Hello! I want to thank my sister, Laurie, for inviting me to be a guest on Living Marvelously. I love what she is doing with her talent for writing to keep our mother’s memory and wisdom alive!

As an interior designer and decorator for 35 years, my business, Studio S, has helped many clients use their imagination to turn their houses into delightful homes. There are so many ways to make your home just right for you, have fun doing it, and not break the bank. Here are five creative and low-cost design ideas to live more marvelously in your own home.

5 Low Cost Design Ideas

1. Use Color

• • Don’t be afraid of color; as long as you have an “anchor” hue to ground bold color, anything goes! For example, as long as your walls are neutral, go crazy with your accents. Use orange with gray, or bright yellow with blue, or aqua with tan or a combination of all three colors!

2. Find Your Artist Within You

Create your own art work; put a custom mural on a wall, try mixed-media on canvas, or use your own photography for added dimension.

3. Refinish vs. Replace

Refinish instead of replacing cabinets and counter tops to make them look fresh and contemporary at about a third of the cost. Search on Pinterest for lots of tutorials or contact me for help!

4. Chalk Paint

Chalk paint old furniture to make it come alive; then sand the finish to give it that shabby chic look.

5. Use Wallpaper

Be unconventional with wallpaper; paper your ceilings, doors, insets, and stair-risers for texture and interest!

Related Post: How to Have a Holiday Planter Party

I would love to explore all of these low cost design ideas and many more with anyone who wants to get inspired about their home or workplace. You are also welcome to join me anytime in visiting yard sales, estate sales, consignment stores, up-cycle shops, and retail stores in the area or the twin cities. Those are the places you can find the most unique and low-cost items for your home to truly make it your own.

While my daily mission is to design, create, and decorate, the most enjoyable part of my work is the people. My passion is to make old clients and new clients alike feel great about the process of change, the value they get, and the end result. And we always laugh a lot! I know Marvel would be proud.

You can contact me via Facebook, or comment below and I will get a hold of you!

Happy Designing!