What Items Make the Biggest Design Impacts on A Room?

I’m sorry I’ve been MIA lately.  I’ve been under the weather and then I have jury duty this month.  Just hang with me through this crazy schedule and then things will get back to normal.  I hate being off my routine.  I really do crave structure.  I get so much more done when I block schedule my day.  Do you use that method too?

Have you ever wanted to change a room’s look, but you didn’t have a big budget?  There are certain things that impact the way a room looks without spending much money.  There are 3 main things you can do that make the biggest return on your investment.  These items make a big visual change for the least amount of money.

The first thing I would do is pick out a rug.  This could actually be your focal point in the room that helps you choose your color palette.  A lot of people think you need to paint the room first.  However, that is the last thing you need to do. For more information on some of my favorite paint choices check out this post. You can also follow my Pinterest board “popular paint colors.” It is a lot easier to pick a rug you like and match the paint color to that rug than to paint and try to find rugs that match that very specific color.  Paint has lots of undertones that make it very difficult to match your accessories. Once you pick the rug you may have several colors that will work.

Take the colors you want to use from your rug and pick some pillows to go on your couch. Changing out the pillows really elevates a room drastically without spending much money. I usually go and buy lots of different patterns, colors, and textures. Then I can try several different combinations and see what works best with my rug and couch.  Then I take the ones I don’t use back to the store. Doing this helps to get the right look without settling.  The picture below shows the color of our den before we painted.  It was a common neutral beige color.

The last thing I would do to make the biggest change in my room is to paint the walls.  It is a cheap way to make a drastic change. I would go back to the rug and pick an accent color or choose a neutral that you like that keeps in the color scheme of your home.  If your home is all gray than maybe choose a darker gray that would give the room a little drama.  I took a room in my home from beige to Kendall charcoal and I am obsessed with the final look.  It was the best decorating choice I’ve made.  Everyone was questioning me about it and I stuck to my decision.   You can see in this picture that I really had my heart set on that dramatic color. The white furniture really pops against that dark wall.

Making these 3 small changes can really make a room look different without breaking your budget.  Think if you did this quarterly in your home.  You would have 3 complete projects by the end of the year.  Your home would shape up very quickly.

To see one of my favorite remodels of all time, check out Hi Sugarplum’s living room when she participated in the One Room Challenge.  Cassie’s before and afters are so amazing you might think it was a completely different house.

I hope these tips were helpful.  I would love for you to comment below with your remodeling tips.  I’m sure you have some great ideas to share.  Also, if you ever do a project you have to tag me or send me the pictures so I can see your amazing creativity.