Frugal Ways To Brighten A Room With Color - Without Paint

So you want to bring color into your room but you just don't want the mess or expense of painting? Here are 7 frugal home design ideas to give a new splash of color to any room in your home!

Pillows: Design your own be visiting your local fabric store where you will find fabulous fabrics of all textures and shapes. Pillow forms, easy (and usually free) directions can be found as you browse. Of course, if DIY is not your thing, pillows are a frugally priced decorating option.

Change up those pillows on your couch by removing the same colored ones and bringing in some fresh and bright new ones containing contrasting or tertiary colors with varying textures. Design some plush floor pillows for those family gatherings where extra seating is needed.

Wall Art: Nothing says new color better than a substantially sized piece of art on your wall. If it's color you are looking for limit your art selection to art that simply features the colors of your choice. Create your own masterpiece with a large canvas painted one color and then bounce a tennis ball that has been dipped into another favored color. It's a quick and easy abstract!

You don't need to limit color wall art to a canvas medium, hang a rug or place mats, or easy to apply and remove wall vinyls.

Plants and Pots: Plants will literally liven up any room. The larger the room the larger the leaf is the design principle to apply. Not only will your plant perk things up the pot can also introduce some fresh color.

Use pots independent of plants. A nice arrangement of bowls, baskets or pottery running across a mantle or sideboard can create understated elegance. Odd numbered arrangements are the rule: choose 3 or 5 over 4.

Rugs: Persian to french leopard, contemporary to Casablanca, there is bound to be a rug that will walk in that color.

Identify new spaces in your rooms by adding an area rug to suit the size for the function. Yes, you can put a rug directly on top of an existing carpet. It's a great way to not only introduce a new look but hide the traffic wear patterns and spots. Be sure to use a non slip rug for hard wood floors and vinyls. It will protect the floor, prevent slip injuries and preserve the overall life of the rug.

Ottomans and Seat Cushions: Recover that plain colored existing ottoman with a fresh texture and color scheme. Tie those new pillows together with a matching ottoman or floor pillow. Recover the mantle pads or window box cushions. Throw out the conservative and introduce the bold, brash and beautiful!

Lampshades and Frames: It's easy to redo a lamp shade with fabric paint (oops I mentioned paint) or fabrics. If that's too much of a project, check out home decor trims or Ric Rac to glue onto the rim of the shade. Experiment with frames. Use the frames you already own and do some colorful decoupage or fabric applications to draw more color attention to the precious photos.

As you can see, color is not just about paint nor is about spending exorbitant amounts of money. There are fantastically frugal decorating solutions to bring a new explosion of color to that favorite living space.