Five Tips for a Home Glow-Up on a Budget!

Here at Andrew Lee, we live and breathe interior decor. Our team curates and creates outstanding furnishing pieces we feel make our homes more comfortable, exciting, and artistically beautiful.

For many of us, the challenge is all about balance; how to create a home you feel proud of and that reflects your personality yet remains on budget.

Doubtless, most people don't have the resources to have their property styled by a professional interior designer. However, with some tips and tricks, we believe it's possible to create a unique, contemporary living space powered by your ideas and imagination!

In this guide, we'll explain some easy ways to elevate the feel of your rooms and ensure your living spaces feel elegant and fresh, without any DIY, paintwork, or redecorating.

1. Using Lighting for Ambience and Energy

The first advice we'd give to anyone wanting to spruce up their interior on a budget is to take a look at lighting. Even tasks as simple as switching out standard light bulbs or replacing the lampshades can make a massive difference to the appearance of a room!

Standard lighting fixtures are functional and practical but rarely scream style or complement your colour schemes and favourite pieces of furniture.

You don't need to have enormous antique chandeliers to make an impact, either!

Placing some table lamps and floor lamps in dark corners can make a room feel much larger, and opting for soft light bulbs, candle bulbs, or even coloured bulbs creates an entirely different atmosphere.

Our Lighting range includes a broad range of options, from smart geometric patterned shades to handcrafted lampshades and charming designer art prints that are as affordable as they are superb.

2. Upcycling for Unique Interiors

Let's think about how incorporating low-cost second-hand items can be a perfect way to enhance your home style, using touches of luxury to significant effect.

For sustainable living, a great lighting tip for adding a hint of chic on a budget is to look out for second hand or vintage lamp bases, which you can pick up in markets, online or in garage sales.

Upcycling a lamp base with some elbow grease and a fabulous new shade can deliver a truly unique lighting feature that will echo your taste and styling.

Other ideas to blend modern and preloved furnishings include:

• Being creative with planters - herbs are an excellent way to enhance your kitchen with pleasant scents, and you can use anything from old vases, glassware and utility boxes to add a touch of nature.
• Reupholstering antique chairs or traditional wooden benches with bright fabrics or delicate designs.
• Adding blackboard paint to the side of cabinets or drawers to create a simple play space for children or a handy area to keep on top of your weekly dinner menu.
• Collecting complementing pieces - such as mugs, ceramics or glassware and hanging them on display as an attractive focal point.

Upcycling has many benefits, from reusing or repurposing older items you might have considered throwing away to being a budget-conscious way to enhance your interior design and produce something personal and tailored to your tastes.

3. Add Comfort, Texture and Elegance with Soft Fabrics

Sofas can get comfier with age but can also become tired, worn, and faded. We'd recommend some plush cushions or elegant throws to lift your living room and ramp up the fashion style stakes.

Rather than replacing a couch or needing to invest in new seating, you can add blankets, fabrics and cushions to create a sense of layering, attention to detail, and pure relaxation.

Choosing oversized cushions with great quality padding alongside standard-sized pillows is also an excellent way to add shape and visual interest - and they make for a great floor pillow for cinema nights! Our cushions come in several sizing options up to 60 x 60 cm options to enable you to mix, match and contrast.

The Andrew Lee collection includes a vast range of beautiful Blankets and canvas Cushions, with high-quality fabrics and fine prints to add colour, style, pattern and energy to any lounge or sunroom.

Whether you love abstract art, want block colours to link with your other decor, or wish to obscure a lumpy, well-loved sofa with a well-placed blanket, these sumptuous furnishing can feel like a substantial change yet remain well within budget.

4. Turn Blank Walls Into Talking Points

Empty spaces and blank walls can make a home feel cold, characterless and dull - so if you're bored of staring at a room, a great way to level up your property without needing to budget for repainting is to choose a low-cost reclaimed wood print.

Andrew Lees' Reclaimed Wood Prints range offers a vast amount of choice, from textures, colours, design inspiration and themes.

These pieces are all made from reclaimed wood, with handmade bespoke finishes and waterproof paints to ensure they are suitable for use in any room on your property.

Each wood print is ready to hang and painted directly onto the wood. This attention to detail is sure to transform a blank wall into an area that shines. Reclaimed wood prints have a certain rustic charm that works equally well in period cottages as in contemporary apartments.

5. Precision Styling with Detailed Design

Finally, it's essential to look at small touches and pieces you can buy for a limited budget that will profoundly change the way a room looks and feels.

Some easy ways to redesign a room include:

• Adding mirrors or mirror art to walls opposite windows or light sources. The reflective glass ensures the lighting bounces back into the room and makes it feel brighter and more extensive.
• Cleaning windows and adding silk draperies or cotton curtains. These natural fibres hang perfectly and feel more expensive than polyester or other artificial fabrics and add an instant styling shot.
• Draping rugs over hardwood flooring, which can avoid damage to your floors from heavy foot traffic as well as making a room feel cosier and more inviting.
• Adding small accessories that complement or contrast your walls. For example, a hint of gold speaks of luxury, gilt picture frames feel classy and high-end, or even changing the handles on your cupboards and doors can make a big difference.

Each of these tips is low-cost and an effective way to bring new energy and ambience to your property with minimal time, effort or remodelling.

Moving furniture around, airing out your property, tidying away clutter and putting up some new shelves to hold strategically placed lamps can make a room feel different and fresh, with just a little time required.

We hope these home styling tips are helpful and have inspired you to improve your home decor! For more fashionable home features, please visit the complete Andrew Lee catalogue online.