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Issue Date: May 24, 2009
Renovate on a budget
HGTV's top designers share room-by-room tips.
Looking to spruce up your place without breaking the bank? USA WEEKEND asked the four judges starring on HGTV's new design competition series, "$250,000 Challenge" (premiering May 31 at 10 p.m. ET), to give us their top tips for affordable fix-ups:
Kitchen
Designer: Genevieve Gorder
Work on the work space. For countertops, think beyond the slab. Check resale or salvage outlets; these often have full runs of marble or granite that didn't work out on another renovation job. Butcher block is also great: It's a quarter of the price of stone, and it's very warm and homey.
Flip the switch. Under-cabinet lighting and a decorative overhead fixture create an instant update.
Spruce up the cabinets. If they're not broken, paint them and add new hardware. Great cabinetry makes the difference in a kitchen.
Bedroom
For an inexpensive bedroom boost, get a dramatic headboard and paint the wall behind it.
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Designer: David Bromstad
Showcase your bed. Place it on the largest wall in the room to make it a feature. Paint the wall behind it, and add a dramatic headboard and lots of pillows to make it stand out.
Work with a concept. For a hotel-style bedroom, make sure that everything is symmetrical. Want the eclectic look? Use side tables and lamps that are all different to create that "collected" look. For a relaxing bedroom, try cool colors like blues, greens and grays. Want an a.m. lift? Use warm tones like yellows, oranges and reds.
Outdoors
Designer: Carter Oosterhouse
Paint your front door a bold color.
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Adore your door. If you can't afford to paint your whole house, just paint your front door an eye-catching color, and add new, large house numbers. Take it a step further by replacing the doorknob.
Put your stamp of approval on the curbside mailbox. It can extend guests a welcoming visual invitation -- or give them the cold shoulder. Remove any weeds, then plant some flowers around it. Add brass house numbers to match the new ones on the front of the house.
Living room
Designer: Kim Myles
Use secondhand finds. Great living rooms have some personality, and used furniture is an easy way to accomplish this. To avoid the "junkyard" aesthetic, choose just one or two elements (like a coffee table and a cool vintage chair) to mix up your existing decor.
Spruce up the floor. Never underestimate the power of an area rug. It's a design "silver bullet."
Add some color. Paint is always on the short list because it's inexpensive and has unlimited visual impact.
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