Decorating on a Shoestring Budget
By Amy Allen Clark
Right now one of the most popular shows on television is,
“Trading Spaces.” If you haven’t gotten an opportunity to watch
this show, the object of the game is to decorate one room in
someone else’s house with a budget of a $1,000. The decorator’s
truly struggle to accomplish this so you know it is hard when
even they, trained professionals, are having problems creating
the room of the homeowner’s dreams. Do not despair just because
your money is limited- you can still create a warm and inviting
home frugally. When people come into our home and see our front
room (the only room we have decorated since we are relatively
new homeowners) they always comment on how beautiful our drapes,
furniture, and whole look of this room is. Do you think I
disclose that we put the furniture together ourselves and that
the whole décor came compliments of Target? No way! Never
divulge the sordid details, just simply bask in the glory and
let them try to recreate your look. Here are a few tips for
creating an inviting home on a budget.
Watch
television shows, read books, and look through magazines to
gather inspiration for creating a stylish home. Although many
of the things you look at are completely out of your budget,
you can try to recreate it with lower costing materials and a
little creativity. Some great looks can be found on
www.potterybarn.com,
www.pierone.com ,
www.ikea.com, and
www.marthastewart.com.
Paint is the
cheapest way to really change a room. One thing I have learned
is to never be afraid of color- bright colors can really liven
up a room. Be wary though with small rooms because this can
make the rooms look smaller and closed off. In smaller rooms
use softer and lighter colors- yellows, light green, lavenders,
and white/off-white.
Getting your
home organized will make your house look well-kept. To find out
some great ways to get your home as well as yourself organized,
go to
www.organizedhome.com . This site is wonderful for learning
how and what you need to do to clear out the rubbish in your
home. With different styles of baskets to organize your items
it not only makes the room look cleaner, but it also adds to
the décor.
Target,
Kmart,
and
Walmart
all offer great items for your home at a much lower
cost. Target has fantastic drapes, tableware, towels, pillows,
and furniture for your home. Kmart offers incredible linens,
drapes, and sheets from the Martha Stewart line. Walmart offers
great fabrics for those do-it-yourself projects in making
pillows, drapes, and linens.
To add
pictures to your walls, look through old art books or
photograph books. Buy a cheap frame to put it in and you will
have beautiful artwork for a fraction of the cost.
Rearrange your
furniture in your home. Try to find new ways to break up a room
or to make the room more open and inviting.
Light a candle
and put potpourri in a bowl. This really warms up a room, not
to mention adding a beautiful smell to the air.
Find
slipcovers for your couches. Doing this is a lot cheaper then
buying a new sofa and when you get tired of it you can take the
covers off. These are especially nice if you have little
children because it is a great way to preserve the quality of
your furniture. The slipcovers are easier to clean because you
can throw them in the wash, unlike your couch. A couple of
great places to look for nice slipcovers are
www.kohls.com and
www.surefit.com.
Want something
in particular in your home, but can’t afford it? Hit
www.ebay.com and bid on it. Ebay always has great things
for your house not to mention beautiful antiques and
collectibles which make your home more unique.
Buy large
pillows to use as extra seating. These are great for when you
have a large group over and not enough seating. Don’t invest in
more seating; just buy big beautiful pillows for your guests to
sit on.
Go to the
garage sales, but go early. Those who wait do not get the deals
that the early risers get. Don’t underestimate the Salvation
Army and Goodwill either because you can find some interesting
and beautiful things for your house.
Learn one
craft that will aid you in decorating your home. Several of the
fabric and craft stores offer wonderful classes for learning
crafts such as sewing and floral for a very low cost. By
learning crafts you can make things yourself at a lower cost or
you may be able to make money off of this to afford you more
luxuries in your home- you just never know.
Hit your local
Dollar Tree for some great buys on things to make your home
more inviting. You might laugh at this one, but you would be
surprised what ends up at that store. I have bought beautiful
mugs, baskets, and stationary for a buck a piece and no one
knows that I spent so little money. Try to think outside the
box and go to the stores that are normally not known for
quality houseware. This is where you get the real deals.
Purchase all
different types of blankets and put them under your end tables
or drape one on your sofa. They make your guests feel cozy and
invited especially on those cold winter nights.
Put a book or two on your coffee
table that can be a conversation piece, but don't
overdo it. People tend to get carried away with this and then
you lose the beauty of the furniture underneath. One or two
books are nice, but four or five looks like clutter.
If you buy the
do-it-yourself furniture or have a piece that looks like it
needs a face-lift try replacing the knobs on those cabinets and
drawers. A beautiful brushed silver knob or ornate gold knob
can make the item look entirely different.
Replace your
old plastic curtain rods with sterling silver or gold rods.
Target and Kmart have some really beautiful ones with different
styles of ends (leaves, fruit, glass) that really add that
special touch.
Try a theme
room, but don’t get carried away. Remember that whatever theme
you chose you will have to live with it for a long time. Go for
classic themes that seem to withstand the ages. If you choose
to pick a theme for the room do hints of it throughout rooms,
but don’t make the entire room one big theme. Just give your
guest’s hints of it.
I hope these
tips will offer you some insight on decorating your own home. My advice to you
is that you start small and with one room at a time. Do not get carried away
with redoing your whole home or you will feel overwhelmed. Concentrate your
efforts on one project until you are completely satisfied and then begin
thinking about another project.
