Furnishing Your Home On A Budget

Furnishing your house is often the last thing we consider doing when we are trying to cut back on costs. But, as I discovered when I met with some of Mallorca’s interior design experts, you can make your house a home to be proud of, without breaking the bank.

Justine from Knox Design in Santa Ponsa recommended going for some large pieces, when shopping for furniture on a budget: “One great way to really create a wow factor in your house is to buy big pieces. You don’t necessarily need a lot of accessories in order to create a focal point which is stylish and elegant.”

“Make sure you have a plan,” said Kristin from Mallorca Home Staging. “And take things one step at a time, do not rush.” When it comes to furniture and design it is very easy to get carried away and overbuy. Kristin advises starting with the bare minimum requirements and getting used to your new property slowly. “Only after you have lived somewhere for a while can you really appreciate what you would like to change about it, or how you would like to use each space.”

You are likely to need to buy beds and lounge furniture, but this is not an area where you can afford to cut corners. Your mattresses and sofas can affect your health and wellbeing and need to be chosen wisely. “We spend so much time either sleeping or relaxing, that cutting costs is only really going to cost you more in the long run,” said Caterin, from Maxim Confort. Instead, look to buy during a sale: Maxim Confort’s sales offer discounts of up to 50 per cent, which means your money buys you better quality. You’ll benefit from the largest selection of sofas to try, and also the knowledge and expertise of Maxim Confort’s helpful staff, who can advise you on the ‘perfect fit’ both for beds and sofas. abcClub members benefit from a special discount, so sign up now to take advantage of this and other offers.

One way to dramatically transform your house when on a budget is to paint it. Your walls take up so much space that painting them can give the place a real facelift. Paint palettes in Mallorca can be quite limited, so it might be worth contacting Mallorca Style, who can mix colours for you, achieving the exact tones you want for a quarter of the price.

“Windows are also easy to furnish and can make a huge difference,” said Kristin from Mallorca Home Staging. There are lots of affordable ready-made curtains available in Mallorca. “If you want to upgrade your bathrooms without overspending, just change the taps and mirrors,” said Justine from Knox Design. “And keep in mind that you do not have to use a bathroom mirror in a bathroom, you can use decorative mirrors to achieve maximum effect.”

Another piece of advice from Kristin of Mallorca Home Staging is to find something you love and use it as an inspiration for your colour scheme and furnishings: “It can be anything, a piece of art, a rug, a blanket – something you really like.” Once you have decided on your colours or style, you should stick to it and use it throughout your home. Take the item or a photo of it with you when you go shopping, and don’t let yourself be distracted by items which simply will not go with your colours or design idea.

V-ida in Palma has some gorgeous lamps and statement pieces made from natural elements, such as driftwood, and Roswitha is happy to advise shoppers on how to use them within their home: “Less is always more,” she reiterates.

You can also look for unique statement pieces at antique or second-hand shops; there’s a great second-hand market every Sunday in Santa Maria where you can find some unique pieces which you can either use as they are or revamp. You might be creative enough to do some of your own handiwork on second-hand pieces; Mallorcan dark wood furniture can be given a new lease of life with a coat of white paint, for instance, or sometimes just changing the knobs or handles on your furniture can make a huge difference. For those less creative, Knox Design in Santa Ponsa and Mallorca Style offer a furniture renewal service where they completely revamp your pieces for you. “We recently helped someone who had an old sofa that they loved, but that needed a new lease of life – we completely revamped it for them with new upholstering, for under 300 euros!” said Carolyn from Mallorca Style.

Ultimately you’ll save time and money if you talk to the experts. Book an initial consultation with one of Mallorca’s interior designers and they can help you with as little or as much as you like. It might be enough to talk things through with an expert before you start, to address your basic requirements and come up with an initial plan. From then on in, a little bit of discipline, patience and creativity can go a long way towards creating your beautiful home.

Knox Design
www.knoxdesign.net
Mallorca Home Staging
www.MallorcaHomeStaging.com
Maxim Confort
www.MaximConfort.com
V-ida
www.v-ida.net