10 tips for customising your pad without breaking the bank
Living alone has its benefits, one of which is undoubtedly the ability to decorate the house entirely to your own taste. So, if you're at home and want it to be stylish without spending a fortune, these tips for customising your pad are just what you need. As you'll see, the key is in the detail!
1. Bring your living room to life with bold textiles and accessories
The living room is one of the most important rooms in a home, as this is where we spend most of our time and where we host family and friends. So, if your furniture is a bit simple and you're looking to give it a more personal touch, you can do so without breaking the bank thanks to textiles such as cushions or blankets and other accessories.
When choosing the most suitable accessories, the first step is to take the base tones of your living room into account. This will make it easier to create combinations that complement each other. In this case, the main colours are white, blue and grey, so we have opted for black and white sofa and cushion covers with geometric prints, which create contrast and grab people's attention.
In terms of accessories, we have chosen a floor lamp in white and a garland of lights in black, which stand out against the blue of the wall and will create a very cosy atmosphere when it gets dark, or when there's little to no sunlight. Not only do they provide lighting, they also decorate and complete the sofa area.
2. Make the most of your walls to decorate and organise
If there's one perfect area for filling your flat with personality without breaking the bank, it's your walls. Of course, don't just hang things haphazardly, but hang decorative yet practical items that say something about who you are.
To achieve this, we have chosen the SKÅDIS pegboard, which gives us countless options both for decorating and organising various objects. A highly economical solution that can be mixed and matched thanks to its accessories: hooks, shelves, containers etc. In this example, we have placed some hooks on the bottom where we can hang accessories such as headphones, a shelf with decorative ornaments and photos and, finally, a pot with a cactus. But as we said, it's an extremely versatile solution that you can customise to suit your needs.
3. Keep your desk tidy with an original organiser
It's important to keep things in order, we can all be clear on that, but it doesn't have to be bland or void of style. So why not choose organisers for your desk or office that add a decorative touch, like this metallic box in a green-greyish tone. You can store your agenda, notebooks, calculator and everything else you need right here!
Of course, this is just one example, and we have many other organisers that will give your office that unique vibe no matter your budget.
4. Add a different touch to your shelves
Shelves have a lot to add to your decor and we have many different models that won't break the bank. But to achieve that decorative effect, it's important to make sure that whatever you place on the shelves is aesthetically pleasing. One idea is to place all the books you have in the same colour or in matching colours on view. Any that don't match can be placed in storage boxes or magazine files for a much more harmonious final look.
We have opted to put all the white books on display and keep all other books in two storage boxes, which are also white. As a final touch, we have also placed two white B-shaped (for "books") bookends. The result is a beautiful, perfectly organised, black and white bookshelf.
5. Create a decorative corner that showcases your hobbies
If you want your home to say a lot about you, there's nothing better than choosing decorative elements that show what you're about: your tastes, your hobbies, your job etc. Why not dedicate a small space to that? You could choose an unused space in your living room, in your bedroom, or even in the hall.
Here, we have created a corner for a person who is passionate about photography and we have placed a photo frame, a camera and a few photography books on it. However, the idea is for you to adapt as you see fit. For example, if you love to travel, perhaps you could place a picture of the world map and memories of your travels or, if you love the cinema, adapt this corner accordingly. The choice is yours.
6. Reserve an area of your home for self-care
Do you practise sport? Do you meditate or do yoga at home? Do you like to read while listening to music? Although the image shows you a small home gym, this is just an example. Since you live alone, you can dedicate an entire space in your home to self-care without spending a whole lot of money.
It's much easier than you think. In our gym example, we have only placed a couple of rugs, pouffes (which can also work really well for meditating) and a rail with hooks to hang whatever you need. If you'd like a quiet reading space, a pouffe, a nice rug and a few small plants will do the trick. What do you think?
7. Bring the rhythm to your kitchen with a speaker
Want your kitchen to be a joyful place to have fun alone or with company? Why not go for a Bluetooth speaker like ENEBY? It costs just 20 euros and its small size makes it perfect for the kitchen, as you can place it in any corner. This way, you can make better use of available space and always have your speaker close by to fill the room with some cool beats while cooking, eating or sharing some quality time with friends or family. It will definitely be something unique that anyone who spends time in your kitchen will remember. And, since it's portable, you can easily take it with you if you move into another room.
8. Use a special magnet for the fridge
Do you usually leave notes or reminders on your fridge? If so, why not choose some decorative magnets? They're a very simple and economical way to ensure that whatever you hang on your fridge also adds a little something to your kitchen decor. We love these blue, droplet-shaped magnets, but we also have other options for your home.
9. Use baskets to organise your bathroom
You can find space-saving solutions for your bathroom that are also decorative. An affordable way of achieving this is with our NORDRANA baskets. The best thing is that they are unique, as they are handmade by skilled craftsmen in organised weaving centres in Vietnam that offer good working conditions and fair wages.
Thanks to the suction cups, you can hang them as in the photo above, taking up as little space as possible, or place them on a piece of furniture or shelf like this one. Whatever you choose, you can store and keep your bathroom products well organised, from towels to sponges and combs.
If they're not a good fit for your bathroom, don't worry! We have many other extremely affordable bathroom boxes and baskets that will look great in your bathroom.
10. Hang your favourite clothes on a clothes rack
Finally, let's talk clothes. If you want your clothes to take centre stage in your home, outside of a wardrobe, it might be a good idea to pick a clothes rack where you can hang some of your favourite outfits. And we're not just talking about any clothes rack. We're talking about the NIKKEBY clothes rack, which stands out both for its structure and for its green-greyish colour.
Aside from the bars, where you can hang jackets and shirts, there are also two shelves to store other items of clothing such as trousers and shoes. A good, nice and inexpensive solution to round out our list of tips for your pad.
Which of these tips would you like to apply in your home? Whatever you choose, we hope you create your ideal home. And, if you need more ideas on how to decorate or organise your home, here are several articles that may interest you.
We love it when customers use our products in a creative way. Why not try to do something new with them yourself? But do remember, any modifications or changes that you make to IKEA products will prevent them from being resold or used for their original use, thus invalidating IKEA product warranties and your right to return.
