formal but add sophistication in the bedroom. What a great change. You can certainly find attractive lamps for under $100 at big box stores, discount stores, or simply refresh the one you have with a new shade. Some styles of pleated shades are dated, and if your hardback shade has a yellow interior, replace it. Have only six dollars? Head over to your local Home Depot store, select a spray color from Rustoleum, and refinish the fixture you already have.   Even swapping a light bulb from an incandescent to a soft white LED makes a wonderful lighting change. Put your overhead lighting on a dimmer and save energy while you create precisely the right moods. Even table lamps can be dimmed with an inexpensive cord control.  For a more sophisticated system you can install Lutron Caseta  which is available in my local showroom WWW.TOT-home.com.  

Sometimes all you need is a little bit of  color. Pillows will do the trick. Yes, I know, pillows have to be taken off to sleep in the bed, but they make a difference in how soft and inviting your bed is. With all of the discount retail shops available, you can purchase 4 pillows for approximately $50. If you can sew, check out the discount section of your local fabric shop and you can make a pillow for under $10.  Have a little more time?  Make or buy a pillow headboard. Soft and inviting, use any color you like to make a statement. It'll be something soft and colorful to lean up against when you're reading or TV watching in bed.

Add color and texture with seating.  I always like to have a place for people to sit when I design bedrooms. It's amazing how many people don't have a chair. It can create a soft corner filler.  If you have the room depth, add a bench at the foot of the bed.  Both benches and chairs are functional since while you don't want them to be cluttered with clothing, but you can put your bed pillows on a bench, lay your clothes out for the next morning on your chair, even sit down easily put on shoes. With a bench, you gain added storage when you tuck baskets underneath.  I've placed shoes, cat toys and even my small weight set in mine.  If your room is particularly small, tuck an ottoman or pouf under and next to other furniture.

One of the easier things is swapping art from room to room.  How about creating a feature wall? Layout and hang a new vignette.  Have only one piece? Move it to a new wall.  As with lighting, discount shops have a good collections of canvas art for under $25.

If you really want to dress your room up, bring in some new fabrics. Get a new comforter or duvet, add a throw, and if those two things are out of the budget,  put on a bed skirt. I often scour the local fabric shops for fabric remnants and hang them over simple curtain rods as decorative art.

Improve your storage. This is a simple as having baskets to throw shoes into, have a place for pillows, clear the clutter of paperwork and newspapers next your bed, and even stack the books you love to read inside. 

Don't have a dime to spend? Then simply rearrange what you have. Place the bed on a different wall, even in a small room that can be done. Try angling furniture - like a chair, small shelf, or a plant in the corner. Do you need a dresser opposite the bed or can it become a nightstand? There are so many creative ideas, if you need a little assistance check out my blog archives and Pinterest boards.

Weekend Update!

When you only have a few stolen hours on a Saturday or Sunday to get things done around the house, pick the top 3!  Mine usually involves clearing clutter, freshening up, and giving my room a new look...quickly.

Clutter:  The entry points - garage, porch, front door, or mud room - always seem to be the messiest. Backpacks, dog leashes, jackets and more, make that space cluttered. A quick fix is to hang or corral as much as possible. When the floor is clear, it seems cleaner!!  So...add a shelf or hooks and see what happens.  Make your clutter deliberate. I love baskets, so I corral shoes, leashes, mail, books and more. Even if you don't have room for a deep piece of furniture, hooks work.  Shelves at Home Goods are $15-30. Hooks are usually $3-4 at Pier I, Marshall's or WalMart.













Freshening up: This should be as simple as adding color with flowers and spritzing fragrance for a fabulous and relaxing scent. My local Trader Joe's has fabulous tulips and lilies for $2.99. You can use simple terra cotta pots (about $3 each) and get live greens too!  These pots are sprayed with a $3.97 can of white Rustoleum so they can do outdoors in the summer! I love Mrs. Meyers room sprays, and I am liberal with essential oil sprays that I make myself.












Update: I do three things.... rearrange or simplify the collectibles on my end tables, move the furniture around, and swap pillows.  These are swapped from bed to sofa but I also sometimes spring for a new pillow (under $20 at Home Goods). I do have a necessary rule with pillows since forms are bulky...donate the new forms and keep just the covers or "get one give one" so you don't add but replace old with improved.  If I have more time I'll make a pillow cover!    Furniture moving doesn't need to be major to have a great effect.  Taking one end table from the family room upstairs and the one in the bedroom into the living room works really well.  If I have more time and need more of an impact, I'll look for new hardware for dressers and chests (kitchen might be too much to change)!

Free and Easy Updates

I love to refresh my rooms.  Small things work well, so I like to start that way first....otherwise

it can get out of control!  My favorite way is to create a new look by moving furniture in the room to new positions. If I can't set the largest piece - like a sofa - on a new wall, I try 'floating' it in the room. Angled pieces work nicely to create the illusion of more space. Moving a large piece to a different wall can change a room's character.  What about taking a piece from another room?  I swapped my guest room dresser - since it's not used all the time - for an end table. Loved the result!   Even changing the art on the walls is free, easy and will give you a new look!

Adding an area rug is also easy, fast and usually around $100. You can usually move rugs from room to room if your colors are cohesive, so that purchase will get lots of mileage and update many rooms! It's nice to use  area rugs in your outdoor spaces too -  warm it up for early evening dinners - with an outdoor rug (be SURE it is rated for outdoor use or it could mold or disintegrate).

My third favorite way to make big changes is to swap accessories from room to room or season to season.  It can really change a room. Using baskets from your kitchen in the living room will make it casual and warm.  I like ceramic vases and shaped containers since I find it more interesting to move them around than to buy new ones.  Sometimes finding an inexpensive new accessory is what works for you. Mix it up then. Instead of traditional vases and candles, try statuary. In lieu of ceramic or porcelain, experiment with glass. Change the color scheme of accessories. Remember that fewer and large pieces will create impact.  Yep, pillows are an accessory and with so many discount store (Marshalls, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Ross) you can find interesting patterns and colors for under $20.  I sometimes buy one nice form and then swap only the cover.

Spring Color

When it comes to bold color, Spring is the high season for fabulous finds to update your home. Take a look at these favorite items:

From Ballard Designs. A more creative way to hang plants. Fill with
flame-less candles for a unique ambiance.

Fun floral plates from Horchow.

Love these outdoor glasses (BPA free) by Pottery Barn.

A bright yellow that can work outdoors too by Crate & Barrel

Pottery Barn kilim area rugs...great to update your entry or kitchen.

Brights from West Elm.  For indoors or out!

5 easy ideas for holiday decor.

With Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve all in the month of December (not to mention National Maple Syrup Day and Human Right's Day), there is often a desire to create a festive setting in your living, family and dining rooms.  Here are some ideas to dress up your space for the holiday without taking anything from the style of your rooms.

1) Fill glass bowls, hurricane holders and other clear containers with flowers,candles, ornaments and seasonal items.  For Kwanzaa, you would fill them with colorful fruits and vegetables. Ornaments, in the same colors as your normal decor, adding a touch of blue and silver for Hanukkah and gold and green for Christmas, will create a festive table centerpiece. Silver, white, and black are dramatic and elegant for New Year's Eve.

2) Add some bling to your pillows. Pin on metal elements, old jewelry, ribbon, and even holiday decor to dress up the pillows you use everyday.
























3) String lights from banisters, over entryways and headboards. I often add greenery for drama.

4) Replace houseplants with seasonal versions for a quick update. 

5) Dress up your everyday dishes with simple items...a pine cone, greens, colorful napkins and other seasonal findings to create a custom table setting.

5 Outdoor living ideas for the fall..

To extend your living spaces through an Indian Summer - warm enough to use through October - be sure to incorporate some of these ideas!  At Touch of Tradition - Home we stock throws, lanterns and outdoor fabrics for every style.

1) Lighting  As the days shorten, you'll need to add light to work or entertain by. With a simple outdoor extension cord, hanging string lights over trees, under the eaves of the house, wound onto a trellis or fence, and draped under an umbrella, will add enough light and are easy to do. Many big box store sell lighting for outdoors so don't hesitate to use a table or floor lamp. It will make the room feel more like indoors!


2) Lanterns There is nothing like candle-light to create a relaxing mood for a balmy outdoor evening.  An enclosed lantern with regular or flame less candles, adds an element of safety to a great architectural detail. Stand them on tables, next to chairs, hang 

them from shepherd hooks in your garden. Instant ambiance! 


3) Pillows  When the hot weather abates, you can get a cozy feel by adding pillows to your outdoor spaces.  From accent pillows on chairs to floor pillows for seating, they create a softness and invite you to spend time.

4) Area rug  Using an outdoor area rug can make an outdoor space more welcoming.  End of season sales are abundant, so take advantage and get a great rug that suits your style.

5) Throws  To ward off the chill of a late fall, drape throws over your benches and chairs so guests (and you) can keep warm while you enjoy another outdoor evening.  

Favorites for Fall

We scout the retail shops - today we were at Pottery Barn - to find items that look as though they are rich in history, character and  interest. These are our 5 favorites for fall decor. A wrought iron and wooden table for an entry, behind a sofa, or in the dining room that has the look of a hand-crafted piece. Table runners and linens that are embroidered as this one, add lots of style to a casual kitchen. Since we love to have people purchase items that add to the style of their spaces, the light fixture is ideal for a country home and patio, or as a striking accent in an ultra-modern kitchen. For a touch of antiquity, the bowling pins are perfect and we love asymmetric groupings.  Lanterns are great for outdoor spaces, and these looked steeped in tradition.

Pillow inspiration!

Pillows are a wonderful accessory for most rooms. They provide color, texture,and style. Try swapping the color, texture and location of pillows throughout the year for interest! If your color scheme is cohesive,  bedrooms the same color as the living areas, move pillows from room to room so you achieve a different look easily. Don't forget that you can also change pillows seasonally! Here are some ideas for how to use them and some options for size and shape. 

Pretty but a bit crowded for sitting - depends
upon your use!

1) DON'T use too many pillows. While there is no "rule" for how many to use, sitting on furniture overstuffed with pillows isn't comfortable; instead they often end up on the floor. Rather than line the back with rectangles or squares, try a center bolster or round ones in the corner. For a standard 8' sofa 3 to 4 pillows should be sufficient. It's the same for beds - if the pillows overwhelm the bed, it becomes a chore to decorate with them. Instead, select larger scale and interesting patterns and use fewer.

Appliques and contrast trim create interest.

2) DO consider changing the shape and color of the pillows from that of a base sofa cushion and fabric color. Coordinate rather than match fabrics so they serve as an accessory. For those that come with your pre-made sofa, change them up.  Add another fabric to the face of some and add welting, trim and other details for interest.

3) The right sized square pillow works for many applications. For example, 16" squares are good corner pillows for 6-7' sofas and 18" squares work for 8' or larger sofas. 26" x 26" is a good size for floor pillows and back pillows for queen and king sized beds.  For softness and the ability to re-shape, use a down or man-made down fill. 

Neckroll pillows are a great shape.

4) Try neck roll pillows on beds, sofas, and chairs. These are generally 6- 8" in diameter and up to 18" long. Bolsters are larger in scale - 10" in diameter and up to 24" wide - are great for beds. Scale the width to its use.

Kidney pillows are useful.

5) A well -placed kidney pillow can dress up a large dining or lounge chair and help make a deep seat more comfortable. The pillow should fit just inside the width of the seat and be as high as needed for comfort when sitting against the back of the furniture.

6) Add detail with contrast welting, a second fabric, and appliques. How about corner or center buttons? One decorative pillow has more impact than 3 plain ones.

7) Knife-edge pillows are fine but try adding flanges and welting for interest. If you can sew, try mixing fabrics on front and back, apply a center strip, or even create an envelope style.  When pillows serve as a decorative accessory, the added details are what make them work!

8) Experiment with mixing round and square shapes together. On large sofas I like to use square corner pillows with a smaller round in front, and a large bolster in the center which also serves as a back support.