- November 27, 2024
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According to local interior designer Diane Belanger, the importance of designing the space you live in cannot be underestimated.
“Living in a space that is well designed actually promotes emotional well-being and happiness,” she said.
Belanger, who started in the design business 26 years ago, said that even as a child she was always aware of the importance of design and decoration.
“It was in my blood,” she said. “My father, an Italian immigrant, was always improving and tweaking our houses. We didn’t have a lot of money, but he was very handy and creative, and we always lived in beautiful surroundings.”
When designing on a budget, the first thing Belanger recommends is looking around at what is already in the house, but trying to picture it in a different way.
If a chair doesn’t look quite right in the bedroom, maybe it can work better in the living room. It might just need a new slipcover, Belanger said.
After working with what you already have, Belanger said, the next best thing to do is find used items at garage sales, the workplace or thrift stores.
“Look at (the items) not how they are, but how they can be,” she said.
But above all, Belanger said, nothing is more important than color.
“Painting the right color makes a huge impact,” she said.
But there are some rules to follow when it comes to painting. The designer cautions not to buy any paint that you haven’t seen in the light of your house. The best thing to do, she said, is to buy a sample, paint a small spot and take it from there.
Designing on a budget takes time, but Belanger believes in the power of design to relieve the anxious and depressing feelings that come from living in a place of clutter.
“When you’re in a place that is beautiful and has a great flow to it, it makes you happy and serene,” she said.
