Finally! It's done. Finished another article.
This time I want to touch on a very burning topic.

Many people are convinced that design is only available to people with a large wallet, and if the budget for repairs is very limited, then you can forget about beauty and harmony. I would like, if possible, to dispel this misconception.

Of course, with sufficient funds, beauty is much easier than without them. But just as having money does not guarantee a good result, so modest finances are not a reason to give up.

I want to warn you right away - this article is not about how you can save on construction work. Rather, it is about how, even with a very small amount, you can get not only a “simple repair” that meets certain practical requirements, but also create a stylish harmonious interior that meets modern trends.

Before revealing simple secrets, I want to separately note three things on which in no case can't save if you make an apartment yourself and for a long time .

1. Technical communications. Pipe laying, plumbing, electrical, low power, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Their repair, replacement and installation after the repair is completed will cost you not only additional costs, but also nerves.

2. Base preparation: (floor, walls, ceiling) before finishing. Make a high-quality screed, align the walls and ceiling (if you do not intend to use a tension one).

No expensive wallpaper can distract from slanting, crooked and humpbacked walls. And it will be especially noticeable at the joints of ceramic tiles.

Think in advance how to close the pipes in the bathrooms and in the kitchen, as well as the pipe from the hood to the air duct. Take care of the cable channels in which you can hide the wires from the TV or computer to auxiliary equipment.
Nothing spoils any interior so much as protruding wires and pipes.

3. Redevelopment. I put it in last place only because not everyone needs it. But, in fact, a competent planning solution is what you need to start all thoughts about repair with.

You can probably handle on one's own, if:
- the apartment is located in a typical "socket". The possibilities of redevelopment in them are very limited and all possible options, as a rule, are easy to find on the Internet.
- you are planning very minor changes. Move the wall a little or move the opening ... Just make sure that the notorious wall is not a capital one. And you, by your actions, do not violate the law on redevelopment. Do not try, for example, to enlarge the bathroom at the expense of the room, or vice versa, to expand the bedroom at the expense of the kitchen or toilet.

In other cases, you need contact specialists, if:
- you decided to break down all non-bearing walls and build them again, more rationally.
- you bought an open-plan apartment, but the layout proposed by the Developer does not suit you.
- you want to radically change the distribution of space. For example, make a three-ruble note out of a kopeck piece. And even carve out a dressing room.
- your apartment is atypical and you did not find any options.
- this is especially true for apartments with original architecture: radius walls and corners other than 90 degrees. ( In this case, I do not mean the "jamb" of the builders, but the architect's idea)

It will be very difficult for you to cope with such tasks yourself. It is unlikely that you will be able to find a BETTER solution for such objects.

Contrary to the opinion that designers are a very expensive pleasure, you can order a PLANNING DECISION for quite reasonable money. ( In the Moscow region, this is about 200-300 rubles. per sq.m.)

However, it will allow you to:
- Assess the potential of your home.
- Choose the best option, taking into account the characteristics of your family.
- Get the most out of every see area.
- Act within the framework of the law on the reconstruction of premises.
Because you will be unpleasantly surprised if, after the repair is already completed, it will not be possible to legalize it, and you are unlikely to be happy if an angry neighbor appears on the threshold, waving a subpoena, because your toilet was exactly above his son's crib.
- Do without sloping walls and ridiculously protruding corners.
- Choose the most rational and least expensive solutions for further implementation.

Let's say we have decided on the layout. Now the final result will depend to a greater extent on how competently we decide on the style direction and color scheme, select the right finishing materials and furniture.

STYLE
Don't fool yourself... It's quite obvious (although probably not for everyone) that royal apartments, interiors of palaces and residences on a limited budget do not shine for you! We will never win a race called "expensive-rich" in such conditions.
You should not aim at such “expensive” styles as ART DECO

Or
MODERN (I mean the name of a style that appeared at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is also called Art Nouveau, Liberty or Jugendstil)

The easiest way to achieve a good result, not only morally, but also financially, will help you MINIMALISM.

The so-called Scandinavian style.

There are practically no contraindications for them.
It is also almost always appropriate Contemporary.

For the choice of other styles, the rule of good form is:
The style of the apartment should match the architecture of the house as much as possible.
- Choice CLASSICS, if your apartment is in the "Stalin", it is quite justified. But low ceilings are completely contraindicated for this style.

Also, it should be remembered that the classics will require symmetry in the arrangement. You will have to give up the corner sofa and other asymmetrical interior items.

And yet, this choice will definitely increase your budget. Decor, furniture and accessories in a classic style are significantly more expensive.
- Makes life easier and reduces costs Light Classic- a modernized version of classic interiors.

Style COUNTRY- appropriate in the country or in a country house, but not always suitable for apartments. To recreate it in concrete walls, you will also need additional costs.

good old PROVENCE - it will also be best revealed in a separate house with wooden ceilings or in the attic, but at the same time it easily fits into the interior of the apartment. Light and graceful - it is more suitable for women. A man may feel a little uncomfortable in it.

Style LOFT, under certain circumstances, will allow you not to sew up pipes and ventilation on the ceiling, help save on finishing, leaving bricks and old boards open, if they existed there before. But it will look extremely absurd in a cramped low socket, in which, from birth, there were no bricks or boards. And you still have to spend money on their imitation, which is not always successful, besides.

Style Fusion characterizes the "combination of the incongruous", i.e. combining completely different ideas from different, seemingly incompatible styles, but in such a way that they do not lose their integrity and harmony.

Fusion might seem like "easy prey", thanks to the seeming permissiveness. If it weren't for the last clause "not to lose the integrity and harmony of the image." This is a much more difficult task than it might seem at first. Therefore, it is least recommended for independent use.

If you have any rare pieces of furniture or decor left from your grandmother, it makes sense to take a chance. However, you have to be creative enough to do this and be absolutely sure of your taste. Well, or you have in mind, there is such a person with whom you could constantly consult. (The key word is "permanently".)

Thus, the use of already existing architectural features of the building in the interior, as well as available significant objects, will allow you not only to better convey the atmosphere, mood, but also save your finances.

Conversely, any violence to style entails additional funding.

COLOR
The choice of colors should also be approached wisely, based not only on personal preferences.
Of course, not only does everyone have their favorite color, but they also have their own relationships that have developed over the years with each color.

Someone white walls are associated with cleanliness, freshness and spaciousness. To others, this cleanliness seems too "surgical" and suggests a hospital.

(Although, in fairness, there are few places where there are sterile white hospital wards and even the gowns of doctors in surgery may not be white at all)

sky blue can carry airiness and lightness to one, while others seem cold and uncomfortable.

Similarly, warm peach, sandy beige shades - for some, a guarantee of comfort, for others - "stuffy, cloying, beaten."

Someone can only exist surrounded by pastel shades,

and another absolutely needs the energy of bright colors.

And someone is very comfortable in a black-black room.

There are no ugly flowers. Not even incompatible combinations. With a skillful approach, you can make friends with absolutely all colors.
But for independent work, you will need fundamental knowledge on the topic and specific experience. Well, or perfect taste and unmistakable intuition. And better than both, and the other, and the third ...

And if you don’t have any of this, and you have neither the time nor the desire to study the problem in detail, the only way to “not mess up” in a big way is to minimize the risks as much as possible. ( A radical way is to call a designer for help, we do not consider here).

A huge number of people choose a calm beige palette for their home.

(Designers even have such a term « bezhevenko » , not too flattering)

But in principle, they are right. Especially those who prefer grey-beige tones.

In general, the choice as a background light neutral range: white, more or less light shades of gray and gray-beige - the most reliable way to make your life easier and avoid serious mistakes in the design of space.

They are perfectly combined with each other, including various shades and derivatives, and are ready to make friends with almost any other color.

Saturated gray colors, as well as almost black and pure black look unusual for many as a background, but nevertheless, they always find a companion in any palette without any problems.

And here, beloved by the people, peach beige and its various modifications with the addition of a yellow and pink tint are far from being so harmless. Firstly, the yellow-beige brother cannot stand his pink-beige relative (this also applies to “wooden” textures). And both of them do not get along well with bright pure colors. Of the strong contrasts, he is shown only pure black (he is friends with everyone without looking back) and selective shades of dark brown.

But, no matter how tempting the path of least resistance, we must remember that color, its competent use in the interior - is a powerful decorative technique, and almost free. (A can of paint with some unusual color costs almost as much as beige.)

But the risk with the right choice of color increases. Moreover, it is difficult to combine several saturated colors with each other. Naturally, there are difficulties in the selection of finishing materials and furniture.

https://color.adobe.com/en/create/color-wheel/
There are also entire sites with ready-made palettes.

http://color.romanuke.com/
But you also need to be able to use these cheat sheets correctly.

Imagine that the recipe for semolina porridge indicates the necessary ingredients: cereals, milk, butter, sugar, salt - but not a word about how much each product is needed and in what order to apply them ...
“Mishkina porridge” immediately comes to mind, doesn’t it?

Often, the same "Mishkina porridge" is obtained in the interior, even if you have chosen the right combination.
Obviously, in addition to good compatibility, many different aspects must be taken into account.

It is completely unrealistic to learn how to work with color within the framework of one article, but you can still learn some useful rules.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the proportions.
- do not use two colors of the same saturation in equal volume in the interior. The ratio is approximately: 2/3 main color, 1/3 - additional.

- the brighter the color, the smaller the amount needed to be noticed and paid attention to.

Therefore, bright and pure colors should not be used as background. And even for large pieces of furniture and interior. You run the risk of soon hating even your favorite color.

On the other hand, they are great as a bright touch: a stripe on the wallpaper, a frame or a bright spot in a picture or on a carpet, a vase or lamp shade, pillows on a sofa. And for the background, a muted version is more suitable.

- to make the interior bright and energetic, it is not necessary to make a blue floor, paint the walls green and order a red kitchen. If the result disappoints you (too dark, too bright, too colorful, doesn't match well) it will be extremely difficult and very, very costly to fix the mistake.

It is much easier to add color to a completely neutral interior in the form of textiles and decorative elements. Carpet and curtains, a bedspread on the bed, pillows on the sofa, a bright picture or a lampshade - and the result will be just as good! On the other hand, you can radically change it, spending much less effort and money.

Separately, I would like to talk about the zoning of rooms using color.

You often hear:
- Bought two (or even three) types of wallpaper, how and where to stick them?
- I really want to highlight one of the walls with color, which one? Or maybe two?
So, when is it appropriate to highlight the wall with color, and when is it not worth it?

Rooms - « EXTENDED RECTANGLE" - the most common option.
- by color, we zone the room into two equal, or almost equal parts, for example, into a bedroom and a living room, into a bedroom and a nursery ...

- Color zoning is especially “useful” for rooms that are too long and narrow. Here we can highlight the center of the room with color, visually “chopping off” the edges, depriving them of color.

- perhaps we want to make one of the walls accent with the help of color. The frontal wall (the one opposite the entrance to the room or diagonally from the entrance) is best suited for this.

- for rooms that are too elongated, it is advisable to highlight the short end wall with color.

If we want to focus on a long wall, it is worth highlighting not the entire wall, but only its significant part.
For example:
1. zone in the living room where the TV hangs.

2. part of the wall in the bedroom behind the headboard.

Rooms IRREGULAR SHAPE
- color we can "cut off" superfluous corners of the room that interfere with us.
- it is quite logical to highlight niches, alcoves or ledges with a different color. ( But it doesn't have to be done a priori.).

Rooms SQUARE and close to a square .
Everything that you read about above them in most cases is categorically contraindicated!
- do not highlight one of the walls with color, do not select a piece of the wall, or a corner. This will seriously harm the original geometry of the room.
- you should not emphasize with color a lone ledge or an asymmetrical niche.
To emphasize the correct symmetrical shape of the room, we can:
- use inserts of a different color or companion wallpaper in the frame.

For rooms with relatively high ceilings, horizontal zoning around the perimeter can be applied.
It can also be used in rectangular rooms, but you should not do this in too elongated ones.
- with an average height, the wall is divided into 1/3 and 2/3 parts.

For higher rooms, it is permissible to highlight the upper part of the wall (about 1/4 or 1/5)

DECORATION MATERIALS
When choosing finishing materials, we cannot always afford the quality that we would like. It is sad.

But even worse, if the dream of luxury plays a cruel joke on us.

Linoleum, which pretends to be type-setting parquet or marble.

A cheap, small-format tile with a poorly applied marble pattern that is the same on every tile.

Plastic panels - "natural malachite"

- "samovar" gold and silver

Such fakes will never be able to create the illusion of an expensive interior in your apartment, but will only turn your apartment into an evil and cruel caricature of “expensive-boHato”.
If, due to circumstances, you are forced to use budget segment materials, your motto will be:
"BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY"

"True sophistication is especially noticeable when it is close to simplicity."
Henry Ward Beecher

Buy laminate or linoleum "with taste" of a regular board . Neither expensive type-setting parquet, nor exotic breeds, nor marble, nor leather, nor fur will look organically on the surface of linoleum, cheap tiles, plastic panels and budget wallpaper coated with foamed vinyl.

When purchasing budget tiles, give preference to monochromatic collections, do not overuse decors. It is they who, with their poor-quality performance and tasteless pattern (good designers are rarely attracted to create cheap collections), often give out the true price of a tile.

Instead of decors, ( cheap often only in appearance, but not in price) make a “cool” mosaic with a thin strip. At a high price, 1-2 meters may be enough for you.

Cunning. Lay the tiles not to the ceiling, but to the middle of the wall. Currently, there are modern, very high quality paints for bathrooms. They will protect your walls like tiles. . By saving on the number of tiles, you can afford a more expensive and spectacular collection.

If you disassemble the models of budget doors, then even blank canvases or classic modest panels look much more solid than home-grown "designer type" models.

POORLY

GOOD

Walls. Do not paste over the premises of a small area, and even with a low ceiling, wallpaper with large flowers, patterns, chic "damask". You yourself steal precious meters from yourself, making the room even cramped and low.

If the wallpaper is so sunk into your soul, make small inserts into the frames or insert pieces of the wallpaper you like into the frames, like posters. The background will be plain wallpaper, smooth or textured, which will not be so obvious to give out its modest price segment, rather than wallpaper with a pattern.

Using such a simple technique, for inserts, you can afford to buy a roll of expensive and really chic wallpaper that will decorate your interior better than 10 cheap rolls with an obsessive lurid pattern.

Don't waste your money on complicated built-in furniture designs in the form of different materials, exotic colors, inserts, curves and asymmetric shapes. A cheap wardrobe (here we mean the quality of the materials and fittings used, and not its final price) will not suddenly become presentable from all these decorations, although the price can skyrocket. On the contrary, try to “hide” this work of modern art with the help of a laconic design and neutral colors, merging it with the wall as much as possible.

POORLY

GOOD

Be attentive to the little things.
It is they who, without pretending to be expensive, nevertheless, will help you create the illusion of an expensive repair, and not at all fake gold and marble.

Neatly sewn pipes in the toilet.
Thin neat metal sills instead of humpbacked freaks,

- fantasy zoning of floor coverings separated by a “humped” threshold.

All these arts replaced the Soviet uniformity in the 90s of the last century, in the era of ambitious, but for the most part poorly educated, far from art, "new Russians" who wanted to stand out in any way.
Unfortunately, this “anti-design” burp still exists today.

Such “bells and whistles” are a serious threat to your budget. The result will be a cruel disappointment from the weighty “krakozyabrs” hanging over the very top of the head, clumsy partitions that turned your apartment into a labyrinth, quickly boring clumsy drawings. And of course, the venomous smiles of more sophisticated acquaintances in matters of style.
Instead of this

Improvise. Get creative. Decorate your home with original crafts. Use ordinary objects in an unusual perspective.

The word hall already says a lot: they receive guests there, arrange "home" holidays, perhaps children play right there. The hall is a multifunctional place where most of the home time is spent, it can hardly be called a place of solitude, rather a place of meetings and leisure. How to choose an interior for such a difficult place in an apartment, in a house where coziness and comfort will be combined, and at the same time openness. After all, the hall is the face of the owners, its emotional component.

Deciding on the interior, having reviewed a thousand sites, we awkwardly ask the question: “How much will it cost to make repairs, equip, decorate the living room?” Of course, the phrase “expensive and beautiful” immediately appears in the mind, but many cannot afford such delights. But how to make a budget option to meet personal requirements. Indeed, in the pursuit of cheap materials, you can simply lose. We are faced with the task of choosing an interior without “hitting your pocket”. However, it should be stylish, not arrogant and at the same time cozy.

There are many trends in the interior, the most popular are:

• Classic style;
• Modern;
• High tech;
• Loft;
• Minimalism;
• Pop Art;
• Eco style;
• Art Deco.

From the above, the style is awkwardly striking - "minimalism". A style characterized by simplicity and at the same time brevity and brightness of the composition. There should be a little of everything, which is suitable for an inexpensive budget.

Pop art can also be suitable, where color accents are placed on a white background. Loft where it is possible to leave the walls uncovered.

And also, modern living room interior design ideas can be found in the material:

The interior of the hall in the apartment: photos of budget options

Having decided on the style of the interior (for example, minimalism). We select the color scheme of the walls, floor, ceiling. The simplest, non-pressing colors are light, warm. It will be good to combine a white glossy ceiling with a coffee floor, plain colors are also suitable here.

It is possible to put a plain fleecy carpet in the middle, giving softness and comfort to the room.

It is necessary not to burden the living room by placing only the necessary furniture - a sofa, a couple of ottomans, perhaps a simple coffee table. You should not clutter up the living room with cabinets; instead of them, it is better to organize shelves on the wall where the TV, speakers, and decor elements will be placed. You need to furnish the room to a minimum.

How to cheaply decorate a hall: design and decoration

After the repair and arrangement of furniture, sometimes one gets the feeling that the room is “naked”, empty. In order to “dress” the space, so to speak, it is necessary to decorate it. There are a variety of options for how to decorate the living room. These are flowers, glossy paintings, stylish photo collages, various souvenirs, figurines, and decorative items. To save the budget, it is possible only to make decorations for the hall with your own hands.

Flowers, they can be arranged around the perimeter of the living room. What flowers to choose? Possibly alive. But they need to be looked after, watered, replanted, loosened the ground. The choice of colors depends on the lighting and location of the room, not everyone likes the scorching sun near the window, or a dark corner.

It is necessary to choose plants depending on the interior. Exotic (palm trees, ferns), with fragrant flowers (lilies) or even mini-greenhouses.

Perhaps pick up artificial flowers. They do not require such care as living ones, however, it is necessary to wipe and wash them from time to time. Make your own herbarium, from dried country plants, covered with varnish and sparkles.

On the wall, on the shelves, you can place ready-made family photo collages, where the most emotional moments are captured, giving the mood to the living room. Or hang a picture that you can draw yourself. It does not matter that there will be fuzzy lines that are far from reality, you can draw abstractly. Or frame an old photograph, a funny note left from school days, an expensive autograph of your favorite star.

On the shelves, it is possible to place transparent vases of interesting shape, filled with colored pebbles, balls.

Curtains help emphasize the chosen style in an original way. Perhaps it will be classic curtains, London, Italian, roller blinds or even blinds, it really tastes. You can also sew it yourself, choosing the color and texture of the material.

The carpet will also bring a mood that you can weave yourself from old things. It will bring exclusivity, originality and home warmth. The selected decor element will give an accent, mood and fullness to the room.

How to make repairs without extra costs? The main thing is to choose good wallpapers. Our tips will help you:

Universal living room: an economical decoration option

Make the living room inexpensive and stylish, perhaps without spending a lot of time and money. You can also save on wall coverings by leaving brick or concrete without wallpaper. Get a cottage atmosphere. And if there is a desire to hide all the flaws of the wall, then non-woven or vinyl wallpaper, textured plaster are well suited. The most budget option for floors is linoleum, which can be easily covered with a carpet.

It is necessary to carefully approach the choice of furniture. When we have decided on the image of the interior, we gradually fill the living room. You should not shove accidentally caught furniture, otherwise the style of the interior will be distorted.

Curtains and carpet are important elements, they will give softness, conciseness to the living room. Wall shelves are one of the simplest and most inexpensive decorations for an empty wall. Making shelves with your own hands is not difficult and inexpensive, you just need fasteners, boards and possibly paint. Shelves can be made in a variety of configurations, painted with bright colors, or simply rubbed with sandpaper.

And what about lighting? The most budget option is a pendant lamp. The fixtures are also available in a variety of configurations. During the day, it will serve as an element of decor, and in the evening, spot lighting will add romance and comfort.

Expert advice: budget interior of the hall (video)

Having made repairs, arranged furniture, hung a lamp and curtains, laid a carpet, filled the hall with our own made decorations, we ask the question: "Did you manage to save money?" !

Examples of the budget interior of the hall (photo)

In this article, we will tell our readers about a truly magnificent home, restored and furnished at no extra cost. Katherine Fugit and her husband Conan fell in love with the house at first sight, even though the property was formerly owned by a bank and was in very poor condition.

“My husband stumbled across this option on his way to lunch. He didn't even want to tell me about the place at first, because it seemed like there was too much work,” says Katherine.

A few weeks later, she accidentally saw the house online. The rest is now history.

They had to work very fast, because three months after the purchase, they had 50 guests at the wedding.

House area - 230 square meters, there are 4 bedrooms. The building was once a women's boarding house.

The 1940 census allowed the Fugits to trace the family that ran the mansion in the last century. The granddaughter of the former owners told interesting facts about the house, for example, that her grandparents slept in the dining room, and the bedrooms upstairs were completely occupied.

In the kitchen, the future spouses removed a layer of old plaster to reveal wooden beams. They painted everything white, including old cabinets, added new kitchen appliances and an old stove. They also removed several layers of linoleum and polished the wooden floors.

Office Furnishings: Martha Stewart for The Home Depot; lighting: Lowe's; shells: 1000 bulbs; lamps: The Home Depot; Blankets: Atwoods Farm Supply.

Katherine and Conan painted their old fridge to look like a chalkboard and used an old basement floor beam as a shelf above the stove to add even more character and history to the space.

The total cost of remodeling the kitchen was a little less than $400. Now take a look at this room before the update.

In this photo - an old stove and a completely ordinary refrigerator.

Here you can see the kitchen with outdated appliances, dirty floors and sagging ceiling tiles.

A young couple was able to make repairs without buying brand new appliances, cabinets or countertops. The fresh paint and renovation of the main elements made the kitchen almost perfect.

The basement floor beam was placed as a kitchen shelf above the stove. To do this, they cut it off and used two brackets (about $3.50 each) to attach it to the wall.

Here is a view of the living room before it was redecorated.

Katherine and Conan decided that the National Geographic collection would be part of their living room, as this hobby is of great importance to their family. The shelves have been designed specifically for this purpose.

The color of the walls was made muted due to the colorful magazine covers, but very warm - so that the finish looks pleasant under artificial lighting. The main goal was to create a room like a cigar box - full of treasures and pretty pictures.

Young people rearranged the furniture so that the newly bought sofa was now in front of the windows and shelving.

The color of the walls echoes the magazine covers and yellow decor elements. The stylish sofa was just a godsend and cost only $25.

The couple also re-glazed the double-pane windows. And now you can open them at the same time as the back door to create a light breeze in the evening.

Wall paint: CrumbCookie, Olympic.

Here's what the fireplace screen looked like before the update.

Katherine and Conan painted the mantel and dining area, and added molding and a new light fixture. In order to find the right fit, they spent countless hours poring over blogs and designs from big-name designers online.

Door painted: Black Magic, Olympic.

The Fugits family bought this Eden pendant light from CB2. He approached the gray walls.

Paint: Ash Mist, Olympic

The 1917 bathroom lost its character somewhere along the way to the present, and then began flooding the kitchen below.

Katherine and Conan cleared the plaster from this space, removed the old tiles under the layers of linoleum, recreated its pattern, polished the old bathtub standing on legs in the form of paws. Found an unusual drain on Craigslist.

There's a $100 clawfoot tub here that's been painted black. If you're creative and willing to put in a little effort, you can do amazing things even on a tiny budget.

Exterior paint: Montpelier Madison White, Valspar; walls: White Knight, ACE Hardware; bath: Black Magic, Olympic; floor tiles: Merola, Home Depot.

This closet with blue shelving originally had forest green painted on it, but the dark color didn't work well with the rest of the room's neutral theme.

Katherine and Conan purchased these shutters from a thrift store for just $4. Two coats of paint and new hinges - perfect for a vintage bathroom!

Young people have made a modern stylish study out of the third bedroom, which was previously painted in rich colors. They started with the snow-white paint from Olympic and placed a built-in table and shelves with compartments for a printer, scanner and office supplies. Bookshelves add pops of color and are eye-catching.

The guest room also speaks volumes about the savings: the metal bed frame was purchased for $10 and is painted in high-gloss black. The paintings were bought from a charity shop.

Almost every piece of furniture in this cozy home was found in a thrift store. Working on items in good condition and putting a little love into them is one of the best things you can do for the environment and your home.

Cheap but stylish renovation of a small apartment

Many panic at the word repair. First of all, because this phenomenon is directly related to high costs. Yes, after the repair, many feel as if they were robbed. It is impossible to exclude expenses, but it is in your power to reduce them, without compromising the quality of the repair. So, how to make an apartment stylish, spending a minimum of savings on it?

What not to save on

The most important thing in repair is a quality foundation. This means that the floors must be even, the walls smooth and also even, and the corners must be strictly 90 degrees. What threatens such disproportion? Everything is known in the details. So, if you have uneven walls, it meansthat the skirting boards will not completely adjoin them, ugly gaps will appear, unambiguously spoiling the appearance. Further, problems with uneven corners will show up when you install cabinet corner furniture. Well, on a crooked floor, lockers will stand shaky-roll. In general, if you decide to rely on independent forces for repairs, your work must be perfect. Pouring floors, leveling and plastering walls,engage in wall decoration, installation of suspended ceilings - all this should be done by professionals. Believe me, having saved on the base, you risk later laying out a much larger amount to correct errors.Do not forget that it is very important to properly lay wires around the apartment, pipes in the bathroom.Much also depends on the quality of the finish, namely its practicality andappearance. Even the most expensive ceramic tiles, laid out crookedly or cut off unevenly, will spoil the entire interior of the room.

Expensive does not mean stylish

For some reason, we mistakenly believe that expensive building and finishing materials look better, and as a result, they are 100%guarantee of a successful repair. Unfortunately, it is not. Of course, we do not put you in front of a choice between the cheapest and most expensive material. This is not entirely true, because first of all we should talk about quality and reliability, whether it is a building mixture, a finishing material or an interior item. Quality is above all, the rest is up to you. And it should fall on the most profitable options for the wallet. Repair is serious business, so take it seriously. Compare different options, read reviewsabout finishing materials on the Internet.

How to reduce repair costs

We will not go into details about which building material is better to choose, because. as mentioned above - the main quality. Consider the interior elements that form the basis of design.

Let's start with the design itself. It’s not worth spending money, I’m hiring a designer to tell you which corner to put the sofa in and which TV. To date, a lot of interesting options for the design of apartments of various sizes and designs can be found in the public domain on the Internet. This is easy to do, you just need time to choose one or another design option. It is not necessary to repeat it exactly, you can just see what color variations are combined, what is more suitable for one or another type of finish, and finally, how upholstered furniture looks in the interior of the room.

The main components of the interior are finishing material for walls, furniture, decor items and floors.

Let's start with the floor. Many cover it with linoleum, which is quite justified. This material is relatively cheap. practical, but if we are talking about a stylish apartment - this is definitely not the linoleum that should decorate.Options: laminate, self-leveling floors. Laminate is cheaper than self-leveling floors and it looks very nice. This is a versatile material that can be matched in style to any interior.

Wall decoration - there can be a lot of variations on this theme. Cheap options - wallpaper. But, you have to really work hard to find cheap wallpapers of decent quality and with a pattern not a la "I'm visiting my grandmother."Did you know that many designers offer their clients not to cover the walls with anything at all, leaving the brick for everyone to see. The idea is very interesting, but requires a style specification (combine this option with a fireplace - it will be ideal). Expensive decorative plaster can be replaced with a regular one applied with a relief roller, all this splendor can then be painted in any color, but just carefully select the paint.

Interior items - exactly onthey spend a huge chunk of their money. Minimalist style to help you. Buying cabinet furniture is not cheap. However, as practice shows, much cheaper and more practicalbuy itemsinterior separately.

Pay attention to the junk that is left of the former situation. Now this is called vintage, and if you skillfully beat this style into the interior (including wallpaper, purchase a couple of antiques, hang black and white photographs), then you won’t have to buy anything. A rocking chair will perfectly complement the interior, they are usually cheaper than ordinary soft chairs.

Cheap but stylish renovation - photo

Any designer knows that beautiful does not mean expensive. And vice versa: expensive is not always beautiful. With any budget, you can get both a stylish and cozy interior and a nightmarish bad taste. By the way, a modest budget saves many from ugly luxury. Not having large funds, a person is forced to strive for something simple, unpretentious. But it is simplicity, as you know, that is the most beautiful and pretty.

P. I. Tchaikovsky wrote: “Beauty in music does not consist in a heap of effects and harmonic curiosities, but in simplicity and naturalness.” These words are true for most types of art, including architecture and design.

So, a small budget is not an obstacle to creating a beautiful, harmonious interior. But certain difficulties, of course, may arise. How and on what can you save? How, having spent a minimum, squeeze out a maximum and achieve harmony?

We bring to your attention a few simple rules and secrets. There is no need to follow them inside and out. These are not dogmas, but just tips, following which will make it easier for you to solve the problem.

1. Start by choosing a style

If you have to create on a low budget, it’s better not to aim at luxurious styles. , art deco, neo-baroque, traditional classics, Moroccan style, etc. - in the direction of these directions it is not worth looking. Their low-budget incarnation is unlikely to come out worthy. Quite capricious and Provence style.

Much less demanding are styles such as minimalism, scandinavian, modern european and industrial.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian

Modern European with elements of Scandinavian

Interior in modern style

Industrial style. Design: Odnushechka studio

Industrial style (aka loft)

If you like refinement and strict balance, you can give preference modern classics. This style gives more freedom and allows a lot of liberties, unlike traditional classics. Where there are fewer frames and conventions, it is easier to save money there.

2. Develop a detailed plan

In order not to spend money on the purchase of unnecessary and, in fact, unnecessary items, it is worthwhile to make a list of all the necessary furniture in advance.

It is advisable to draw a plan of the dwelling and bring furniture into it, having decided on its optimal location. A clear plan will help you avoid unnecessary expenses.

Next, you need to decide what materials will be used. If you want to wallpaper the wall behind the bed, you can do without filigree surface preparation in this place. If a fragment of the wall under the TV is sheathed with a board opposite the bed, there is no point in perfectly leveling this area. Preliminary planning and drafting will allow you to immediately mark those surfaces that need to be carefully prepared. This work, as you know, is not cheap. Partial preparation of the walls will save money, because payment is taken per square meter.

The same with the ceiling. If it is decided in advance to use a stretch fabric in the bathrooms, it makes no sense to level the surface of the ceiling. Simply clean and wash it.

By planning the construction of built-in wardrobes and pantries and immediately deciding on their location and size, you can save a little on wall and ceiling decoration. There is no need to use expensive materials inside these nooks and crannies. If you plan to install a large wardrobe, finishing the wall behind it is also pointless.

3. Choose simple furniture

Budget furniture with an intricate design and a claim to luxury often loudly "screams" about its cheapness.

If the budget is limited, it is better to opt for simple, laconic furniture in restrained tones.

Working with neutral furniture is easy. To make it play, it is enough to decorate it with accessories and decorative elements. So, a simple inexpressive table will instantly change if you put an attractive table lamp on it. A gray or beige minimalist sofa will become more comfortable and elegant if you decorate it with pillows and a blanket.

It is better not to stick out large cabinets. Let them blend in with the environment as much as possible.

Design: Tatiana Ivanova

To bring brightness and showiness, use medium-sized pieces of furniture. Complement, for example, a laconic neutral sofa with an expressive one. If an almost inconspicuous closet is installed in the hallway, defuse the situation with a spectacular bench.

4. Save money with built-in wardrobes

The construction of cabinets and closets (for example, from drywall) is usually cheaper than buying ready-made or custom-made furniture.

Design: Katerina Lashmanova

For such a cabinet, you will only need to buy shelves and a door. However, instead of a door, a curtain can be used, which is important for bedrooms and bathrooms.

Having built a pantry in the kitchen, it will be possible to have a headset. This will significantly reduce its cost.

5. Choose finishing materials with a simple design

Laminate, linoleum, cheap tiles - why not? After all, our goal is to make a budget interior beautiful and elegant, not luxurious. But there is one important rule: the cheaper the material, the simpler its appearance should be. Laminate - only under a tree. Linoleum - under a laminate or plain. However, it can also imitate tiles, but monochromatic is better.

Inexpensive tiles or panels with a marble pattern create a ripple effect. This finish looks clumsy and colorful. When choosing a budget tile, it is better to stop at the simplest, one-color one.

Cheap imitations of expensive parquet and precious stone look ridiculous in a budget interior. Such a discrepancy deprives him of harmony.

You need to carefully select interior doors. If everything around is distinguished by restraint and minimalism, doors with a claim to luxury simply will not fit into the situation. Smooth blank canvases and strict paneled doors, including shaker-style frame samples, are always and everywhere appropriate. If you want to install doors with glass, then let it be a traditional rectangular or arched insert made of transparent or corrugated glass. Inserts of complex curvilinear shapes, including those decorated with patterns, are no longer relevant. In addition, they do not fit with a moderate budget environment.

6. Combine cheap finishes with more expensive ones

It is not necessary to cover the entire bathroom - from floor to ceiling - with cheap tiles. Yes, this will save you money, but will such an interior please you? You can buy more expensive tiles and cover the walls with it only halfway, and paint on top. Or do it differently: for example, line three walls with cheap tiles or paint, and finish the wall behind the washbasin, toilet or bathroom with expensive tiles or mosaics.

Design: Yulia Piskareva

Don't be afraid of paint. Unlike wallpaper and tiles, you determine its color yourself. Thanks to its interesting color, you can achieve amazing results.

Design: Vera Tarlovskaya

If you really liked expensive wallpapers or, for example, facing bricks, buy this material in small quantities. Create accent areas with it. For example, cover only one wall in the bedroom with expensive wallpaper - behind the bed. The rest of the walls can be pasted over with budget non-woven wallpaper and put them under painting.

partial apron

Design: Vera Tarlovskaya

7. If the possibilities and the chosen style allow, leave some surfaces without finishing

In new buildings, and sometimes in old houses, you can find good concrete or good brickwork. Some of these surfaces can be left in their original form, saving on finishing. Of course, some processing is still required, but it will cost incomparably cheaper.

Of course, the decision must be made depending on the style direction of the interior. For modern, Scandinavian and industrial styles, the presence of such rough surfaces is very characteristic. If you chose light elegant classics or elegant Provence - this option is not for you.

Design: Odnushechka studio

8. Use curtains instead of partitions and doors

No, this is not yesterday and not grandmother's design. The use of textiles is very important now. The fabric and the curtain holder will certainly cost less than the construction of walls and the purchase of doors. There are very decent fabrics in the budget segment. Of course, a thin chintz cloth will not decorate the interior, but heavy velvet curtains will also be out of place here.

9. Think carefully about the interior palette

A win-win solution is a neutral gamma. If you use white, gray, beige or gray-beige as a base, it will be much easier to create an elegant interior.

Saturated, deep colors are very binding. Everything should be neat and of high quality, because any imperfections will immediately catch the eye. Neutral gamma, on the contrary, smooths out imperfections.

Bright colors are best introduced in doses, in the form of accents. Including in the form of accent areas on walls and floors.

10. Bet on decor

Any cheap item with a simple design can be beaten with decor. A rustic dining group will be transformed if you decorate it with an interesting pendant lamp, a textile path and a vase of flowers. Is it possible to purchase a bed with a spectacular headboard? No problem! Choose a simple bed and buy a good bedspread and pillows for it. Decorate the bed with textiles, and it will take on a completely different look - more sophisticated and elegant. Does a white tiled bathroom look too spartan? Pick up an unusual mirror, hang neon-colored towels and decorate the wall with a creative poster.

Decor can be quite inexpensive, even cheap. It is only important to choose the right color, texture, shape and quality.

In a word, if the budget is small, it is better to bet not on the showiness of furniture, but on the expressiveness of the decor.

And finally. Rejecting complex cabinets, squiggle doors, figured false ceilings, plasterboard niches and ridiculous arches, that is, from much that has long been set on edge, you can save a lot. This money is better spent on good decor: table and wall lamps, pillows, vases, mirrors, posters, rugs, indoor plants, wall clocks, etc. A neutral, discreet base and lovingly selected decor is the secret to success for a budget interior.