Make Your Space Yours

Design really is in the details, and those details don’t have to cost you hundreds of dollars. With these low-cost ideas that utilize the items you already own and love—along with a few others picked up at garage sales and thrift stores—you can create a home that really lets your personality come through!

Let the Sunshine In

Turn a mirror into a light source. Place a large mirror where it can reflect natural sunlight into a room to give it a warm daytime glow. And with a heavy piece, there’s no need to hang it—simply propping it against a wall is just as effective and less stuffy.

Mix ‘n’ Match

Add personality to a solid-colored sofa with lots of throw pillows (make your own with remnant fabric from design shops) and drape a lovely blanket on the bottom couch cushions for added effect. Go wild and mix patterns, as long as the colors coordinate.

Flower Power

You don’t need a big bouquet in a crystal vase to create an interesting floral display. Using a few sculptural flowers—like these ranunculus—in simple milk bottles or mason jars is just as pretty. They’ll look gorgeous in any space that catches the light.

Step Right Up

Create a permanent runner without carpeting. This stairway design can be made by painting the steps white, then marking off stripes with masking tape and painting them in your choice of colors. A coat of varnish will keep your work from getting too scuffed.

Judge a Book by its Cover

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are a prominent feature, so treat your books like works of art. Instead of organizing by subject, why not group them by color? This design twist becomes a natural focal point of the room, adding color without being overwhelming.

Make It Work

Bedrooms always feel more serene when the bed faces the door, but sometimes an awkwardly shaped wall gets in the way. Building a wall-towall headboard out of wainscoting is an inexpensive way to solve that problem and create a simple, elegant space.

Art Exhibit

Create a stairwell gallery with a variety of frames (mix several styles by picking them up cheap at garage sales). Vary the size, shape and mat colors for best effect in showcasing memorabilia, photos, paintings and other special family memories.

source: womansday.com