How to achieve furnish stylishly with a small budget

Naia Carlos Naia Carlos
CG DISEÑO ESPACIO INTERIOR, alba najera alba najera Living room
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It’s true that one cannot buy good taste, but homeowners can always work on it with practice, observation and a little bit of help from professionals. Sure, money helps in achieving the house of your dreams, especially if your tastes tend to be luxurious with an abundance of fine curtains, designer furniture and expensive materials. Without the budget to afford all of these things, the selection can feel quite limited.

However, it is definitely possible to furnish a house classily without shelling out too much money. In fact, new trends are particularly suited to being affordable because of modernists’ preference to minimalism. The minimalist look tend to be sparse but deliberately designed with just a few eye-catching décor that achieve a better effect. In this case, less is definitely more.

In this ideabook, we offer some valuable secrets in setting up a cheap but stylish apartment.

Start with minimalism

To furnish the apartment classily without spending a lot, start slowly and control the volume of objects you’re putting inside the house. A minimalist home is clean and uncluttered, always a sleek yet pleasant living space.

If you’re moving into a new pad, do not empty all the moving boxes immediately. Instead, unpack only the items you actually need, especially as you are only beginning to furnish with little money. This way, the residents can slowly get used to the space and decorate it slowly. Often, small details can yield the greatest effects. For example, a beautiful picture stands out more beautifully on a blank wall than if you place it between other decorative elements. The longer you live in an apartment, the more difficult keeping a minimalist and uncluttered space is.

Invest in a special item or two

It’s one of the great advantages of minimalism. Since less money is spent on accummulating a lot of furniture and décor, you can invest your money into a few special items. Classic furniture is a good choice – perhaps a nice chair or a designer couch, both of which are functional and eye-catching in minimalist living areas. Don’t be afraid to spend time before choosing the piece you want to invest in. There are beautiful furniture available for little money, if you know where to look.

Still not eager to shell out cash for a central piece? Smaller decorative elements can do the trick: pretty lamps, a sturdy wooden shelf or even just vibrant curtains can give your minimalist room an additional pop of life. Many of these items are very affordable and there are vendors who sell replicas of famous design classics, so your luxury items don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Artworks and photographs on the wall are also a good way to personalize the home without cluttering it too much.

Less is more

As previously mentioned, “less is more” is one of the main ethos of minimalism. By doing away with opulent and over-arching décor, the natural beauty – shape, color, materials – of the room can shine. This style has gained popularity in recent years. Today, there are a lot of available furniture that do without playful elements and fit seamlessly into modern dwellings with its straightforward design. 

In the photo above, the dining set is quite small, hardly taking up space in the expansive room. The modern shapes and vibrant color make it a great addition to the sparsely decorated residence.

Interested in this style? Find more tips here: 7 secrets to creating a minimalist home7 secrets to creating a minimalist home.

Classics to set the mood

Even in the modern world, nothing beats the classics. From the roaring fireplace to candlesticks and cozy rugs, these traditional touches add a homey quality even in the most contemporary spaces. In a minimalist dwelling, these classic furnishings find the space they need to function as they’re meant to.

While classic fittings generally work fine in a variety of looks, it’s important to consider exactly which style fits into your own home. Is it the natural modern aesthetic of Charles Eames or the cool approach of Jörg Utzon? Perhaps your home suits the playful elegance of Alvar Aalto or functional designers Jean Prouvé and Arne Jacobsen. Whatever you choose, make sure you stick to one theme throughout the home to ensure an easy flow throughout.

Attention to details

If you want a spectacular dwelling while keeping on a low budget, it’s important to pay attention to the details. It is usually the smaller objects in the house that tie the entire living space together. For example, walls can be lined with framed mementos like photographs, drawings and maps. This won’t cost too much, and  yet a simple frame can be very effective in sprucing up a plain wall.

Placing a number of pictures on the wall not only keeps the apartment visually interesting, but it also gives visitors something to check out when they step inside the door. These personal bits helps residents feel comfortable in their house as well.

Pleasant scents for every room

The home shouldn’t just be a relaxing place for the eyes, but for all the senses. A good relaxing scent increases the quality of living, whether it’s a clean odor in the kitchen or one to help you sleep in the bedroom. Here are a few tricks to keep the entire house smelling well…

1. Dry wet towels outside, so the bathroom isn’t affected by the increased humidity and the unpleasant smell of damp textiles.

2. Sweet smelling soaps do not only benefit the hands, but the entire bathroom.

3. In the living room, flowers on vases can do wonders in improving the scent of the space. Oils can further strengthen the pleasing smell.

4. For a lovely smelling bedroom, ventilate adequately in the morning including bedspreads and pillows. Lavender scents also do well here to help the residents sleep more soundly at night.

5. In order to keep unpleasant odors from the kitchen from wafting into the rest of the house, the kitchen door should be closed while cooking.

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