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Decorating on a budget doesn't mean that your home will be less comfortable or attractive than one with lots of showy and expensive accessories. Imagination is always more important than money. Decorating on a budget just means that you’ll have to be a little more creative and inventive. If you plan ahead and think like an artist - you will reap the rewards in the end knowing you created a home decor that truly reflects your originality. So roll up your sleeves, grab a notebook and let your creative self take charge.
Paint, Stencils and Faux Finishes
Grab a handful of paint swatches, because painting a room gives you the most decorating bang for your buck. You can bring your walls to life by simply buying a couple of gallons of paint (average price is $10 to $30 per gallon). You can add some depth and texture to your walls simply by using some stencils (get your money’s worth and try stenciling a table or lamp shade) or adding a wallpaper border. You don’t have to be an artist or buy all the tools of the trade to do a faux finish. Sponging is relatively easy and you don’t need an expensive sea sponge - a basic household sponge with the edges torn away works great. If you want to get more creative with your faux finish like marbleizing or crackling do some research on the internet or visit a local paint store. | |
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Lighting
You can change the look of any room by simply changing your lighting. Instead of lighting up the whole room, try keeping the light at a lower level to create a cozy atmosphere or use floor and table lamps with low wattage bulbs to highlight specific areas in your home.
Simple Ideas
Here’s a decorating idea that won’t cost you a penny - rearrange your furniture. Before you start moving all your furniture around it’s best to sketch on paper where you want the items to go (try unique angles) and then measure the larger items first to see if they’ll work with your design.
Simply hanging prints, pictures or mirrors on your walls will add character to your home. A great way to get ideas is to flip through the pages of home decorating magazines and catalogs to see how they have placed their artwork and what accessories they used. Another way to add to your decor is to simply sprinkle keepsakes around your rooms or perhaps create a focal point by placing several trinkets together on a table or a shelf.
Plants and Foliage
The natural beauty of plants can really brighten up a room. With so many florists, nurseries and lawn and garden shops around - you shouldn’t have a problem finding a great deal. If you’re worried about whether you have a green thumb or not - try silk or dry flowers and plants. Don’t ruin the view by buying a plastic pot or vase - do some snooping at tag sales, flea markets and craft and nursery clearance aisles.
Giving Old Furniture a New Look
Since buying new furniture can be very expensive, why not overhaul your existing furniture by adding a slipcover. Today’s slipcovers aren’t like the ones you remember sitting on in your grandparents house - they’re much more stylish and available in an array of fabrics.
Tables, chairs, desk and headboards can all be refurbished by using a can of spray paint or stain. Of course depending on the condition of the piece you may need to use some elbow grease to sand away the old surface. It’s important to keep in mind that when you’re decorating on a budget, you need to be a little patient as you tackle each new project.
Window Treatments
If you’re concerned about how you’re going to afford to cover all your windows - there’s a simple, yet elegant solution that doesn’t even require sewing. You can create unique window treatments by using dinner napkins and curtain jewelry, yards of fabric or how about hanging a pretty crocheted tablecloth with shower-curtain hooks.
Be Creative
When decorating your home you should try and think outside the box. Almost any item can be used for something other than what it was intended. Perhaps an old trunk you saw at a tag sale would have made a stunning coffee table. Keep your eyes open for the unexpected and remember the old saying - “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
Before you begin shopping for anything, you should take a look at what you already have - especially those tucked away items you may have forgotten about in the attic, basement or garage. Sometimes discovering something old and sentimental can be inspiring.
Exterior Decorating
While you’ll probably be spending most of your time decorating the interior of your home - don’t forget about the outside, after all it’s what people see first. Talk to contractors in the area and see if you can go through their scrap piles. Since these are new homes being built, scraps doesn’t mean garbage, but rather pieces of materials that weren’t the right size or a mistake was made. Pieces of scrap wood or siding make great garden furniture, broken tiles can be used to make mosaic tables or to create stepping stones. Check out your local lumberyards and fencing companies, because there is a bounty of discarded wood that you can acquire to create almost anything from a garden post for hanging plants or lanterns to garden fencing. If you take the time to look around and make some phone calls, you’ll be amazed at how many free materials are available. |
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