Cheap Tricks: Update Your Home

By Marni Elyse Katz
May 20, 2010

I’ve been writing about interior design for several years now, allowing me a glimpse into more than a few fantastically designed rooms. Thanks to my incessant questioning about the origin of pretty much every piece of furniture, accessory, and finish, I’ve picked up some interesting tips that the designers might not have otherwise divulged. Before you proclaim yourself a DIY disaster, these are stress-free, no-craftiness-required ideas. I’ve even tried a few myself.

Lauren Nelson, Interior Designer and Prop Stylist

Lauren Nelson’s kitchen. Photo: Hector Sanchez

“Surprisingly, one of the most asked-about ‘how can I do this’ things in my house is the spice rack in my kitchen. I mounted a magnetic stainless steel board and filled magnetic canisters with spices and loose, leaf teas. I'm a tea addict and cook A LOT, so I like to have these within arms reach. It's so much more convenient than opening a drawer or shuffling through cabinets. Sounds lazy, but it's true!”

Frank Roop, Interior Designer

Frank Roop’s studio.

Minerals and exotic rocks are a gorgeous, but pricey. Especially the ones I oohed and ahhed over at Frank Roop’s studio. Mixed in with the exotic, crystallized specimens were vibrant yellow and iridescent sky blue chunks that I also assumed were rocks. Nope. Slag glass. The trick is finding chunks of the stuff, not the less-than-cute swirly pressed glass vessels and figurines. The hunks you want are actually pieces leftover at the bottom of a glass furnace.

Kelly McGuill, Interior Designer and Prop Stylist

A home designed by Kelly McGuill. Photo: Eric Roth

“We placed a remnant slab of marble on top of the radiator to make an instant shelf that’s heatproof. The homeowner had a local shop cut a piece of marble that fit slightly over my radiator top. For relatively little money we turned this eye sore into an aesthetically pleasing and useful feature.”

Erin Gates, Interior Designer and Elements of Style blogger

Erin Gates’s bedroom. Photo: Eric Roth

Can’t afford original art but don’t want to go the poster route? Frame wallpaper samples instead. That’s what Erin Gates did in her bedroom. She says, “My dad was friendly with a guy in town who was once a designer for Brunschwig & Fils and Schumacher; he left his vintage paper to my dad when he died. I based the whole room on that wallpaper, choosing a paint color that worked with that palette.”

Stephen Chung, Architect

Stephen Chung’s home.

“Framed photo-fragments, inspired by Magritte's surreal painting, is a simple way to make playful artwork. Take a series of photos of your child, dog, etc. focusing on different areas of the body. Think of the project as a portrait comprised of a series of tiles that each contain one body part, or area of the body. Print them and insert in expensive frameless photo mounts. Then arrange the components on a wall to your own design.”

Here are some supplies from eBay to help you get started: