HGTV Star Breegan Jane's Interior Design Tricks That Everyone Should Know
If you're an HGTV fan, you've undoubtedly heard about Breegan Jane. Designer on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" in 2020 and host of "The House My Wedding Bought," Jane has quite a lot of design experience, which has allowed her to assist both aspiring interior designers and also regular homeowners who just want their space to feel more put together. One way she does this is through her online consultations, in which she helps clients discover the correct layout for furniture, the best brands to look out for, and how to style decorations, per The Expert.
Another way Jane provides helpful advice is through her blog, and in one post entitled "Simple but Effective Interior Design Hacks!," she shares her most helpful tips for creating your home's layout. When referring to these tricks, she says that "They've helped me save money and time for myself and my clients. It's always good to think about small steps that will bring out the best in our home interiors AND keep the best in our wallets." You'll discover these important steps and more below.
Measure before buying
The first thing Breegan Jane recommends doing is measuring your space before purchasing any furniture. To do this, she says to "get specifications (length, width, height) of your pieces, and use colored tape to map them out on the floor where you're looking to place them," per the "Simple but Effective Interior Design Hacks!" blog article. She says that this can be especially beneficial for choosing the placement of the television, as "You may find the sun falls directly where you watch TV in the evenings. That glare in your eyes won't be good!" If you discovered this, you'd be able to better plan out your space by placing the TV in another area of the room.
According to Sunset, Jane recommends taping down the measurements of certain pieces before you move onto others: When designing an outdoor space, she says, "Measuring [is key]. I would start by sourcing the biggest pieces that you want online. Those are your base pieces." In the living room, this would mean mapping out where your rug, couch, and entertainment stand will go before moving on to smaller pieces like side tables and accent chairs.
Always use product samples
When designing a space, it's important not only to know the measurements of each piece but also the color and material. While you may be able to get an idea of how an item looks by pursuing images online or seeing it in the store, this doesn't allow you to see how it will look in your home. This is why Breegan Jane recommends "get[ting] actual samples of what you plan to use in your space," per the "Simple but Effective Interior Design Hacks!" blog article. Jane does this with just about everything, including paint swatches, rugs, carpets, metals, and finishes.
She says that samples will come with two main benefits: First, they "will help you avoid making costly or time-consuming investments related to your home projects." Second, they could also allow you to get out of your comfort zone. In another Breegan Jane blog post called "Putting the 'DREAM' in Your Dream Home!," she says that "whatever style you have or had in past homes doesn't necessarily need to show up in your new space. You really are starting with a blank canvas!" Therefore, be a bit daring when choosing your samples and test out colors or materials you've never used before.
Mix expensive and inexpensive pieces
A great way to save money is by "choosing to splurge on some elements of your home design and saving in other areas," per Breegan Jane in the "Simple but Effective Interior Design Hacks!" blog post. In another blog post entitled "The Look For Less," Jane says this: "One of the best pieces of advice to start with is understanding the huge difference between inexpensive and being cheap. 'Cheap' suggests an inadequacy of quality, and quality is something we never want to compromise!" Therefore, your inexpensive pieces should still be well made, which may take some searching to find.
Jane also has some specific tips on what should be splurged on and what can be bought for a lower price. Basically, she recommends spending more money on the pieces that draw attention and that will last and saving on the items that blend into the space or that will be worn out faster. For instance, you could cover a room's walls with expensive wallpaper but use inexpensive artwork, which will make the whole space feel luxurious. In the dining room, she recommends splurging on the table but not the chairs, as they'll be more used and need to be replaced.
Don't be afraid to rearrange
Finally, an easy way to completely change the look of your space without spending any money is by rearranging what you already have. In her blog post called "Refreshing Your Space for the New Year!" Breegan Jane says this: "Before you pull out the plastic to purchase something new, try moving existing things around in your rooms. Get a different perspective of what you have." Further, for those who want to refresh their space, she suggests removing an item instead of adding a new one, as this doesn't cost anything and will contribute to less clutter.
Jane also says that your imagination cannot compare to actually rearranging your pieces: "It's always helpful to be able to visualize where your furniture will go. It's okay to verbalize where a couch or ottoman will be positioned, but nothing beats actually being able to SEE what that arrangement looks like," per the "Simple but Effective Interior Design Hacks!" blog post. Therefore, roll up your sleeves and start moving around your furniture, and even if you end up returning them back to their original places, you'll at least have peace of mind knowing that your layout is the best option possible.