You don't have to spend a fortune to achieve your dream interior design style. That's one of the things we love about interior design - working within budget and space constraints to get the best out of any living space!
Whether it's Scandi-style, Japandi, Hollywood Glam, Modern Farmhouse, or Industrial, you can find exactly what you're looking for without spending an arm and a leg. In this blog post, we compare two different options for the same interior design style, showing that you don't have to compromise on the look or your bank account.
Scandi-style
The first image is a high-end look with hardwood light oak and mango wooden furniture, available from one of our trade-only suppliers. We often pair mustard/ochre shades with light wood as it creates a warm, fresh interior that appeals to a wide range of people. The cushions are feather-filled, the mirror has a rustic rattan surround and the wallpaper is a soft-touch material, in a beautiful mustard colour.
SCANDI: High-end
However, you can still achieve a similar feel with a much tighter budget. Using high street shops like Habitat, John Lewis, Dunelm, TK Maxx, Furn, Swoon, and Jysk, you can get the same Scandi-style interior at a much-reduced cost. Still, the room will feel bright and warm with the soft yellows and light wooden furniture.
SCANDI: Budget
Japandi
Japandi juxtaposes Scandinavian-style interior design with Eastern Asian influences, particularly those of the shogunate era of Japan, which ran from the 12th to 19th centuries. Around the mid-1850s, Japan opened its borders and the world began to see its stunning angular architecture, monochromatic colourways and focus on organic materials, minimalism and lack of texture. Colours that work well with Japandi interior design include earthy tones like moss/olive green and shades of brown/tan, as well as light blues and greens.
For this example, we chose the Okayama range from Gallery Direct, a trade-only supplier of ours. This range epitomises Japandi interiors perfectly with its warm and organic feel but angular and simplistic design. There are subtle references to Japanese architecture with the use of black/white, referencing Shoji - black/white latticed walls or room dividers found in many old-fashioned Japanese buildings.
This type of interior design works particularly well in a smaller space such as an apartment or in a room with an unusual shape. Its high-legged furniture creates an illusion of space and isn't too imposing, and the minimalism of the style means the interior won't look empty if there aren't many accessories on surfaces or walls.
JAPANDI: HIGH-END
JAPANDI: BUDGET
For a similar look, we sourced a number of fantastic products from Dunelm at a fraction of the price - although this design is slightly darker than the previous one, it still keeps the organic look with the stonewash-look rug and the natural throw, the rattan light fitting and light vase. The furniture has some lovely texture and is in a monochromatic finish, perfect for a Japandi-style living room.
We recommend sage green or some earthy tones as an alternative to blue. You could even try a rust/brick colour if you wanted something a little more rustic and warmer. We wouldn't recommend using two or more colours for a Japandi interior as it can become too eclectic - try keeping things to just one part of the spectrum.
Hollywood Glam
If you're after an interior design style that oozes luxury and elegance, look no further than Hollywood Glam. Hearkening back to the glory days of the movies, Hollywood Glam references Beverley Hills penthouses and the lifestyles of the rich and famous. It can certainly be a style for those with means, as prices for both accessories and single pieces of furniture often reach the thousands. Pieces can be handmade, extravagantly designed and created in limited runs.
It can be done on a budget, however, as we will show below! While individual items can cost a lot of money, the core themes of Hollywood Glam are quite easy to define and sourcing cheaper items shouldn't be too much of a problem - monochromatism is key here, with touches of metallics and a single colour to taste - usually glamourous colours like pink, purple, red or orange. You can get very nice-looking furniture on a budget with marble veneer, glass tops and metal-coated legs that aren't the "real deal" but still give the same effect without breaking the bank. Keeping ornaments to a minimum just to cover surfaces will also save a bit of money.
HOLLYWOOD GLAM: High-end
HOLLYWOOD GLAM: BUDGET
Modern Farmhouse
Perhaps one of the most versatile and widely appealing interior design styles out there, modern farmhouse blends shabby-chic and natural, warm looks with modern a take - using lots of natural textures, and organic materials as well as angular furniture, and use of accent colours to create warmth.
Just about anything goes here as long as you don't get anything too glamorous and with too much bling, or anything too manufactured - wood and metal furniture both look great, and you can use blues, greens, yellows, oranges and even lavender/lilac colours.
MODERN FARMHOUSE: HIGH-END
These items are sourced from our trade-only suppliers as well as some high-end interiors and furniture stores. The contrast between black and white give definition and the beautiful shade of sage green adds warmth and a country-living feel.
MODERN FARMHOUSE: BUDGET
We sourced items from IKEA, Dunelm, Habitat, John Lewis, Etsy and a couple of our trade-only suppliers to create this look. It's neutral in its appeal but warm and light. Further items could include a dove grey or mushroom-coloured wardrobe to add a little more variety in colours, a rustic tasselled throw, some more artwork, artificial (or real if you're up for the maintenance) plants and flowers, and a bamboo or rattan mirror.
Rustic
Rustic interiors are often overlooked as being too cold, industrial and not very homely - more suited to an office in a converted mill or a show apartment in a trendy urban area of London/Manchester. We don't believe this to be the case! With the right accessories and softening the look with the use of colours like orange, blue and green, you can create a rustic interior that complements the architecture of the building and emphasises the character of the local area whilst still being homely and comforting.
Plus, it doesn't have to be an ex-industrial building where rustic interior design works wonderfully! While industrial furniture and pieces like clocks, mirrors and artwork often relies on metal and lots of darker textures/colours, you can create a rustic interior for a cottage or modern family home using lots of light wooden panelling, brick-effect wallpaper, "shabby-chic" accessories and distressed wooden furniture.
Rustic: high-end
rustic: budget
When we design an interior for your home, show home or investment property, we create mood boards like these to give you a feel for the finished look. We then go further and create 3D models and renderings to give you an even more accurate look of the final interior design, as well as peace of mind.
If you would like your own bespoke interior design quote, tailored to your target market/value, budget, likes and dislikes, get in touch today!