Guest Post – By Tom Brialey, owner of Action Storage.

You’ve got Pinterest boards filled with décor dreams but a bank balance that brings you back to reality. Almost everyone wants a stylish home, but unfortunately a stylish home comes with a hefty price tag meaning that most settle for magnolia walls and generic flat-packed furniture. This doesn’t have to be the case. Getting the home you dream of can be achieved with a little bit of budgeting and minor DIY skills.

This article will show you how to get four of 2016’s hottest interior design trends without breaking the bank:

Industrial

Source/s: littlehouseoffour.com & madaboutthehouse.com

The industrial look has gained in popularity over the last few years. A mixture of raw wood and steely metallics have been brought together to create the ultimate ‘hipster’ industrial feel, which resonates with cool bars and independent coffee shops, giving a relaxed vibe.

As soon as you type ‘industrial furniture’ into any search engine or shop you will be faced with a price tag of £150+ and after two pieces you are priced out. Don’t let this shatter your industrial hipster dreams. The look (above left) can be achieved by buying modern school lockers, and a metal paint to give it a gunmetal grey look, this will cost approximately half the price of a vintage locker. If you are not the painting type, a mesh locker (above, right) may be a better option. Use the mesh locker to display cool trinkets, maybe your record collection, or just use as general storage.

Team your new locker with an inspirational quote hand painted on a canvas and the Pinterest board ‘hipster/industrial’ becomes a reality right in your own living room.

City Skyline

Source/s: instagram.com/alexkatehare/ & nicestthings.com

If you are someone with itchy feet but life and various responsibilities, such as your job and bills, are stopping you from travelling, you can wake up to a view of the city (almost)  in your own bedroom.

City skylines are becoming prevalent due to the minimalist trend which is popular in 2016. Simple black outlines on blank walls have hit it big and it is really easy to achieve the look for just a couple of pounds at home.

All you will need is:

• Pencil
• Spirit level
• Washi Tape
• Picture of your chosen skyline
• Ruler
• Eraser

Start by carefully drawing the outline of the skyline you have chosen in pencil, use the ruler and avoid skylines with too many curves, the tape will only be able to make straight lines.

When, using your spirit level, you think you have all your lines straight, and are happy with your pencil drawing, start covering the pencil with the tape. Remember to stand back and look from a distance as you go along. Hey presto! A chic city skyline for less than £10.

Upcycling

Source: diy-enthusiasts.com

A few years ago the idea of upcycling popped into a few peoples heads. Instead of buying something new, why not repurpose or refurbish something old and unloved, and so the trend was born. Often referred to as a waste product, pallets became the star of the show when a few clever busy bodies decided to create all kinds of furniture out of them.

Those without the imagination, or necessary DIY skills, lusted after these items and suddenly there was a demand, and with demand comes the supply, at a hefty price. A pallet coffee table can go for as much as £200 online. This price for something that, once upon a time, was essentially rubbish.

Luckily, if you would like to add a piece of pallet furniture to your décor there are hundreds of FREE online DIY tutorials, either found through Pinterest or on YouTube. Ask local businesses if they have any pallets that they can spare or you can pay a small price for. Failing that you can spend time scouring eBay, Gumtree or Freecycle to see if people want to get rid of them but don’t fancy a trip to the tip.

Your only issue will be not having enough space in your house for all the amazing pallet furniture you will end up making.

Geometric

Source: susanyeleyinteriors.com/blog/  & entermyattic.com/

The geometric trend allows those who like minimalism to enjoy bursts of colour in their home. Although geometric décor is big for 2016 it is in no way a new trend, bold geometric patterns could be seen on walls, art and clothing in the 1960s.

Luckily you don’t have to be Piet Mondrian, or pay those kinds of prices, to achieve the look. All you will need is:

• Thin masking tape or Washi tape
• A Canvas
• Acrylic paints
• A paint brush
• Pencil
• Ruler

Section the canvas into a geometric pattern, it is best to have an image in mind to ensure you know what the finished piece will look like. You can lightly use a pencil and a ruler if you are not confident putting tape on freehand.

Paint the different parts of the canvas in different but complementing colours, if you don’t want to have white lines between the shapes you will have to wait for sections to dry before moving the tape.

When it has all dried, carefully peel the tape off and you should have a beautiful geometric work of art, perfect for the minimalist and those who rent will be pleased to know that canvases are generally quite light, this means no nasty holes in the walls as well as ensuring you get your deposit back.

There you have it, four ideas to help you make sure your house stays on trend without costing you a lot of money.