Whinnie Williams: 5 top tips for decorating on a budget
Pop singer, interior designer, and presenter Whinnie Williams has revealed her top tips for decorating on a budget without compromising on style.
Best known for her vibrant and nostalgic look on Channel 4's Changing Rooms reboot and BBC 3's Flat Out Fabulous, it's no secret that Whinnie has a few tricks up her sleeve for bagging a bargain.
Whinnie's own home renovation project, Follywood, has captured the hearts of her Instagram followers. A 1950s English bungalow on stilts in the Kent countryside, Whinnie is transforming the space brick-by-brick into a Palm Springs-inspired dream house with vintage styling and oodles of Hollywood glamour.
Following her appointment as Interiors Expert at Dreams, Whinnie sat down with House Beautiful and revealed how she gets her staple luxe, vintage-chic look for less...
1. Become a Facebook Marketplace fanatic
WW: That's right, I’m obsessed with Facebook Marketplace! To me, there’s nothing more exciting than bagging a bargain – especially if, like me, you’re after something a bit weird and eccentric. My best tip for navigating it would be searching by theme and making that theme as abstract as possible. Right now I’m in my horse girl era – I love all things western – so I just typed in horse and found these amazing vintage saddle chairs. They were £30 each, and now I have the perfect cowgirl vignette in my bedroom.
2. Considered lighting is your friend
WW: It's all about the lighting when it comes to achieving an expensive look on a budget. I love wall lighting, but to save on electrician costs, try going battery-powered. Pooky have this great new collection of cordless wall lights that appear fitted – you can put them either side of your bed or above a picture for a chic look. It’s such a great hack; you immediately look like an interior designer when you’ve got your lighting really considered, even though it's affordable.
3. Upcycle fearlessly
WW: I know upcycling has a bad name for itself – we’ve all seen (and made!) some monstrosities. But if you’re recreating a space, make sure you look at the furniture you’ve already got; it really can have that second lease of life with a bit of DIY. With a side table or a chest of drawers, consider how you can make it more luxurious. On Facebook Marketplace, you can buy slabs of marble or tiles to use as toppers. Changing hardware is another easy upcycling method to make something look modern or retro, wherever you want to take it.
4. Invest in big-ticket items
WW: Trends are great but money is well-spent on your staples; for your bed and your sofa, choose colours and shapes that have longevity. I love the retro, upholstered look of House Beautiful's Chloe bed from Dreams. Styling the staples is then the easiest way to keep your home looking fresh on a budget: you can get cool cushions on the cheap, and consider the placement of your knick-knacks. I love the concept of going shopping around your house; you can steal cushions and lamps from your living space and freestyle the other rooms.
5. Paint, paint, paint
WW: Paint was always going to get a mention from me. If you’ve got just £50 to reinvent your space, go and get yourself a bucket of paint and get creative! I love painting the ceiling; it immediately feels like a brand new room.
Shop our edit inspired by Whinnie's top tips...
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