I have written about the thrill and frustrations of moving to my own place. But somehow, I did not think to share about the process of setting the space up. Like they say, better late than sorry. Lol. Before I moved, I always had a sense of what I felt my personal space would look like. I mean, I’m not an interior designer or anything close, but I was sure about the aura I desired. So, since I couldn’t pay a consultant, I did what most 20-something-year-olds would do—I brought out my phone and dived into Pinterest.
First things first, I had to get rid of the biggest issue. The walls. Or rather, the painted color. They were a bright shade of garish pink with glitter in it (apologies to all who love the color) but I was so not a pink person, and that shade wasn’t doing a thing to improve the space I moved into. Once I laid out my budget and saw the number of zeroes it accumulated, I decided to humble myself and revise my plans downwards. Lol.
My point is, even with DIY, I could not exactly afford the aura I wanted. But this turned out to be a good thing because it made me reappraise what was important and find alternative ways to achieve my goals. Here are a few tips that helped me achieve my goal within my budget.
Make the painting monotone
You cannot go wrong with monotone painting. I can swear by whites, blacks and grey; it also gives your space this very classy feel. I used vertical stripes of white and black on my center wall and every other wall was painted white. If you’re not a fan of monotones like I’m not a fan of pink. You can go for warm or earthy tones that fit your fancy but they shouldn’t be colors that clash as it is very hard to feel at home in a rainbow themed shrine.
Avoid clutter and embrace shelving
Shelving was a must for me as I had a lot of hardcover books and novels. Shelves were the best way to avoid clutter. I got some mini sized ones to help store books, work materials and other stuff that I usually left lying about. Once everything was properly arranged, the area began to look like a top-notch space.
Invest in signature pieces
Instead of going on a buying spree and purchasing a lot of decorative articles for your space to pop, if you’re on a budget, it helps to focus on just getting some signature pieces and that would fit right in with the minimal decoration and monotone painting. What I did was to buy a sturdy centerpiece mirror and some old colorful artwork that a friend was selling off at a discount price.
While purchasing anything, be sure to first ask around friends and family, if they have that item and are willing to sell. It is often cheaper if the items are used and are in good condition. Also have fun, note that your space is a work in progress and remember that Pinterest is your best friend for fresh ideas.