Do you ever wish that you could style your home like an interior decorator without breaking the bank? Well, guess what: you can! Chatelaine’s Samantha Pynn reveals tricks of the decorating trade with us.

How to revamp a neutral room:

Drapery panels are a non-committal way to add colour. Samantha says that it’s okay to spend a little bit of money here, because that’s where the splash is.

Paint wood and change fabrics to refresh the room and add colour.

Tip: Keep swatches of fabric and pictures of accessories (pillows, rugs, throws) from your room with you. This will help you when you go shopping.

Tables:

It can be difficult to decorate tables in your home, but Samantha gives an easy solution to this — just look through design magazines for inspiration!

Samantha says that she usually follows this format for a simple addition to a table: A tray, a box, and a round accessory.

Lamps:

Shop at big box stores like IKEA. By mixing less expensive items with designer items, no one will be able to tell that some cost dramatically less.

More decorating secrets:

“Repeat colour and repeat silhouette,” says Samantha. This will make the room flow together.

Start with one colour, then choose a second — make sure these two go together.

Designers will almost always stick with neutral colours for big ticket price items. This is better for the long term.

Reuse furniture. For instance, take your child’s dresser from his/her room when he/she outgrows it, and transform it into an entrance table.

Changing accessories in the room is a great way to revamp and refresh.