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Ask An Expert: Decorating Your Bedroom On A Budget

Many of us will shut the door to the bedroom when guests come over. That old bed frame with the chipped paint and broken closet door is not exactly what you want everyone to see. However, there are ways to redecorate and upgrade your bedroom without spending a fortune. Local designer Aaron Smith, of Rachel Kate Design, Inc., shares tips on how to give your room a makeover on a budget.

Aaron Smith
Rachel Kate Design, Inc
www.rachelkate.com

A recent graduate from a prestigious design program, Aaron Smith has an eye for design and is well-schooled on the latest trends. He feels that any design concept can be made functional while sticking to a budget. As an independent consultant, Smith has worked with many different clients to design spaces that range from commercial to private. While in school, he designed his own apartment on a college budget and knows all of the tricks to keep your pad looking fashionable without spending a lot of money.

Photo Credit Thinkstock

Paint
Sometimes all a room needs is a fresh coat of paint. Mix the perfect color and renew your living space with newly painted walls. Paint the entire room or just one wall to create an accent of color. An accent wall enhances the space and gives the feeling of a larger area. Any leftover paint can also be used on old furniture to ensure the color scheme is consistent throughout. Walls can be painted different colors as well to bring a unique touch to the bedroom.

Gallery Wall

A gallery wall gives you the opportunity to display your favorite artworks, photographs and mementos in a unique and fun way. Different frames of varying sizes and shapes are used in a gallery wall to create a "gallery-like" feel to the room. Your gallery wall can be random, with framed pictures placed all around the room, or it may have some order, pictures placed in a circle or square. A popular trend with the gallery wall is to place the pictures in a grid and paint all frames the same color.

Bulldog Pillow
(credit: CBS)

Pillows

A simple and fun way to bring color to any room is through the magic of pillows. Pillows come in all shapes and sizes and can be made to enhance your living space and add a cozy feeling to your room. Decorative pillows can be found in thrift stores or purchased at discount home accent stores. Another way to create pillow magic is to remake your own pillows by adding stencils, iron-ons or tassels to the edges. If you're handy with the sewing machine, pillows are easy to make on your own.

Related: Best Interior Designers In Minnesota

Add A Rug

Area rugs can brighten up a room or even create the illusion of a larger space. Depending on the pattern and texture, area rugs may also add a dimension of comfort to a bedroom. Even if the room is carpeted, an extra area rug may be just the thing to enhance your space. Find colors or patterns that enhance the design and color of the room or find something completely different for a bold contrast.

Lighting

Lighting of a room can make or break the comfort level of a space. Never underestimate the importance of lighting when decorating or creating atmosphere in a room. Instead of the basic globe of light in the middle of the ceiling, lights can be placed all over the room to soften the ambiance or enhance a specific area of the room. Use small lamps, floor lighting or just open the blinds to invite natural light into your room.

Related: Best Home Decor Stores In The Twin Cities

Andrea Wodele is a freelance writer who has lived in the Twin Cities for eight years. She loves covering all things Minnesota and her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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