Kelle Barnard graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Interior Design and minors in Architecture and English Literature. She was born and raised in West Texas and regards business with the same core West Texas values such as honor, pride, respect and honesty, which were ingrained in her at a young age.  

    Kelle became a Design Consultant and owner of Barnard Interiors soon after she graduated from Texas Tech University in 2002.  The business continues to flourish thanks to the blessings of God and support and love of family and friends.

    She is also the President of Women Entrepreneurs of Lubbock and is an active member of St. Paul's on the Plains Episcopal Church.

Looking New for Little Cost
BY BETH AARON AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

An empty wallet doesn't mean that giving the blank walls of your home a new look is out of the question.

With a lot of imagination and maybe a little help, anyone can redesign a space, said Kelle Barnard, an interior design consultant.

Barnard graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in interior design in 2002 and has been running Barnard Interiors out of her Lubbock home for about four years.

Interior designer Kelle Barnard of Barnard Interiors explains that green are popular home colors this year. But Barnard says no matter what the trends are, people should choose what they like when decorating their homes.

She said she enjoys her job because she likes making people feel good about their homes.

"Your environment is something that's going to enhance your life," she said. "Find what inspires you and what makes you happy, and surround yourself with it."

Happiness doesn't have to be a chair that will set you back a month's mortgage or a designer set of sheets that costs more than a week's worth of groceries.

Barnard said people can find inspiration in old and new items for their homes.

Antique malls, hardware stores, auctions, garage sales and thrift stores are great places to find one-of-a-kind items that can be bought and refurbished for little money.

"I just think it's taking what you've got and looking at it from a completely different prospective," she said.

Factors that play into formulating a design solution include a space's construction, how the space will be used, the meaning of the space and practical considerations such as lighting and ease of access, according to the American Society of Interior Designers.

People often have an idea of how they want to change a space, but they don't know what to do or how to do it, Barnard said.

"Usually it's that they have been living in the environment for a long time and they've always wanted to do something, but they're paralyzed with fear," she said.

Color and change are nothing to be afraid of, Barnard said.

There are several - easily reversible - ways someone can change the look and feel of a home without spending any money.

The first step is to start fresh, Barnard said.

Arranging furniture in several different ways and deciding what looks and works best, taking clutter off shelves and re-purposing items all are free ways to reinvent the style of a room, Barnard said.

Re-purposing can mean taking an item that can no longer be used for its intended purpose - like a chair - and using it in a different way - like as a plant stand.

Barnard suggested people pick their favorite decorations or collections and display them prominently in their homes.

For example, a thimble collection can make interesting wall art if the thimbles are displayed as a collection instead of scattered throughout the home.

Other decorations that may be cluttering the space can be packed away for use at another time, Barnard said. Sometimes less is more.

For those who are willing to spend a little cash, paint, slipcovers, throw pillows and throw blankets can add a splash of color to a room that feels unfinished, said Mitchell McNeese, interior designer and owner of Design Today studio and store at 2313 34th St.

McNeese has been helping people decorate the inside their houses for more than 30 years. He said paint is by far the most dramatic way to change a room.

"There's no way to make a bigger impact than with paint - that's just a given," he said. "It's incredible what painting can do.

"You can leave your same stuff in there, and it can make a world of difference."

Local designers offer tips for redesigning a room without spending a lot of cash:
• Arrange furniture all different ways.
• Remove clutter from shelves and tables.
• Re-purpose items.
• Paint.
• Invest in or make inexpensive throw pillows with reversible patterns.
• Have a garage sale and sell decorations you never use.
• Splurge on pieces that are well-made and timeless.
Sources: Kelle Barnard, Mitchell McNeese ON THE NET: • Kelle Banard, design consultant • Design Today Inc. • American Society of Interior Designers

Popular paints right now are earth tones, jewel tones and neutral colors such as greens, grays, browns and reds, McNeese said.

"The green thing is real big right now," McNeese said.

But just because green is in style doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

"The key to all of it is always doing something you like," he said.

People should stick to what speaks to them and should not go with something just because it's trendy, McNeese said.

"The colors are always going to be there," he said.

A 1-gallon can of interior paint can costs about $18 depending on the brand.

To paint an average-size room, you'll need 1-2 gallons of paint, a paint roller tray (about $6), a paint roller (about $3), paint roller pads (about $3 for packs of three or six) paint brushes (about $6) and painter's tape (about $3).

All together, the total is about $39.

Barnard suggested people who are thinking about repainting a room first paint a large piece of cardboard with the color they've chosen and hold it up to the wall.

This technique can help eliminate the anxiety some people feel before painting a room.

"Sometimes you're going to make mistakes, but paint - you can repaint it," she said. "It's an inexpensive way to go wrong."

Throw pillows, blankets and other items such as lamps can be purchased from thrift stores, antique malls, garage and estate sales and auctions at discounted prices, Barnard and McNeese said.

"We've got a pretty good auction house," Barnard said.

Ken Peters' Auction, located at 3207 34th St., is open to the public and each auction usually features 400 to 800 lots of items from England, Scotland, Belgium and local estates.

Auctions are held usually on Sunday afternoons. Auction times are advertised in the Thrifty Nickel and in the Avalanche-Journal classified section.

"You can really find a lot of treasures there," Barnard said.

Some treasures may be diamonds in the rough.

Others you'll just have to try and negotiate for.

Barnard said thrift store and rummage sale shoppers must keep an open mind and use good bargaining skills.

Discount shoppers also should look for good lines and construction rather than smooth finishes and flawless paint.

Old pieces of furniture can be repainted or refinished, McNeese said. Lamps that won't switch on can be rewired, Barnard said.

If it's your imagination that needs rewiring, Barnard and McNeese said spending $50 or $75 an hour for a consultation with an interior designer can be helpful.

"A lot can get done in an hour," Barnard said. "I think I afford some sort of focus for a project."

But before hiring an interior designer, people must know what they're looking for, according to the American Society of Interior Designers. People must think about for whom the space is being designed, what image they're trying to project, what activities will take place there and what they're willing to spend.

McNeese said sometimes hiring an interior designer - even for an hour - can actually save money by keeping a novice designer from making cheap mistakes that can begin to add up.

Design consultants can get the project pointed in the right direction, McNeese said.

"What a lot of people don't realize is when you want to do something inexpensive in a space, you have to know what you're doing to pull it off," he said.

Barnard said she has several clients who only use her services for an hour-long consultation.

Others decide that they would like her to take on a design project in their homes.

"I love going in and being able to make people go, 'Oh, I never even thought of that,' " she said. "It's just a good feeling because you're making somebody happy about their home.

"You need to be happy in your home," she said.