PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLESTON REVISIONS
BY MARY BLAKE MULLINS
Walking inside someone’s house is almost as personal, if not more so, than going through someone’s emails or cell phone. It can reveal a person’s habits through the cleanliness of a bathroom, kitchen or closet; it can depict treasured memories through framed photographs of smiling loved ones; and most of all, it can present the way a person chooses to see the world by the environment they create to live in. “Your home should be a reflection of your soul,” explains interior designer Polly Dunaway Cockrell.
Interior design can be a true form of self-expression. While some overlook this process, others cannot feel at home until their houses looks like homes, which means decorating, rearranging and filling their spaces with things they love. One of the toughest lessons that comes through this process, though, is realizing how expensive, time consuming and confusing it can be to really pull a space together.
“Decorating doesn’t always have to be such a mystery though,” says Cockrell. She and other decorating pros—Geneva Bergelt, store manager of Charleston Revisions, and Mackenzie Horan, style and home blogger at DesignDarling.com—share decorating tips, tricks and advice on how to get the look for less.
Where to start:
The general consensus is to start as one might when considering a new haircut: find inspiration in pictures from books, magazines or the Internet, gather those pictures all together into a collection and then use that collection to determine your the kind of look you’re after. Decide if it’s traditional, modern, cozy, eclectic or anything in between.
Next, consider how the room will be used. Will it be for family, entertaining or both? What kind of activities will happen there? “The room needs to be just as much functional as it is stylish, or it will never stay that way,” advises Cockrell.
“The [next] stage of the design process is figuring out a color palette and assessing light and dimensions of the space,” says Bergelt.
Start by referring back to the collection of inspiration photos and “determine what creates the feeling or style you want to duplicate,” says Cockrell. Ask, “What colors are present? What style is the furniture? What textures are brought in to create that feeling? How large is the space and how much light is there to work with?”
Next, draw up a floor plan and play with different arrangements to find a layout that is functional while also achieving the desired look. Then, set your budget. “Make a list of everything you have, everything you need, where you’ll splurge and where you’ll save,” says Horan.
Shopping Tips:
When shopping, “adhere to the philosophy of buying quality over quantity,” says Cockrell, “and don’t try to buy everything all at once.” Instead, collect slowly over time and never settle for second best just to fill an empty space. Also, always keep an eye out for one-of-a-kind or vintage finds.
“Shop anywhere and everywhere; you never know what you’ll find,” advises Cockrell.
Bergelt agrees. “I love browsing Etsy and stopping at every vintage/antique/mom and pop funk shop I come across.”
Where to splurge:
Splurge on one major piece at a time. One of the first splurge items should be a “quality sofa in a neutral fabric that will last,” says Cockrell, or, as Bergelt puts it, a “kick-ass sofa.” Pick one that will hold up over the years and can be restyled over and over again with different toss pillows.
Next, splurge on “accessories [you] fall in love with,” says Cockrell, like artwork, lamps, or other decorative objects. “I believe the lighting in a room makes or breaks it,” she says. “When you buy things you love, you will know where they need to be placed. Make it personal, your home is the space you live in and should be a reflection of your soul.”
Where to scrimp:
To save, “hunt around at Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity for furniture that you can refinish and that is made of good old solid wood,” says Bergelt. Also, ask family members if they have any furniture they would like to donate.
Revamp old furniture by repainting pieces that have good, clean lines. Try using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a water based, low volatile organic compound paint, which Bergelt calls a “DIY’ers dream” because “you don’t have to sand, prime or prep the surface, saving you beaucoup time and making the process stress free.”
Additionally, “don’t forget the power of changing the handles on a chest or changing the fabric on a chair,” says Cockrell. “You can truly reinvent a piece and make it your own with a little perspective.”