With Spring comes the undeniable urge to cleanse our residence, aka Spring cleaning, or as we prefer to call it, a Spring Refresh. We all know that designing a home, or refurbishing a current space, can often have a BIG price tag, but can we find quality without breaking the bank? We have brought in interior designer, Gillian Segal, founder of Gillian Segal Design, to share her top approachable hacks to revamp your home on a budget, as well as her top 5 home essentials under $100.

Like everything in life, home improvements can be an investment, so here is Gillian’s budget breakdown of what she deems are your most important focal points to spare no expense when looking to refurbish your personal space.

Sticks and STONEs.

“Beautiful stone — wether this is a countertop on your island or a marble dining or coffee table. Investing in quality materials and beautiful craftsmanship never goes out of style. Your marble may get a few dings or scratches over the years, but I actually love the patina marble develops over time.”

A work of ART.

“Artwork makes or breaks any space instantly. Also it is timeless if you invest correctly.”

LIGHT living.

“I'm a mom. I have kids. Most of our clients have kids. And so it sometimes feels overwhelming to invest in a piece of upholstery or carpet that your kids are going to be running around on, inevitably spilling on and destroying. But lighting is often a very safe choice, so we think it's actually a really great piece to invest in. Both the sculptural element and the type of light provided totally creates a new ambiance for the room.”

“I believe great design can be sourced within any budget. At Gillian Segal Design we really like to mix and match, which helps balance our budget a little bit. I always think of interiors like fashion. You can still have super-high-end elements in an outfit, but you've mixed in a few pieces from Zara with your Chanel bag. No one knows that your dress is from Zara dress because the whole thing comes together so well. We approach design in the same way.” 

“I also love working with vintage pieces. You can find these in almost all of our projects. This could be a high-end collectable piece from 1st dibs, but it’s also often something we found on Etsy or from small vintage dealers who sell things at incredibly approachable price points.”

Now let's refit your living space with this list of essentials you didn’t even know you needed.

GILLIAN’S TOP 5 HOME ESSENTIALS UNDER $100

Joesphine Organic Cotton (Hand) Towel $45 

“An amazing, fun powder room towel.”

Salt Sphere Vase Bubl. Medio $64

“Beautiful ceramics — either to use as a floral vessel or simply as a work of art on its own.”

Vitruvi Essential Oil $32

“A scent — this is a great way to create ambience. I love having my Vitruvi diffuser going at all times and I’m obsessed with their blend, Moonbeam.”

Sangre De Fruta Botanical Hand Wash $48

“A nice hand soap. My husband hates the fact that I buy expensive hand soap (only for our kids to bath their barbies in it), but I think it gives you the ability to elevate and take pleasure in a very simple daily task. My current favorite is produced locally by an incredible company called Sangre De Fruta.”

Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel $50

“A book — A great coffee table book is not only fun to flip through but is also a great way to showcase who you are and what you’re interested in. I’m a bit of a bookworm, both reading fiction and collection coffee table books.”