Redecorating On A Shoestring

Right off, we knew we were going to like Alan Boehmer, Manhattan interior designer and stylist for Coming Home, the bed and bath division of catalog giant Land’s End.

Boehmer has all kinds of inexpensive ideas for pepping up roomscapes, especially bedrooms and baths, and the first one goes like this: There are no rules.

In other words, use your imagination. To get you started, here are some tips from Boehmer. And, of course, they are simply suggestions, just as we like it.

Browse a used-book store and pick up an old art book. Flip through the pages, looking for wonderful pictures to frame.

Reframe pictures you already have. This lets you keep those valued treasures while giving the room a refreshed look.

Get rid of the 60-watt bulbs you’ve got and replace them with 50-watt reflectors. The important word here is “reflectors.” They give spot light as opposed to bright, all-over light. The change will give a more dramatic, theatrical appeal.

In a bedroom, in place of an expensive headboard, hang a quilt on the wall behind the bed.

To make an inexpensive bed bolster, find a twin sheet you can’t live without and wrap it around two pillows and tie the ends with pretty ribbon or cord.

Cut flowers are fine for adding a splash of life to any setting. But potted, growing, flowering plants are even better. They can be cycled in and out of the house as they bloom and can be used over and over.