Interior Design Tips: The Look for Less

13 Jun Interior Design Tips: The Look for Less

Posted at 14:56h in Organizational Tips by Amy Cuker 0 Comments

One of the main factors to take into account when making interior design decisions is the budget. We all have aspirations for our home to look good, and sometimes that means spending more than we’d like. After spending so many months indoors, many of us are looking to upgrade our houses, yet with an uncertain financial environment, many are also watching the pocketbook. But sometimes, you can meet your interior design goals for less. Here are some interior design tips directly from Amy, owner and design director of down2earth interior design. Below, she’ll share with you three great strategies to accomplish a high-end interior design look for less:

Utilize Pinterest

When you go to a Pinterest page with a product you like, have you noticed that below, Pinterest features other recommendations? This is an excellent way to find other items that are similar to the one you liked, and often times, there is a less expensive option. It is a great way to start with an expensive item and search for other budget friendly options.

For example, here is a search for the Lighting from d2e’s Upsal Street Project.

Photo by Rebecca McAlpin

Taking the Shades of Light Contemporary Cage ceiling light from the photo above, it retails for $486, if you search for it on Pinterest, click here >

You will see below two areas of “More Like This” where they show products that have a similar look and it’s a helpful way to shop and see pricing, some of the prices with similar styles are half the cost of the original light.

Note in the view below, the similar products are displayed along with pricing which makes shopping easy!

Pinterest can also be helpful when shopping for fabric. Depending on what the purpose of the fabric will be, you may not want to splurge on a certain fabric even though you love it. The Schumacher Ikat Burkara fabric is beautiful, but a bit pricey ($151.25 a yard).

This is where the “More Like This” feature on Pinterest comes in. This More Like This shopping section may lead you to a few great fabrics that are a fraction of the price of the original.

From Etsy the Bindi Kelly Paisley Print is $24.50 a yard.

From Spoonflower the Ikat Turquoise from nouveau_bohemian is $18.50 a yard.

And another from Spoonflower, the Birds of a Feather by susaninparis is also $18.50 a yard.

Work with what you have

Space planning can help make sense of what you already have. Using an experienced interior designer to plan out your space may just give a whole new look.

Even if you’re working with furniture you have to create a better space plan, you may still have room to introduce a new piece or two. If you are introducing one new thing, make it something with impact. For example, our Classic Main Line Home powder room update included a wow factor with the wallpaper, while the vanity remained the same. The new mirror looks like a million bucks but was sourced from Target!

Use Paint to transform a Room

A lot of times when people can only do one thing, the best and most cost effective “thing” to do is paint!

You can paint an accent wall to add dimension and depth to a room.

Down2Earth Interior Design, Second Street Project. Photo by Rebecca McAlpin

You can add a pop of color by painting the backs of bookshelves or cubbies.

Down2Earth Interior Design Yorkshire Way Project. Photo by Kylene Cleaver.

Down2Earth Interior Design Mount Vernon Project. Photo by Kyle Born.

And now one of our favorite techniques using paint: Whether “kimono violet”, aquarmarine, or salmon pink, our team loves a painted door for a pop of color and interest!