8 affordable and sustainable ideas to add character to your living room
A first-time buyer’s guide to interior updates on a budget
The living room is where you should feel most at home and this can be tricky when you have just bought your first new home. I recently helped a first-time buyer with their renovation project, focusing on creating a beautiful and homely interior on a small budget using my Room Restyle package. With sustainability in mind and a love of vintage furniture, I show affordable ways to add style and character to a living room.
Creative ways to update vintage furniture for your home
1. 1920s Leather Trunk With chrome fittings with Liberty fabric interior - Etsy- £75
Add personality, buy a vintage trunk, and line it with a pretty floral fabric to create a unique and fun storage box for your living room. You could fill it with your living room accessories as a display. We found one at the Frome Independent market, local to Bath, which hosts events on the first Sunday of every month with vintage products.
2. 1950s Tablecloth for Vintage Table - Etsy- £12.00
Find an authentic, vintage tablecloth to cover a side table. There are plenty of beautiful old embroidered linen fabrics at flea markets that will provide colour and pattern to the room.
3. Rustic Vintage Bookcase
Edward Vintage is a local independent shop in Bath selling selected pre-owned furniture. Each item has been painted for you, or you can paint yourself a unique story, adding personality to your home.
Why not add paint or wallpaper to the shelving inside to create an interesting upcycled piece personalised to you. For advice on which paint brands and finishes, download my paint guide. When selecting a piece of furniture that has had a previous home, you are helping reduce additional waste to the environment and putting love back into the furniture by making it your own.
4. Set Of 3 Flower Market Prints - Etsy- £15.25
We found this selection of vintage-style prints on the creative site Etsy. Images can add depth and personality to your home using independent artists' work. The three flower prints create a vintage look through pattern and colour. Artwork allows a space to feel unique. Creativity can really enhance your home and be a positive experience, read our blog for further ideas.
5. Vintage Kantha Cushion Cover - Etsy- £35
Go to an interior fabric shop; they often have a box of remnant fabrics to buy at a reduced price. Find a remnant piece of fabric to make cushions a cost-effective way to create a homely and snug feel for your sofa, and they can easily be adapted if you fancy a change of colour and pattern during each season. It can be confusing to choose the correct fabric for your interior project, so we have a guide to teach you.
6. Glass Vintage Candlesticks - Ebay £5.95
Find a mixture of coloured recycled glass candle holders. Don’t be afraid to mix and match heights and colours, adding further character and a nostalgic nod to glamorous eras gone by.
7. DIY Sustainable trays
Upcycle or repurpose a picture frame to make a decorative tray to hold accessories on a coffee table. Line the inside of the frame with a fabric or wallpaper, then find pretty handles to add to the sides, a great way of creating a personalised object.
8. Upcycled lamp base and Pooky LampShade - £127
Buy an old lamp base and update it with a new colourful lampshade like this one from Pooky. If your lamp base needs a bit of tcl, why not update it with a lick of paint, an easy way to make a tired base feel refurbished. Finish the reclaimed base with a lampshade from Pooky. They have a wide selection of patterned and coloured lamp shades that each provide lots of personality.
