Interior design is generally not a cheap process, and we tend to believe firmly in the maxim that you get what you pay for. Buying high-quality pieces and employing the services of skilled designers and craftspeople wherever you can will always pay off. But on the flipside of that argument, there are plenty of affordable decorating ideas that will allow you to update your interiors with relative ease and peace of mind.
Many of the design details we remember from the pages of House & Garden are remarkable for their cleverness, not for the amount of money that has been spent on them. Matilda Goad’s checquerboard chimneypiece, Nicky Haslam’s painted cartouches, and Bridie Hall’s bright red floorboards are among the most memorable things we have featured. Recently, Joshua Hale’s jewel box of a cottage in the Cotswolds has provided a masterclass in clever, creative and budget-friendly design – and achieved on a tight deadline, too – while the Wiltshire home of miniature makers Mulvany & Rogers shows the real charm of handcrafted style. To create something charming and eye-catching on a shoestring is a test of any designer’s ingenuity. Here are some ideas to steal from the best of the best to help you to give your home an affordable refresh.
