BUDGET-FRIENDLY DECORATING IDEAS: 6 EASY TIPS
Don’t have a lot of money to spend on your home decor? Relax! We are here to tell you that decorating does not have to cost an arm and a leg. Using these budget-friendly decorating ideas it’s easier than you might think to begin transforming your home today! From rearranging to re-purposing, from DIY to smart shopping we want to share these 6 money-saving tips for achieving a decorator-refreshed look without breaking the bank.
Rearrange your furniture. This may seem obvious but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. We think people don’t fully benefit from this all-important technique because it seems too obvious. We propose RETHINKING the house. It takes out-of-the-box thinking and some dedicated time, but we think it’s time well spent. (And it doesn’t cost a penny!) Imagine you have your furniture in a moving truck in the driveway…we want you to re-imagine the entire house. Think about the purpose of each room. How are you really using your rooms? Are there rooms you hardly use? Are there other rooms that are dedicated to too many activities? Begin with purpose and your house will make you happier. After you move on from purpose, move to style. For example, by swapping chairs or coffee tables you can give your rooms a refreshed look. The end result? It will FEEL like you went furniture shopping when you just went shopping in your house. Jodie recently swapped two coffee tables, one from her living room and one from her family room. After almost 10 years she has a new look and feel to both rooms, and she feels like she just acquired 2 new pieces of furniture! I am constantly thinking and rethinking furniture. The more you do it the better you get. And the bonus? If you don’t like it you can always trade things back.Budget-friendly decorating-rearrange
Transform with chalk-paint. A great budget-friendly decorating idea is to revive old furniture by changing the color and giving it a whole new look. For the price of a can of paint and a few hours you can feel like you went furniture shopping. A fresh look can completely redefine a piece. You can use a variety of techniques, a variety of paints (spray paint, regular paint, chalk paint, watered-down or regular, milk paint). Regardless of the product(s) or techniques you decide to use we know you will love the empowerment you feel once you begin transforming your furniture to your liking. (Beware: it can be addictive!!) Click HERE to go to our Chalk Painting blog tutorial. This piece below was part of an old natural wood bedroom set Jodie’s husband had owned when they met. He had no hard feelings when she transformed it with a little paint and gave it a whole new look!Budget-friendly decorating: chalk-paint-distressed-dresser
DIY. Do-it-yourself decor is the latest craze, and we all understand why! Armed with plenty of advice from blogs and other on-line sites you can do just about anything you want! Jodie was on a HUGE budget and needed curtains everywhere in her house. Instead of buying curtains she made drop cloth curtains for a tiny fraction of the cost. Click HERE to go to our Drop-Cloth Curtains blog tutorial. Whatever your project the old phrase, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” is our motto and should be yours! If you want something badly enough there is a way to figure out how to do it yourself for a fraction of the cost!Budget-friendly decorating ideas: DIY drop cloth curtains
Create a gallery wall. Another of our favorite budget-friendly decorating ideas is to create a gallery wall. Do you have lots of blank white walls staring back at you? Think small, think gallery wall. Instead of buying a large (expensive) piece of art or a large mirror to fill that space it is much more economical to gather small items, i.e. small inexpensive picture frames, small decor items like these arrows below, that added together create a wow ensemble. Another version of a type of gallery wall is a Plate wall. Click HERE to go to our Plate Wall blog tutorial. This tutorial can also be helpful if you are creating a gallery wall. Many of the tips can be applied to any gallery wall projects.budget-decor-gallery-wall
Use elements from nature. Another budget-friendly decorating tip is to skip the store for buying flowers or seasonal decor items and go straight to nature. Jodie just recently brought in a branch she chopped from a tree in her front yard, and it looked sooooo amazing in her home! I love to gather pine cones and acorns and rocks to add natural elements to my trays. And of course if you are lucky enough to have a yard and a garden, make sure to take advantage of what nature provides and take plant and flower cuttings indoors. The list of possibilities is limited only by your imagination. The added bonus is the adventure of collecting takes you into the great outdoors where you’ll undoubtedly enjoy fresh air, beautiful scenery and some beneficial exercise! Enjoy!budget-friendly decorating tips-nature
When in doubt, go neutral. Now before you judge us and say how boring, let us explain. We recommend keeping your big purchases neutral. Furniture should last you a LONG time…years and years hopefully. They should last beyond your decor phases and design trends, move from house to house and/or room to room (possibly even be passed down to kids and the next generation). Choose neutral colors and save the vivid colors and wow styles for your changeable, less expensive accessories. For example, we would recommend choosing a white, slip-covered couch and adding seasonal accents of color and pattern with your pillows and throws. We aren’t saying skip the style and fun, we are just suggesting having strategic “fun” and investing wisely.
In order to create a beautiful home you don’t need a lot of money. What you lack in budget you can make up for with CREATIVITY! You only need ingenuity, time, and the willingness to try. As Jodie and I can attest, there’s so much satisfaction in achieving results that are hard-earned rather than high-paid! Be smart, be brave, and have fun. If you start using these budget-friendly decorating ideas we think you will soon see the rewards in a creatively-inspired home you’ll be proud to show off!
