How to Make Big Changes to Your Living Space on a Small Decorating Budget

It was the early ’90s and Laura Ashley flower prints were hot. Ami McKay was a budget-conscious student living alone for the first time, and to cosy up her bedroom, she bought a Laura Ashley sheet set, sewed the sheets together and made a duvet cover. She also picked up a lacy fabric and fashioned a canopy over the bed, pinning the four corners to the ceiling. With just a few pieces of fabric, her room was transformed. Today, McKay is president and principal interior designer at Pure Design Inc., a Vancouver design firm. Being young and on a budget was a blessing, she said: it forces you to be creative....