Four tried-and-true budget decorating ideas that will give you the most bang for your buck.
Let’s be honest, it’s not every day we can do full blown renovations in our houses. That takes saving, dreaming, planning…it takes months and sometimes years. So what can you do when you want to make some changes, but you don’t have alot to spend. Where do you allocate your dollar bills to get the biggest impact? Read on for my ride or die budget decorating ideas!
1. Paint
No matter how many times I’ve painted a room, I’m always surprised at how drastically different a room can look and feel with a simple coat of paint.
Along the same vein, re-imagine existing furniture pieces in your home with paint or stain and new hardware. Old, outdated furniture and light fixtures feel new again with some elbow grease, 220 grit sand paper and a quart of paint or stain.
2. Tap into Thrift Stores, Craigslist and Estate Sales
Some of my most favorite pieces are second-hand and cost less than $10. Thrifting definitely takes some time and patience to sift through and find the right pieces, but you can score great furniture, art, lighting, and accessories at fractions of retail pricing. (Especially with everyone purging in the New Year. Thank you Marie Kondo!) And the silver lining? You’re helping to divert landfill waste!
- Did you know Goodwill has a website where you can bid on pieces from all over the country? www.shopgoodwill.com
- Also the EstateSales.Net App is awesome for scouting estate sales in your area.
3. Update Throw Pillows
Lastly, throw pillows are relatively inexpensive and can update the feel of a room without having to replace large pieces of furniture. If you don’t sew check out my no-sew pillow tutorial. And if you DO sew, check out this repurposed dress pillow, Otomi stenciled pillow, button tufted pillow tutorials. Basically, search keyword ‘pillow’ on my blog and get LOTS of DIY pillow ideas!
4. Printable Art
Printable art is a your room’s new best friend, and my goodness it’s affordable! The Matisse art above our bed is an Etsy digital download that I printed on my home printer. (Available as a set of 6 prints for $14.) If you have a large wall, group several smaller frames together as a gallery wall for big impact.
In our bedroom (pictured above):
- The wall is painted Behr, color Brooklyn.
- The headboard was found on Craigslist for $50, and the lace pillow shams, wood bowl, History of Art book, and wood beads are all from thrift stores.
- The Matisse art is an Etsy printable. Available as a set of 6 prints for $14.
- Floral bedding is from Hygge & West.
Read more about our bedroom design here!
