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Nina du Pre, Interior Designer based in The Hague shares a series of some helpful ideas on how to revamp your home without breaking the bank.
Paint your dated pine furniture. It will give it a whole new lease of life. The same applies to mirror or picture frames. Some pine furniture can look quite dated but often the shape and style are still in mode. By painting it white, off white, black, dark grey or even silver, you can bring that piece of furniture up to date. Ask any decorating shop for advice on what to do and what to use. Don’t however paint hard wood antique furniture. It’s best to hang on to those. Even if they are not in fashion now, they will be again at some point in the future. My favourite place to get paints and equipment is Frits van Laar Verfhandel, Bankastraat 83, Den Haag. They have a wonderful selection of the best quality paints and are more than happy to give advice on what products you need for your painting jobs.
Create a whole new colour scheme by changing your accessories. Cushions, throws, lampshades, vases and other accessories are easier and cheaper to change than a sofa or armchair. Add neutral accessories such as black, white, or greys but also, ivory, creams and browns. You could also create a harmonious scheme where you combine colours that sit next to each other on a colour wheel or complimentary colours which sit opposite each other on a colour wheel. Each colour scheme can create a completely different look and atmosphere to your room.
Flowers are cheaper in Holland, take advantage of it. Nothing lifts an area quite like a vase of fresh flowers. Keep it simple: a vase containing a bunch of tulips looks wonderful or try just one solitary brightly coloured flower in a simple vase. One of my favourite places to get flowers in The Hague is Au Petit Pont on the corner of Mauritskade and Schoolstraat . It’s a market like corner shop where it’s just about the flowers. There is always a good selection all year round and they are very happy to make any kind of bouquet for you.
Don’t be an Ikea snob. They have some excellent designs, just use it in moderation and use your imagination. Use Ikea furniture for the basics but add your own unique accessories to it. It’s a bit like wearing an H&M white tee shirt and carrying a great designer handbag. No one thinks twice about where the tee shirt comes from. You can add beautiful/interesting handles and knobs to Ikea cupboard doors. The LACK shelving competes with any contemporary design and you can play around with their BESTA and PAX units to suit your exact needs.
{mosimage}This Ikea mirror creates an eye catching centrepiece to this room.
Learn to decorate. If you do the labour yourself all you have to pay for is a few paintbrushes a ladder and a few pots of paint. Make sure you prepare all surfaces and once you get going, you will be amazed how quickly the job gets done. Perhaps start with a small project first and build on your experience. Again, go to Frits van Laar Verfhandel, Bankastraat 83 for products and advice.