10 Ways You Can Decorate Your Home or Apartment on a Budget
How You Can, Inexpensively, Create a Home That Makes You Happy
When we first moved into our new home I hadn’t even gone to design school yet, let alone started my own business. Money was tight. We had spent all of our savings on building our house.
There were a few tricks that I used to decorate our home that are great budget décor options.
1. I shopped at IKEA. IKEA gets kind of a bad rap for not being great quality. But, if you’re looking to decorate on a budget it can be a lifesaver. I knew I only needed the furniture to last less than 10 years because in 10 years my kids would be off to college and I would then want to invest in some nicer pieces. The trick is to mix your inexpensive IKEA items with some nicer investment pieces. Use an IKEA coffee table (you can get one for under $100) and invest in a quality, well-made sofa that’ll last you years. Or, if you have less to invest, get a really nice coffee table and go with an inexpensive IKEA sofa (you can get one for under $600). Either way, make sure to mix quality pieces, even if it’s just accessories, with your less expensive pieces. And if you’re looking for a lush look on your sofa, mix super affordable IKEA throw pillows with a few great quality, down pillows. The cheap pillows add fullness to your pillow display and make it look richer.
2. I used Dollar Store items to organize the inside of cabinets and drawers. Organizing solutions that are permanently installed inside of cabinetry can be really expensive. I used plastic turntables, totes, ice cube bins etc. instead in order to save money. Those tips are here – https://www.detailsfullserviceinteriors.com/get-organized-budget
3. I used inexpensive canvases. You can find blank canvases for really cheap at Job Lot or any craft store. I covered some with extra fabric pieces. I painted abstract designs on some. I painted quotes on others. But they ended up being really cool artwork for my blank walls
4. I used sheets and duvet covers for draperies. Sheets or duvet covers are great to use as window treatments. They come in large sizes, which were perfect for my huge windows. They’re also all sewn and finished on all edges. You can snip the stitches at the ends so you can fit a rod through or you can just use drapery rings and clips. Voila – instant curtains.
5. I added my own embellishments to personalize pieces. Budget décor often lacks personality so you need to add some of your own. I added ribbon to lampshades. I glued beads to curtains. Find ways to add your personality to generic pieces.
6. I used smaller rugs together to form a large rug. Large, room-sized area rugs can be really expensive, even at bargain stores. For my living room I used 2 5×8 rugs pushed together to look like one 8×10 rug. I chose a shaggy texture so you can’t even see the seam where they meet. And, big confession here, they’re from Wal-Mart. Yup, Walmart! And, even bigger confession, they’re still in my living room right now! I actually really like them!
7. I used inexpensive items as accessories. It’s so easy, and cheap, to fill in the empty spots in your home. I used a lot of plants. Plants really warm up a space and add texture and life. They fill up corners and empty shelves really well. And they go with everything. The thing about plants is the pots can get expensive. Refer to number 6 for tips on that.
8. I used inexpensive items as accessories. It’s so easy, and cheap, to fill in the empty spots in your home. I used a lot of plants. Plants really warm up a space and add texture and life. They fill up corners and empty shelves really well. And they go with everything. The thing about plants is the pots can get expensive. Refer to number 6 for tips on that.
9. I used our old pillows as pillow inserts. I found some great pillows covers that I loved and instead of buying pillow inserts I used our old, ugly pillows that I was going to throw out as the inserts. I put 2 in each cover for a fluffy, full look and feel.
10. Lastly, I was patient. I waited until I found items on clearance or a great sale price. I scoured the HomeGoods and Pier 1 clearance aisles. I perused the clearance pages on Ballard Designs and Home Decorators. I even found great décor pieces at The Christmas Tree Shop. Your home doesn’t have to be perfectly decorated in a month. You can wait and find pieces that mean something to you, pieces that show your personality. You just have to be patient and persistent.
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