How to decorate your home on a tight budget

 

Interior decorating can be quite expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. If you’re pretty crafty or even if you’re just patient enough to wait for the right deals, you can save a lot of money and stick to a very tight budget when interior decorating. Here are a few tips that can help you do that.

Buy vs. DIY

There are a few obvious furnishings you’re not going to be make yourself such as a sofa or arm chair. But there are many things that you can build yourself to save a lot of money. Research some ideas online. For the cost of some raw materials like wood, copper pipes, concrete, etc… you can build your own storage solutions such as a blanket ladder or clothing racks.

Buy textiles abroad

Good design incorporates a variety of textures and colors. One of the easiest and cost effective ways to do this is through textiles like rugs, curtains, throws, sofa covers, and table linens. Often these are either cheaply made or finely made and imported and therefore costly. Your best bet for getting high quality textiles is to buy them while abroad. Of course, you won’t be saving money on textiles if you travel all the way to South America just to purchase them but if you’re already there, might as well do some shopping while you’re there. You can support local tradespeople and you know that what you’re buying is authentic.

Make trades

Take advantage of social media groups where people buy and sell used home décor items. Often times you can arrange to trade straight across. This is a great way to get rid of things you don’t want and get things you do in return without having to host a yard sale.

Go big

Instead of filling that large wall in your front room with an assortment of smaller framed photographs or paintings, get one really big one. Overall, it’s usually a lot cheaper and a large piece of artwork can function as a focal point for the space much better than a gallery wall can.

Bargain shop

When you can’t negotiate a trade or build something yourself, you can scout out all the local thrift shops and antique stores. A lot of the stuff you find will be poor quality but you’d be surprised at how often you make really good finds. Also be on the lookout for things that you can repurpose or touch up to make it like new again. Perhaps you find a nice set of chairs but the upholstery is ruined. Don’t let that be a deal breaker. It’s probably cheaper to reupholster them than to buy a new set.

Paint everything

Okay, don’t paint everything but paint a lot of things. Paint is one of the cheapest ways to give things a new look. Returning to the previous tip, don’t worry about the color of items you find as you shop since it’s easy and cheap to change the color yourself. Don’t like your kitchen cupboards? Don’t tear them out and install new ones; give them a fresh coat of paint and maybe install some new cabinet hardware and they’ll be like new. Don’t replace your front door, just paint it a new color.

Work with what you have

Finally, find ways to work with what you have. Instead of tearing down that wall for a more open floor plan or ripping out baseboard heaters since you also have central heating, you can find creative solutions that are cheaper. For instance, baseboard heater covers are inexpensive and easy to install and will give your home a more updated look.

 

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