Decorating Tips for a Shoestring Budget
Call us optimists, but we think everyone under the sun can, and should, have a beautiful home.
If you're pinching pennies, there's plenty you can do to create a stylish and inviting home for yourself and your friends.
The first step (and this is true no matter where or how you live) is to clean your home and get it organised. Doing those two things alone will drastically improve the quality of your space.
Then, on to decorating. With years of budget decorating behind (and in front of!) us, we've amassed a few helpful tips for 'making house' with a slim wallet.
1. Paint an accent wall
STAND OUT: This one wall, in the home of Melbourne designer Miranda Skoczek, brings something extra-special to her bedroom without going overboard.
Painting your walls is one of the most cost-effective decorative updates you can make to your home. But if you're on a shoestring budget, the two cans of $30 paint it may require to paint your bedroom could very well put you off.
Instead, consider painting an accent wall. One litre (which will cover around 9 square metres) or a 2.5-litre can (which covers up to 24 square metres) is likely all you'll need to cover a single wall, which can make just as much of an impact.
2. Get rid of unsightly items
FIRE THE WIRE: This clever little picket fence, designed by Karl Zahn, provides some fun inspiration for ways you can tidy up all those wires that often dominate the modern day living room.
Before you start worrying about what you can and cannot afford to buy, consider what you should get rid of, or unsightly items that you need to hide.
Dated, worn or damaged items could be doing the look of your home a disservice, and if they're non-essential, removing them can give your home a clean slate.
One of the worst offenders common in rental apartments is vertical blinds. Or how about those not-so-stylish college posters you've been holding on to? Let go, or at least put them in storage.
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Why do you think they're selling well?
More houses are selling in Cambridge now than they were in 2021’s peak housing market.
The median house price has remained consistent at just above $1 million over the last year, but reaching a peak of nearly $1.5m in January 2022.
Why do you think they're selling well? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️