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Improve your home with these 5 budget-friendly tips

By Guest Poster •

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With people isolated in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has undoubtably been an increased awareness and desire to improve how our home space looks and feels. Bearing in mind budget constraints and accessibility, Katrina Garrett and Millie Alison, co-founders of The Design Paddock, have compiled five attainable and cost-effective ways to revamp, uplift and refresh your interiors!

The Design Paddock’s Katrina Garrett and Millie Alison, Sheri McMahon Photography
  1. The power of paint

One of the most effortless ways to reinvigorate and transform a space is a fresh coat
of paint. A spot that’s often overlooked is the hallway or the entry to the home. These areas are important as they connect to the spaces you live in and can set the initial impression of the home. Over the years, walls, doors and trims can look battered and more commonly adopt marks or cracks. A fresh coat of paint can make the biggest difference here. We recommend a gloss trim paint to contrast against a matt or low sheen wall paint. You’ll be surprised with the impact it can make.

This doesn’t only apply to the interior. Consider redesigning or repainting your front
door or even the garden pots in your entry for a powerful change. This can instantly
achieve a more inviting entry!

2. Rearrange the furniture

It’s quite common to find that people become too comfortable in their home to realise that a slight rearrangement could transform a place and in turn, may provide a better layout. Many people tend to use the TV as the centrepiece of the living room, however, this should not be the case. Living rooms should be centred around conversation and comfort.

Between the warmer and cooler months, the perfect opportunity emerges to rearrange your home spaces. Fireplaces are the perfect centrepiece to arrange your furniture around in winter where the television becomes less of a focal point! Also consider moving your armchair beside a window to create a reading corner or a spot to wind down and enjoy some sun.

3. Switch up your lighting

Lighting plays a big part in determining the atmosphere and ambience within a room.
Considering subtle changes in the home can have a dramatic impact on the way a
space feels. Warm light globes around the home are a must in our books! Furthermore, consider where your lighting is focused and adjust it. You may like to highlight an artwork or incorporate a new feature pendant above your dining table.

It is important to note that lighting should be both beautiful and functional; thus, a directional light in a hallway is a great way to not only light up an artwork but will reflect onto the wall and light up the space beautifully. When considering your feature pendant, one should not only love it but include a suitable globe for illuminating the table appropriately when gathering around it in the evenings.

Alternating lighting throughout the house is another way to make spaces feel cosy.
Incorporate varying scales and heights in your lighting such as table lamps, floor lamps, wall lights, dimmable ceiling lights and pendants in soft textures to create
interest and an overall lovely ambiance.

4. Reprioritise and declutter

With the extra time people are spending at home recently, there is no better time to take charge and rid your home of clutter! Explore new ways to store and conceal possessions in cabinets or boxes and if there isn’t space and you no longer need items, let go. Interiors should feel full but not cluttered. Less is more!

Organising the bookshelves can bring life to a forgotten area. It’s always good to
start with larger items such as bowls, jugs or artwork — this will help achieve the right
scale and balance. Books are a beautiful inclusion to an interior. Try stacking books
in varying directions on the shelf to add interest. Most importantly, the bookshelves
are a reflection of your life and style. Add your treasured keepsakes on top of piled
books – different heights can help balance your shelf styling.

5. Reinvigorate with soft furnishings

Soft furnishings present an opportunity to incorporate colour, texture or
pattern to a space without the intensive labour! You can soften your bedroom with a rug beneath the end of your bed, introducing a bedhead, re-covering a chair or new throw cushions.

Deciding on your favourite fabric can often be difficult, particularly if you can’t afford your favourite. Be clever with the way you use your fabric. A cost-effective way of achieving a similar result may be to upholster the back of your cushions or bedhead with an affordable plain fabric. You can use some beautiful tea towels or fabric cuttings to frame for some affordable art!

–The Design Paddock is a unique interior design and decorating company that revamps interior landscapes for people in the bush and beyond.

5 cost-effective ways to refresh your home
Interior designer Lorena Gaxiola shares 5 cost-effective tips to refresh your home this New Year, from painting a blackboard wall to incorporating the colour green. “Our home is the perfect…
How to update your kitchen with just a splash of paint
Colour always packs a punch and by simply painting your splashback to be bright and bold you can instantly transform dated tiles into a modern feature wall. In this kitchen, I…
BEFORE Nikki Parkinson in her living room
Before & after: Blogger’s $500 living room revamp
While we’ve always believed in the transformative powers of paint, this latest ‘before and after’ proves, yet again, just how wonderful it can be. The lounge room of stylist and blogger…

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June 26, 2020

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Nestled among the rolling vineyards of the Shoalha Nestled among the rolling vineyards of the Shoalhaven area on the NSW South Coast, former Block contestants @rachelandryan Carr have transformed a tired rural property into a luxurious holiday retreat that feels like a slice of Italy. Surrounded by the natural beauty of gum trees and rural views, the property is designed to transport guests to the heart of Tuscany, blending the charm of the Australian landscape with the elegance and luxury of Italian design. 

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Australia's first 3D printed house is complete! An Australia's first 3D printed house is complete! And this pair of duplexes look pretty stylish too! Ground floor is printed concrete and the top floor is made from lightweight modular panels.

Want to read all about it and see more pix? Comment '3d" and we'll send the article link straight to your DMs! Or find it on the homepage via link in bio.

#3dprinting #3dprinted #3dprintedhouse #3dprintedhome #3dprintedhomes #houseofthefuture #australianhomes #australianhousing
New @kmartaus home coming later this month and her New @kmartaus home coming later this month and here's a few of the standouts, with pricing and more info on the blog now, via link in bio.

Anything catch your eye?

#kmartaustralia #kmarthome #kmartaus #kmartstyling #affordablehomedecor
A custom look on a budget: we love how this rangeh A custom look on a budget: we love how this rangehood cover was fashioned from a piece of American oak benchtop!

This fresh coastal kitchen showcases some of @kaboodlekitchen's latest products to achieve a truly individual space, without paying a small fortune. V groove doors, premium wireware inserts and a concrete look benchtop make for a great combination that's at the same time on trend and timeless. 

See more on the blog now via link in bio and stories.

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Swipe for before An interior designer shares the Swipe for before 

An interior designer shares the clever ways they took this homestead from tired 80s to a welcoming country retreat for holidaymakers without spending a fortune or starting from scratch.

This fireplace became a beautiful focal point after a lick of paint, for example.

See more before and afters from @wandarra_homestead on the blog now via link in stories/bio.
How heavenly is AFL star @rhysstanley_'s home he s How heavenly is AFL star @rhysstanley_'s home he shares with wife @kirstenstanley_ and their young kids?!

When they first set eyes on an expansive acreage on Victoria's Surf Coast, they knew it was the perfect place to build their forever home and embrace working farm life. @studiohallihan helped them bring it all together perfectly!

Take the tour on the blog now, via link in bio and stories.

#modernfarmhousehomes #australianfarmhouse #workingfarm #surfcoastlife #foreverhomes #farmhousestylehome #geelongfootballclub #geelongcats
Brand new furniture in an 1877 house and IT WORKS! Brand new furniture in an 1877 house and IT WORKS!

@castleryau have named the talented stylist @stevecordony as their first Australian brand ambassador and he's curated a capsule of their furniture which he styled to perfection at his stunning country house @rosedale_farm 

I was lucky enough to see the pieces in situ last week and I honestly couldn't believe how well it all worked! They were going for accessible luxury and well, he delivered, and then some!

Head to the blog via link in bio to read more about the partnership.

#castlery #castleryau #stevecordony #rosedalefarm #affordablefurniture #australianstylist
If you pick your restaurants for the interior as m If you pick your restaurants for the interior as much as the food, you might want to add @pinosalmare  by @nicgrahamandassociates to your date night list! 😍

@smartstoneaustralia's stunning Calacatta Viola sintered stone surface features throughout, making a bold statement while being durable enough to be used in the busiest areas.

Inspired by Puglia, Pino's (named after the owner's father) in Cronulla has a real seaside vibe. The Smartstone was also chosen for the outdoor tables due to its UV stability.

#calacattaviola #smartstone #restaurantinteriors #restaurantinteriordesign #italianrestaurantsydney #engineeredstone #sinteredstone
SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jas SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jasminemcclellanddesign delivered. And then some!

"With a keen eye for design, they wanted their main bathroom to feel calm, spa-like and elevated with more storage, better layout, and soft, layered textures in a neutral palette. Lighting was another big focus, with the goal of creating a space that felt luxurious enough to unwind in, preferably with a glass of champagne in the bath.”

Is it a yay or a nay for you?

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for all the suppliers as well as a look at the powder room with its bold wallpaper 😍

#spabathroom #zenbathroom #spavibes #bathroomremodels 

📸 @jonathantabensky
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If you have high quality, original, relevant content to share, we might be interested in publishing your guest post on Interiors Addict. Please email [email protected] with your submissions.

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