Filling big, empty walls without emptying savings
Quick tips from an interior and event designer
Kerra Michele Huerta is an interior and event designer and the writer behind the popular design blog, AptEnvy.com. She joined writer Jura Koncius on our Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt. Q I have a blank space over my buffet table in my dining room. I’m looking for a piece of art that’s affordable and stylish. Any suggestions on where to look? A Those big empty spaces can be tricky. There are a few things you can do to fill a large wall space: • Check out flea markets, thrift stores and consignment stores for inexpensive vintage art. You can find really big ones for cheap, and they’re usually framed. • Blow up one of your favourite photos. Upload them to an online printing service and get them as wrapped canvases, or have them printed poster-size and put them in a big Ikea Ribba frame. Both are inexpensive solutions. Try Costco (if you have a membership) or Mpix.com for printing. • Same as above, but try it with gorgeous fabric or wrapping paper. I often bring home fabric from my travels, and wrapping it on a blank canvas from an art supply store is a great way to display it. Q I am slowly updating my decor (on a budget), and I have two custom Masland area rugs (formal living and dining rooms) that were great in the ’ 90s but now look dated because of the mauve colour. I was thinking of just going with a solid grey remnant to make the space look a little more casual and updated. Should I hang on to my old rugs? Is mauve coming back any time soon? I’m having anxiety about getting rid of them. They don’t look awful, but they’re definitely dated. A I’m a huge fan of mixing those vintage rugs with more modern decor. I do it all the time in my clients’ homes. To make the mauve more current, mix it with an unexpected colour and freshen up the whole room. If you can’t afford to get a contemporary sofa (or other large furnishings) right now, try adding accessories in your new bold colour. Q How would you suggest brightening up a small apartment that has little to no natural lighting? Fun colours, lots of lamps, one huge lamp? A My advice to everyone is to have several lamps placed throughout the room. At night, they create a nice ambience and make us look much better than we do in overhead lighting (which, let’s be honest, is super important). Beyond that, I would suggest adding colour to punch things up a bit. You don’t have to have white walls just because it’s a dark, small space. In fact, I generally embrace dark spaces and own it by keeping the palette dark and cosy. But it’s really up to your personal style and preference.