published about 5 hours ago
Going the DIY route is a great way to deck your home out with some stunning artwork while sticking to a smaller budget.
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“Not only will it save you money, but it also really allows you the opportunity to add your personality to the space, explains Laura McGurk, a Realtor at CENTURY 21 Breeden Realtors in Columbus, Indiana.”Doing a project yourself could potentially allow you to create a larger-scale piece of art that would’ve been cost prohibitive if you hired an artist or designer.”
Here’s what McGurk and other real estate agents have to say about DIY-ing your way into some fabulous home decor, typically for under $20.
The right piece of art on your wall easily makes the difference between a boring, sterile environment and a warm, inviting space that you want to spend time in, according to McGurk. She says that creating your own inviting environment can be as easy as looking out your own front door. “Multi-dimensional art is really ‘on-trend,’” she says. “Things like living walls (made with plants), texture on the wall that invites touch, and using natural materials (think sticks, vines, branches, stones) are all popular choices.”
There’s a reason why home stagers love displaying photographs in matted frames. Not only is playing with the negative space around the image “modern and impactful,” according to Alice T. Chan, stager, designer and project director at Freemodel, a pre-sale home renovation company, but it also allows you to highlight some unusual finds.
“A great DIY hack is to cut pages out of calendars and books and frame them,” Chan says. “Having larger mats custom cut will give inexpensive images a more high-end finish.” She suggests trying a 20’ by 20’ frame with a custom mat to fit an 8’ by 10’ photo instead of the traditional 11’ by 14’ frame that is normally used.
Turn samples into staples.
As a real estate agent, Jennifer Keschner with Signature Premier in Long Island says she often reminds her clients to keep everything neutral so that potential buyers can picture themselves in the house. Unfortunately, that can leave the walls looking pretty empty. This is why she says she loves the idea of finding unique wallpaper samples that have detailed or beautiful designs but remain neutral in color.
“Cut the sample down into three squares and frame them with simple frames from the craft store,” she says, adding that she likes using large white mattes to really make the design pop. “Hang them in a row and the outcome will be stellar.”
Get creative with canvas.
Another simple DIY Keschner loves is going out to the local craft store to pick up a pack of canvases and two coordinating colors (make sure they’re matte and neutral colors). “Simply paint two canvases with one color and the other two with the other — and hang them in a 4-square for a dramatic and abstract art piece!”
The dollar store can hold a wealth of inexpensive items that can help complete your designed look (and on a budget at that), which is why Keschner says she’s a huge fan of going there for supplies when it comes time to create art for staging purposes.
Keschner says she loves removing pages from old books and then framing them to create a “classic art look.” You can DIY these types of masterpieces on the cheap when you source books from thrift stores or book swaps and pick up your frames at the dollar store.
