Decorating on a Budget

Decorating on a Budget

Finances tight? Need to stick to a budget? What many people in this situation don't realize is that you don't have to sacrifice style when you are low on cash. There are many ways to jazz up pieces of old furniture found at thrift stores and countless do-it-yourself patterns found on the Internet these days for curtains, table cloths, and just about anything else you are looking to make from cheap scraps of material. Following are a few simple ideas to stretch that dollar and have your living space looking like a home decorating magazine centerfold. One key point to remember is that when it comes to home decorating, more is less, which is always good news to those looking to scrimp on accessories and save cash. Keep knick-knacks limited to a few favorite pieces in each room. Clutter makes rooms look small and junky, and today's look is minimalist.

. You can save money by scrimping on accessories when decorating on a tight budget.

Want to make changes but don’t have the money to do a total revamp? Consider changing the paint color on the walls only. A fresh, clean splash of color tends to make old furniture pieces and accessories look brand new. Purchase “mistinted” paint that was originally mixed for another consumer but didn’t suit their preference. This is significantly cheaper than choosing your own color from a paint swatch and having it mixed. Savings can be upwards of $20 per gallon for mistinted paint. Shop around to different hardware stores and you are bound to find a mistint that you like. Opt for painting wooden furniture pieces as well. Slap a quick coat of color on furniture of your own that needs a facelift, or shop for old pieces at thrift stores or auction houses and strip and refinish at home. As a cost effective alternative to thrift store shopping, many cities have organizations known as furniture banks. You can arrange to drop off old pieces of your own furniture that you no longer need or have the desire to keep, and select something from the bank to take home in place of the donated piece. Make it yourself. Do you have a sewing machine or a friend who is willing to let you borrow one? Purchase fabrics from the discount bin at your local sewing shop and learn to make, for example, curtains, bed skirts, pillowcases, and quilts. The options are limitless and a set consisting of a valance and two tiers would cost a little over $2, at a price of $0.99 a meter. If you are making over your kitchen and want to center your design around your new curtain set, reupholster cloth-covered dining room chairs using the same fabric or a coordinating pattern. All that is needed for this project is a staple gun and scissors. The same can be done for lampshades. Can’t sew? Don’t worry. Fabric shops sell something called fabric tape where you can literally stick your pieces together for a very similar look, without all the fuss of a needle and thread. Purchasing new furniture and needing to save money in doing so? Buy furniture pieces that have multiple functions. For instance, a coffee table that doubles as a trunk with storage space or a sofa that pulls out into a bed. Purchase unfinished wooden frames at lumber stores and stain in a shade of your choice. Instead of paintings and other art pieces, opt for simple, favorite photographs of friends and family. The cost of developing digital photographs is about $0.19/image. Decorate with houseplants. Get plant clippings from a family member and grow your own garden by starting in small pots and eventually moving to large hanging baskets. Use what you already own. Opt for a free redecorating strategy, and that is, simply rearrange your furniture. This can give a room a whole new look without spending a cent. Or swap furniture with pieces from other rooms to bring a bit of “new” into your space.