Recession Re-do #2: Enhancing the Inexpensive!

You never know what you'll find at your local antique mart, resale shop or even Ikea. Some of our favorite furniture pieces have been great finds. We take them home, add a little paint or new upholstery and "voila", a one-of-a-kind piece that fits perfectly into our design. Our clients love when we work this way, not only because we save them money but they acquire a unique piece for their home. They also love to tell the story behind the piece; where we found it and how much we did to it all within a budget! Below are are a couple photos to show you what we've done.

The first photo is a white Ikea dresser that we found for $279.00 . We bought it to go in a very clean, crisp room that needed a statement piece.  o, we painted and lacqured it fuschia and added some fun knobs from our favorite store, Anthropologie (see photo #2). This dresser went from boring to bold on a very tight budget.  

Before

After

In this next photo we have some beautiful caned chairs that we picked up at a local resale shop. We had a difficult time finding two small scale matching chairs to place in front of a fireplace. We wanted them to be open and airy and small enough not to block the pathway to and from the room. When we found these, we knew they were the perfect fit. We upholstered them in a richly textured, red animal print (ocelot to be exact!) and now they fit perfectly into one of our favorite Italian homes. We added a punch of color with the teal pillows trimmed in red and gold fringe and trust me, this Italian couldn't be happier. Ciao!

Redone chairs

Recession Re-do #1 : A Little Dab of Color!

Paint.  It's our favorite five letter word. It does wonders. It not only makes your home look fresh and new, but by adding color you give your space a whole new dimension. Don't be afraid to be bold! Too many people have had too many white walls for too many years. Your house is an expression of you.  If you like orange, show it off! 

A gallon of paint at Home Depot is $23.47. Look for adds in a your local/neighborhood newsletters to find a painter. We've known painters that will work for about $25.00 an hour. A normal size bedroom should only take about 1 day (8 hours ) for two coats.

One of our absolute favorite homes was all white. We came in and added color to each room and rehung the artwork. The pictures below are of the before and afters of the breakfast nook in this home.  The lime walls really makes this room pop and the artwork stand out. Now, who wouldn't want to eat cereal in that room every morning?

Before

After

Recession Re-do

Just because the economy has us all forgoing our morning run to Starbucks for that extra foam latte, doesn't mean we can't live in a well designed home! In the last few months,  we have seen a rise in families eating at home more often, and inviting friends over for dinner and game night instead of heading out to town. So why not make your home as inviting and warm as possible since you are spending more time in it?

Desmond Design believes that you don't need to spend a lot of money to make a big difference in your home. A little creativity, a fresh outlook and a little elbow grease can give you the splash you are looking for. The next few weeks, check out our blog as we will be showing you how to turn your home around by spending little and sometimes even no money. 

If there is something specific you would like us to address, please email us.