Updating & Upgrading Your Interiors On A Budget + A Look At My New Workspace

Something that I've really started to love over the years is interiors, it's probably because I'm a little older and see more worth in spending money on where I live rather than a million and one things from Topshop. Over the past couple of months, I've completely changed around my office, because even though I loved my old set up it wasn't really functional as I didn't have a lot of room. I knew I wanted to update it but I didn't have the budget to spend a lot on new furniture pieces. So here are the things that I found really worked for upgrading and updating my space without a huge budget.

REWORK THE ROOM

I thought I'd found a set up that worked for my space but in reality, it was a little boring and almost obvious and didn't play to the rooms strengths. I live in a terrace which has high ceilings and they slope slightly upstairs. I always thought having high ceilings was hard to work with as they made everything look so small but I've come to absolutely love them. I've now moved my desk to the right of my window and as the roof slopes down it's created a little nook. Then where the room is at it's highest I've moved my IKEA bookcase there and put up a shelf above my clothing rail. It's not the biggest room in the world but utilising the wall-space has been a game changer. It's a pain to get everything moved out of the room but if you can find a way that your furniture works in a more functional way then it's well worth it and it gives you chance to have a proper clean too. It might seem really obvious but even just making a little plan with pen and paper can help bring it to life a little more. When you've first moved it's so easy to just throw things in the room in an arrangement that works and think oh I'll deal with it another time but it's truly amazing how different things can look by having a little rejig.

LOOK AT WHAT YOU ALREADY OWN & UTILISE PERSONAL TRINKETS

When you want to update a space it doesn't always have to mean that you need to go and buy something new. Even though I did buy a new desk what really made the space feel completely different was utilising my personal trinkets and making the most of what I already own. I've always enjoyed putting things out on display as it makes anywhere feel like my own so displaying my books and putting things up on the wall were both a big help and completely changed how the area felt. Then things like utilising an old plant pot to put my pens in as well as using a beautiful biscuit tin to house all my receipts and business expenses. Then, of course, fun little fun things like notepads on the base of my screen and vases filled with fresh flowers always help.

SHOPPING SECOND HAND & IKEA

When it comes to shopping for furniture it's not always that easy or remotely fun. Granted, I'm not all that picky but I do have certain tastes and I also have a budget. Something I hear time and time again is 'oh but everyone shops at IKEA' and there is a reason for that and it's because you can find some really lovely little pieces that don't cost a tonne of money. As well as IKEA places like Argos and JYSK are also places you can find affordable pieces that don't look super cheap. Something I've become more into lately is shopping second hand, giving something a new home is an awesome feeling as you know nobody else is going to have it and it's also really good for the environment. Of course, you can't always get exactly what you want and do have to hunt around a little more but that's part of the fun. I love having a mixture of new and old as it adds just that little bit more interest to a space.

SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

Without a doubt my favourite things to add to any space when trying to update it are;

Cushions
Throws
Prints
Flowers
Plants
Lamps
Candles

MY NEW WORKSPACE

My old workspace looked a little something like this and I had that for over a year and loved it. But as I didn't live here permanently I didn't have as many things in that space and the more I moved over I realised that I'd outgrown it, which sucks because I loved my desk so much. I knew that I wanted to make my own in IKEA as it's not only affordable but it's the easiest way to get exactly what you want size wise. I also chose to go back to go a white desk which I was a little unsure about as they do show marks up so easily but I'm such a sucker for white furnishing. Here is a little run-down of what my workspace is currently made up of;