6 cheap and creative ways to colour up your life

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
Residência Lorena, Mauricio Arruda Design Mauricio Arruda Design Eclectic walls & floors
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When decorating on a budget it can be a good strategy to stick with neutral tones. Blacks, browns, whites, and greys are agreeable with most and you are less likely to want to change them in a few years when your tastes change. Neutrals also match easily with other colours, so you won’t have to replace your entire living room to coordinate with the addition of a colourful sofa or chair you introduce later on. Neutrals are all well and good from a practical perspective, but sometimes we would all like to colour up our lives. Doing so doesn’t align itself with one particular style of design, either. Even in the most minimal white space it’s appropriate to add a pop of colour in a piece of wall art for instance. So how exactly do you add colour on a budget? Here are 6 simple and creative ways to colour up your life!

DIY cushions

If you are looking to invest in a sofa that you will like for years to come, it is wise to choose a neutral colour. Yet, perhaps right now you just love the look of bold shades in interior design. Not to fear. You can have your cake and eat it too by opting for colourful cushions to accent your chair or sofa. Really, it is a wonder what a difference a bright pop of colour in the form of a cushion or two can do to a space. Plus, making your own is neither difficult nor expensive. Just find a few pieces of fabric that you find interesting and adhere them to a premade cushion or follow a pattern and make your own pillowcases. We love the look of these mismatched cushions on this neutral denim sofa. You can easily swap them out as your tastes change as well.

Colourful curtains

Another way to add some colour that is sure to go unnoticed is with some curtains. Again, these can be rather simple to make if you’d like to customise them to fit your unique interior. In a living room that is otherwise neutral, you can even feel free to go bold. Using a pattern of fabric with some colour tones present in the existing room will help to better incorporate the curtains without having to put too much thought into it. Alternatively, you could choose curtains in a solid colour that contrast the existing colour palette in order to create a striking colour complementary effect. Because curtains are cheaper than furniture, and you can always make them yourself, you have more freedom to play around with different styles and patterns.

Flowers and plants

Maceta Pinchos Bill, RUGE RUGE Modern style balcony, porch & terrace Pottery Plants & flowers

Perhaps the least permanent means of bringing colour into your interior is with the help of flowers and plants. Plants help to purify the air in your home and they add a sense of harmony and tranquillity. Plants can even boost your concentration and stimulate creativity. With all of this in mind it’s a wonder that we don’t all have small gardens in each room of the house! Decorating with regional flowers is an excellent way to coordinate your interiors with the seasons. You can change the colours in your home as much as you want this way. Additionally, you can choose a fun vase or planter for the plants to add even more colour and pizzazz. This spikey flower pot by Katmandu Ceramica is sure to be a conversation starter.

Colourful lights

Good lighting is an essential element of any interior. We must strive to ensure we have enough of the right kind of light appropriate for each space. It’s an art in itself, and taking advantage of this necessity to add a pop of colour to your home is an apt move. Colourful light fixtures are even more dazzling than other colour-adding implements because of their interaction with the light. For example, these gorgeous glass pendulum lights draw the eye because of the presence of light in each. The light reflects in the glass and makes them more dynamic in character. There are many different light fixtures available today, and many are quite beautiful and interesting to look at. The right light fixture can completely change the character of a room so bring on the colour!

Cheap accessories

Another impermanent means of adding a bit more colour to the rooms of your home is to decorate with the right accessories. You can purchase them for quite cheap at flea markets, some shops, or even online. You can be as simple or as intricate as you’d like with your accessorising and as daring in colour as you see fit. Small bottles, table clothes, glass figurines, old books, postcards, and photographs can add a lot of character to a space when working in tandem with one another. Collecting small but meaningful accessories can also help to personalise your interiors. This bright yellow handkerchief and the matching ceramic bottles add a little bit of spark to this relatively neutral space without breaking the bank.

DIY wall art

Finally, you don’t have to limit yourself to decorating your tables and shelves with small accessories. In fact, we wager that a spot in your home with a lot of potential for added colour are your walls. Adding wall art and decoration as a means of bringing more colour to your walls is a wonderful alternative to painting them. You can swap out the decoration for new pieces at a whim as well. Still, art can be quite expensive. For this reason we recommend you make your own. Without a lot of training or crafting knowledge you could make small macramé crafts or jewellery like the ones depicted here. Put them in some simple frames to give them a more formal appearance, and you have some truly unique wall décor! You could also add an adhesive sticker mural to the wall if your feel more comfortable using premade art but can’t afford to buy something by a professional.

To find out more tips for decorating on a budget, check out these budget bedroom hacks. Happy decorating!

These are just a few ways to bring colour to your interiors on a budget. We'd love to hear your ideas. Let us know your thoughts in the comments se...

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