Big Statement, Small Budget

Belinda Albo – Interior Designer and Author
Read Belinda Albo’s Bio

Opening up your small space can make a huge impact.

One thing I have learned is that not all budgets or homes have to be big to be beautiful. What is most important is how a home makes you feel.

Last year my husband and I bought a home that was dilapidated inside and out, but the price was right. The rooms were small and the hallways tight and we soon nicknamed our home the “Hobbit” house. Instead of tearing it down we decided to renovate it because we knew that it had ”good bones” and a lot of potential.

After several weeks of intense activity, and several dumpsters later, we knew that things were going to look a lot worse before they started to get better. Our options and decisions seemed endless but I realized that was nothing to complain about.

My husband and I love space and lots of it so we opted for an ultimate open plan concept. Our home lifestyle is active and this gave our young children the extra space to run about.

To maximize on our limited square footage we removed as many interior walls as possible and eliminated our hallway altogether. Our unconventional approach meant a flexible environment that allowed me the decorating freedom I wanted. My penchant for change and the ability to move furniture around from one room to another eliminated my fear of getting bored with my space.

Since I love to cook and entertain I focused my attention on the rooms in the house we use the most. The open floor plan allows me to interact with my guests and kids while working in the kitchen.

Open plans look most connected when the colour scheme is simple. I chose one main colour throughout my home – a simple beige – as a foolproof colour that works with almost everything.

What I love most about renovating is that it renews, refreshes and reincarnates a home. The value to staying put and renovating means you can get exactly what you want. You can go from hating to being in love with your home. Before we started, I imagined a home that had a place for all my things, a home that made me feel that dreams could come true and that anything is possible. I hope that the dreams you have for your home come true too – because they can.

Here are four tips we applied in order to maximize our budget:

1. We mixed expensive purchases with more affordable ones. We saved money by buying prefabricated maple cabinets, which in turn allowed us to upgrade our counter from a laminate to a polished granite.

2. For our kitchen backsplash we used large, inexpensive porcelain floor tiles and combined them with more expensive aluminum accent mosaic tiles. The $150 we spent on the 50 metal tiles provided the additional edge we were looking for.

3. We wanted stainless steel appliances and saved money by shopping around. Stainless steel has become more affordable in the last few years and the selection is endless. Appliances are also now available in a stainless steel look, called clean steel, for a fraction of the cost of true stainless steel.

4. Trendy brushed nickel halogen light fixtures fulfilled the final look we were going for. These can be purchased for a reasonable price at most Do It Yourself stores.