Ten low-cost interior design tips that will work for any home

Decorating your home can be an expensive, complicated, and time-consuming task. But it doesn’t have to be. There are plenty of simple DIY projects and general tips that can minimize costs but still give you great results. The following ten tips will help you decorate on a budget regardless of the current state of your home.

Be creative

This first tip is a general one that will come in handy with the following tips. Think you’re just not a creative person? Think again. Everyone has a creative side and you just need to get in touch with that side of yourself. While you may not be skilled enough to paint your own extravagant paintings to hang on your walls, a number of the projects below are well within your range of abilities.

Make your own art

There are many different kinds of art. You don’t necessarily have to paint a beautiful landscape, portrait or still-life. You can do something abstract. Or you don’t have to paint anything at all. If your community has art classes such as ceramics, sculpture, or quilting you can create something worthy of display in your home without spending a fortune.

Repurposed materials

New materials are expensive. But there are plenty of free or cheap recycled materials you can repurpose to make furniture or decorations. Picking flowers from your garden for a nice floral arrangement in your kitchen only costs as much as the seeds and your time and effort. Recycled wood from old furniture can be turned into something else if you’re handy that way.

Display a personal collection

Most people have a hobby that results in a collection of sorts. Whatever you like to collect, you can display in creative ways throughout your home. You can hang some floating shelves or use available counterspace to decorate with things you don’t have to buy.

Mirrors as artwork

Mirrors are much cheaper than paintings but they can have a similar effect. Don’t just hang boring rectangular mirrors. Framed mirrors, and especially antique mirrors that have intricate patterns and interesting shapes can often be found at bargain prices and they can serve as artwork in your home.

Create a family photo gallery

Everyone has family photos laying around or cluttering up their computers or smartphones. There are plenty of services that allow you to print these photographs onto canvas for a relatively low cost.  You can create a gallery wall of immediate and extended family members without breaking the bank.

Use bold colors

Too many bold colors will clash and make your home feel cramped. But carefully selected bold colors used sparingly can create a dramatic effect. Consider painting an accent wall. Painting a wall is already one of the most cost-effective ways to redecorate and it’s even cheaper and easier if you’re only painting one wall.

Patterned wallpaper

When you think patterned wallpaper you probably imagine the hideous patterns of the 60s and 70s but there are more subtle patterns that look great. Like painting, it’s a cost-effective way to redecorate a room. If you use removable wallpaper that’s essentially just peel-and-stick, redecoration is a breeze if you get tired of the pattern.

Hang plates

Antique plates are an inexpensive way to decorate your walls. Simply shop thrift stores, antique shops, and online auction sites to find plates at a good price. You can also purchase plate hanging kits that are invisible once the plate is on the wall.

Baseboard heater covers

Many older homes have unsightly metal baseboard radiators that date the home. Rather than replacing the entire heating system, you can purchase inexpensive covers that give it a more sleep and updated look. Simply measure how many feet of covers you need and buy it. Best of all the covers just snap into place.

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