Advertisement / Sponsored Content
This content is paid advertising and has been prepared in collaboration with the advertiser.
This post remains active as a legacy issue and is being phased out from January 2026.
Tasmanian Times no longer accepts requests for paid content or advertorials.
Thanks to the development of adhesive strips, temporary wallpaper, rechargeable lights and clever decorating tricks, creating a home that best showcases your personal style with a luxurious twist is easier than ever before.
If you are working with a small budget, it is crucial to make smart purchasing decisions to get the biggest bang for your buck. This should include taking advantage of popular year-end sales and deals, like Black Friday vacuum sale, end-of-season deals and holiday sales, to save money without compromising your dream style vision.
Upgrade Kitchen Hardware
The kitchen is arguably the most expensive room in your home to renovate. A design project can easily take many months to complete, costing you thousands of dollars in the process. However, replacing old, outdated kitchen hardware — such as cabinet and drawer handles, taps and switch covers — can significantly elevate your kitchen’s overall look in an easy, cost-effective way.
Opt for modern, vintage or eclectic styles based on your personal preferences and the existing styles in your kitchen and home. This simple change can be used in other rooms, including the bathroom, laundry room and pantry.
Update Light Features
While bright, overhead lighting may be suitable for some rooms in your home, many people find it too harsh for everyday living, instead preferring softer, warmer lighting options to create comfortable, cosy and intimate areas. Both light options have their place and purpose, and the best way to ensure maximum versatility from your lighting features is to switch to dimmer switches, according to most design experts.
Dimmers allow you to have full control over the brightness of your lights, helping you make the most of the spaces in your home by changing the purpose and mood of each room. This is particularly beneficial for people who work from home or live in small, multi-purpose spaces.
Upcycle Old Furniture
Give old and outdated furniture a new lease of life by upcycling it to fit with your home’s aesthetic. Spend some time searching through secondhand and thrift stores for furniture pieces that may need a little bit of DIY magic to bring back to life.
With a small budget, you can purchase the necessary paint, hardware, and sandpaper to transform many of these pieces into personalised gems that instantly inject character and interest into any space. Many tutorials and videos online show how different colours, finishes and techniques can achieve different looks.
Incorporate Greenery
Incorporating plants within your home brings the peace and serenity only Mother Nature can provide. Studies show that houseplants offer multiple health benefits, including boosting mood, reducing stress and filtering air to inject fresh oxygen into your space while removing unwanted carbon dioxide.
Regardless of how you rate your own gardening abilities, there are plenty of beautiful house plants to choose from, which require low maintenance and are both pet and child-friendly. Create a living wall with shelving stacked with plants, opt for a small collection of large potted plants or pick a few to place around the rooms you spend the most time in.
Improve Interior Doors
Interior doors don’t have to be solid and dull. While they primarily serve a very beneficial function, stylish, space-saving sliding barn doors or pocket doors are worth the investment. These door styles will instantly elevate the style of your home and are fantastic for creating separation within open floor plans.
Alternatively, you can choose to repaint them in a fresh colour, swap out boring window panels, or switch the door handles and hinges with updated hardware.
Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper
Painting the walls in your home is a big commitment. For people who rent, it is often not an option, limiting their design options and opportunities to refresh rooms. Thankfully, options now exist that allow anyone to boldly embrace patterned walls, which create a luxurious and upscale feel, without the permanent commitment and price tag of traditional methods.
Peel-and-stick wallpaper is a fantastic, budget-friendly update suitable for any room in your household. It is simple to apply and remove as needed, adding brilliant style that can be changed as your style and preferences do.
Applied Moulding
If you enjoy DIY projects and are handy with a saw, installing applied moulding to your walls is a budget-friendly way to add brilliant character and style to your home interior. Ashley Macuga, principal designer at The Collected Interiors, suggests adding mouldings to entries or primary bedrooms to frame mirrors, artwork, wall sconces and headboards.
While moulding is often painted the same colour as the wall itself, don’t be afraid to experiment with trim. Consider using a shade or two darker or lighter to achieve the perfect amount of contrast and increase the moulding’s impact.
Update Your Walkway
The front entry sets the tone for your home, so making a few clever updates here can have a big impact. Investing in a new walkway will significantly improve the overall look and add a fantastic style feature around which to build the rest of your landscape, creating a friendly facade that carries down to the street.
Additionally, consider sealing your front and back decks to protect them from the harsh weather conditions they will encounter throughout the year. Without proper maintenance, the lifespan of your deck will be considerably shorter and will likely cost you more money in the long run.
Advertisement / Sponsored Content — This content is a paid advertorial published in consideration of payment or other commercial benefit. The views, claims, statements, offers and representations are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, which does not endorse or verify them. This material is provided for general promotional information only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, investment or other professional advice; readers should make their own enquiries and seek professional advice before acting. Claims, testimonials and performance statements have not been independently verified unless stated. Offers and availability are subject to change and additional terms. This advertorial may contain links to third-party websites and the publisher may receive commissions or other benefits from reader engagement; the publisher is not responsible for third-party content or fulfilment. To the maximum extent permitted by Australian law, the publisher disclaims liability for reliance on this content, and nothing limits rights that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. Where applicable, this advertorial is authorised by the advertiser and does not constitute independent editorial content.
