HOME & COTTAGE
W hen it comes to budget home design and decorating, some projects (say, installing custom cabinetry) are always an investment. But adaptability, creativity, and patience reduce the budget for plenty of projects. For instance, I recently added two table lamps to my living room; both have an eye-catching up-to-date “concrete” finish. I sourced my new “mood lighting” from Value Village. After I’d purchased two second-hand lamps, the project’s DIY elements—replacing the lampshades, painting the lamp bases— were quick and straightforward, and the “concrete” effect wasn’t difficult. You can reproduce the finish by painting a lamp’s base grey, letting it dry, then daubing the base with a second paint layer in lighter or darker grey. Near the lamps hangs another DIY project—a framed piece of hand- painted black-and-white abstract art. You can paint a similar piece in a few hours with minimal supplies. If you’re nervous about splurging on high-end canvas, try using a more affordable medium. The black-and-white living room piece is painted on Bristol board, and looks amazing framed. There are other cost-effective approaches to artwork; online shopping is an especially great strategy, and can be combined with DIY framing. By purchasing a digital art file (for instance, from an up-and-coming artist on Etsy), you can choose when, where, and how to print and frame the piece. There are other simple DIY project types, such as adding/removing furniture legs or changing the hardware on a cabinet or cupboard. You can combine these straightforward DIY projects; not long ago, I set aside time to enhance a fifty-dollar second-hand woodgrain hutch with trim, legs, new hardware, and black paint. Now— alongside the concrete-style lamps and abstract art—it might be the most striking piece of furniture in my home.
BUDGET DECORATING Harmonizing First-Hand, Second-Hand, and DIY Decor
Photos Sara Bakker
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www.pei-living.ca FALL 2021/WINTER 2022
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