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 an old dresser yourself!

It's the time of year we all like to update and refresh...SPRING!  Me too. Rather than shopping and spending money on something new, I like to find pieces I have or thrift shop finds, and spend time getting precisely what I want. Here's my formula.  Give it a try and let me know if you like it!


Materials

1. Flat latex paint in contrasting shades - one will be the base coat and one the top coat
2. Primer
3. Crackle medium
4. Buckets
5. Paint brushes 
6. Top coat of urethane or wax- optional

Start by lightly sanding your piece - unless you want bumps and blemishes for character.  Prime it and let dry fully. Paint the first coat of color that will be the one to show through your final color coat. This one is a deep rust color.  Let dry 24 hours.  Pour the crackle medium into a bucket and stir gently.  Using a clean brush, apply a thick layer but do not overwork it. Let this coat dry 1-2 hours (if you go too long the mixture will cure and the next coat will not crackle. Use another clean, dry brush for your topcoat - this one is a creamy beige. As it dries, the crackles appear.  For a worn look, you can lightly sand the edges of doors, drawers, and the box. I like to apply a light coat of Briwax rather than urethane, so I can enrich the sheen many times with ease.

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.

From then to now...

When updating your home, if you select furnishings with classic lines, the result will be an enduring style that won't need to be re-done for years.  I love to compare styles and see how they evolved over time. Three main styles are Traditional (Sheraton, the Louies, Tuscan, and similar), Modern (Eames, van der Rohe, Retro and the like) , and Transitional (elements from Traditional and Modern periods combined). Contemporary style simply refers to the current period.  Can you mix these styles? A resounding yes! A change of fabrics, mixing colors, and adding the right accessories, will help shape the overall style.

Sofas: Traditional sofas have many forms. A rolled arm, skirted base, and tufting on the back, is common. For a more modern feel, strip away the details, square off the cushions and arms, and a modern style is born. The tapered legs and exposed wood apron are classic and allows this sofa to work well with traditional pieces.

Tables: Despite the modern flair of the nested end tables on the left, their tapered leg and mahogany inlay top allow them to fit nicely into a traditional room.  The tripod leg table below is a Sheraton-styled piece that, with its brass coaster legs and carved details, is a classic, traditional table.

Chairs: Tapered legs, a shield back with carved wheat detailing, provide the dining chair on the left with clear traditional styling. With it's oval back and tapered legs, the second chair has a modern feel but the basic elements that comprise the chair are classic.

Cabinetry:  Modern style case goods have less detail and more boxy lines like the armoire on the left. Its Asian style and hardware make it right in traditional and modern settings.  The curio on the right is a traditional piece with a bow front, carved dentil molding and frieze relief on the doors. Perfect for a classic living room.

New life for old furniture.

When you have a dated looking curio, table, dresser, hutch or other piece - not an antique - what can you do to update it? The construction is likely very sturdy, with dowels and dove-tail versus staples.  Even if the style isn't what you have in your home but you can't part with it, here are some ideas to re-use and re-purpose.

1) Change the color. Paint and stain are simple ways to change pieces.  This brown oak armoire became dining room curio with an ivory interior (and glass insets may be next in the doors) and a distressed paint finish. Whether you add distressing or paint antiquing is up to you.  Do a finish that works for the style of your home and that you feel comfortable with. Keep in mind that some distressed finishes will hide mistakes you make, and even help make a very damaged piece look fabulous!

2) Decoupage. Don't forget fabric and paper.  They are easy ways to transform furniture. Covering door and drawer fronts with decoupage fabrics and decorative papers create tremendous changes very quickly. Don't do the entire piece; instead, cover the door insets, drawer fronts, or even just the top and sides. 




3) Change the details. Add, remove or change design details like moldings, legs, and embellishments. If you can do it, making the legs larger or smaller can also change the height; you can transform coffee tables into desks that way!  

4) Change the function. Use an old dresser as a sideboard. Take out the drawers and use them as shelves in another way (see previous blogs for examples) and place baskets into the drawer spaces.  Here, a brown and shabby 9 drawer chest becomes a dove gray storage unit for crafts and toys in a family room. 

5) Re-finish. More challenging but the results can be amazing. This piece was a painted dresser with floral embossing.  After stripping and staining, it's a classic chest.

6) Change the hardware. Such a simple way to make a new statement.  Take the painted wooden knobs off and do something dramatic or interesting.

7) Stencil on a design.  It's easy to add a pattern or drawing to a plain piece with stencils. If you're artistic you can even draw your own.