How to get the celebrity look without breaking the bank

by Adam O'Connor, Top Interior Design Schools

Interior decorators typically set their prices based on the number of hours, square footage of the home, or various other methods. Once an agreement has been made to hire the designer, he or she may request a designer fee to be paid in advance. Fees can range from approximately $60-$300 per hour depending on level of expertise, region and demand for services.

By using the services of an interior designer you receive the benefit of their expertise to help you refine your selections and avoid costly mistakes. The right decorator with great money saving tips can go along way in getting you the “look of celebrities” for a lot less money.

If you know exactly what look you’re trying to pull off, you can decorate your home yourself. Ask yourself these questions about the room you want to redesign: what is the basic shape of the room, and what are its dimensions? What is its inherent nature? What are its problems? What are its assets? Make a floor plan to help you visualize where to place furniture, how many pieces will fit into the room?

When it comes to decorating, there really aren’t any rules. In their book Decorating Your Home on a Budget, Emilie Barnes and Yoli Brogger give the following eight home interior decorating tips:

• Always think hospitable, comfortable, cozy and practical
• Decorate for your family first
• Buy what you love — but avoid paying retail
• You don’t always have to love what you buy if it works to enhance what you love
• Work to create a pleasing ambience
• Put something alive in every room (plants, flowers, goldfish, anything)
• Add unusual little touches
• Don’t clutter your rooms with unnecessary knick knacks

Start with one room at a time when you’re looking for that new look. If you need inspiration, check out model homes, furniture stores, decorating TV shows, remodeling magazines and books, mail order catalogs, and newspaper ads. Paint is a relatively inexpensive decorating item, and it will give any room a dramatic makeover. Another option is to add floor coverings such as area and accent rugs.

Buying secondhand furniture and other accessories can have many advantages. You may well find items that are of higher quality than you would usually buy, or vintage furniture and accessories that can be refinished, as you like. Yard sales, consignment stores, moving sales, flea markets, or even hand-me-downs from friends and neighbors can be a big budget helper.

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