Freshen Up on a Budget

1. Color Your Walls

Completely transform your room with just a few gallons of paint. Try a fresh shade, and watch how it transforms all your existing furniture. Paint costs so little compared to how much you get in return.
A grid of nine colorful paintings pops against a deep gray wall.
Poppy Nine Patch Canvas Set
$349
Available at Art.com



Rethink What You Have
It costs nothing to reassess what your room already looks like. Why not move a few pieces around? Sometimes a fresh approach encourages you to get rid of tired pieces that drag your space down. Do you really need everything you see? Does everything have a purpose and a special meaning to you? If not, then give it away. I promise, less is more.
Air Mail print
$40
Available at Art.com
Havanita print
$40
Available at Art.com



Choose Lighting Wisely
Adding dimmers to your space offers dimension and mood at very little cost. Or buy a fresh shade for your lamp. Consider replacing mismatched floor lamps with two, new matching lamps. Place one on either side of your sofa or bed, and see how the room suddenly has cohesive style.



Update Your Pillows
Can't afford a new sofa? There are dozens of affordable, fabulous pillows that are one of a kind and will zip up your space instantaneously.
Golden Horizon print
$25
Available at Art.com


Sleep In Style
Does your bedroom need a lift? Give it an instant update. Try buying just a new headboard with a unique fabric or pattern. Invest in a great set of sheets, complete with shams. Choose a bold pattern that will define your room, and don't be afraid to mix and match.
Calla Lilies framed print
$310
Available at Art.com



Try a Mirror
Can't afford art? You can find unique mirrors at discount stores or vintage shops that, when grouped together, will bring elegance and personality to even the smallest of spaces.



Recover and Renew
Can't afford a new chair? Give your existing one a makeover by recovering it in a new pattern. Get a little daring and see how a simple chair can be completely transformed.

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First Impressions/Entry Ways

This entry way makes a bold statement with color and unusual design elements.



Elegant entry, the inlayed tile makes a dramatic statement.



A colorful work of art against stark white walls is the point of departure for accent colors in this residence. A mirror and a small console are always right in any entry hall; a great place to plop your keys and cell phone as you get ready to relax. A bulky and simple baseboard is in keeping with the contemporary architecture.


An entry hall with a center table is functional for placing handbags and packages. Art and sculptures can be showcased in this area for impact.


A curved console is a perfect fit against this curved wall.


Reclaimed Balinese doors emphasize the focal point in this entryway. Custom glass doors set an architectural mood with a Versailles-pattern porcelain tile defining the space. Ethnic antique furnishings, wall art and accessories set the tone for a space fit for a world traveler.

In this Washington D.C. loft, Tracy Morris Design introduced warm elements and clean lines into a converted school building. The concrete floors were treated with an acid wash, and the rug is angled toward the entrance to welcome guest into the room. While space maximization is crucial in all designs, it’s especially significant in loft design.

This rare wood and stone base entry table allows for inquiry when one enters the apartment. The faux art painted wall, with a sunflower painting, makes for a great entrance.

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Something Old Something New

An heirloom, an old piece of furniture, or delicate china that has been given as a gift or found in an antique shop may have a special appeal, not only because it is a treasure in its own right, but also because it reflects a period or style for which you feel an affinity. Just one item can be the starting point for a collection of similar objects from that era and, in some cases, can inspire a room to be decorated and furnished to invoke the atmosphere of that time. Then add the freshness of new colors or art for a feeling of vibrancy to your room.

Old objects bring a nostalgic ambiance to any room, with the warmth and mellowness that come with age as well as soften the whiteness of modern materials.

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Busacca Gallery

Busacca Gallery offers consignment support programs to select artists and antique galleries. Their job is to assess their clients' marketing needs and deliver a highly effective Internet strategy, including a custom-tailored solution to generate ongoing profits with a low cost of participation. Their client Internet solutions are conceived at Busacca Gallery, an elegant display space located in San Francisco's affluent Russian Hill.

It is the best place on the Web to buy and sell art between $500 and $10,000. And it’s free; no posting fees, subscriptions or advertising costs. It is a beautiful, carefully edited, gallery-like site that makes money on the margin between the minimum bid and the gallery price of an object. The works range from exquisite antiques to masterpieces from living artists. BusaccaGallery.com is the perfect solution to the problem artists and art owners face when they think about selling their pieces: do they set up their own site and go through all the pain and costs involved, or get lost in the crowds at other posting sites and Internet auctions that charge to participate? Who’s to say their art or Victorian onyx chess set won’t wind up next to someone’s Hello Kitty lunch box? The investor appeal of BusaccaGallery.com goes beyond its importance as the only free, consignment art gallery on the web. The mid-range vision of the business is as an information seller based on the data collected in the course of art postings and sales. That’s where the big money is.

With more than 25 years in the art business, Mark Busacca has built an exceptionally sophisticated infrastructure and proven web art business system - in short, a profitable website and search engine for high-quality visual art transactions. http://busaccagallery.com/

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