Decorating on a Dime

Provided By Realty Times

A tight budget doesn’t have to mean a lack of style! Your home can still be an up-to-date showpiece. You just have to know where to shop!

The first trick is to shop the sales! Retailers are fighting hard these days to gain your business. They have one-day sales, weekly clearance, and lots of coupons offered online. Be sure to do a little research before heading out to the stores. You may find that certain retailers have coupons or better deals. Why pay more for the same thing?

Decorating on a budget can mean being willing to compromise slightly on what items you buy. You may love the upholstery fabric you saw in Traditional Home magazine, but at $200 a yard it is out of reach of many homeowners.

Instead, try your local fabric hubs, such as Hobby Lobby. You may not find the exact same pattern, but chances are you’ll find a print that is similar and will give the same feel to your room.

Garage, yard, and estate sales are also prime decorator finding grounds. You never know what treasures will pop up! From antiques and handmade pieces to up-to-date styles, these sales are a smorgasbord of decor.

The main issue, however, is to be selective. It is easy to become sidetracked and buy items that don’t really work for what your overall design is. Then you end up with more junk to store at your own house.

If your purse strings are pulled even tighter, then it’s time to go to Plan B. There are a few options. Some of your other friends may be ready for a change. They may have curtains, candle holders, framed art, or throw pillows they’d love to trade for something new. Set up a swap meet for friends and share your stuff!

Another free option is reusing. What is reusing? You probably have curtains and decorative items all around your home. You might even have items you’ve put into storage. Now is a great time to pull items from the various rooms you want to decorate and see if any of the pieces you already possess could make a new statement in a new place.

Finally, don’t be afraid to do-it-yourself. Many local home home improvement stores offer classes and brochures on how to tile, texture paint, and upgrade other areas of your home. You can find tutorials in books and online for how to build simple pieces of furniture, like window seats and built-in shelving.

The same goes for homemade curtains, roman shades, throw pillows, and cushions. You can do it! Have confidence in your abilities. These do-it-yourself projects can be real money savers.
Shopping on a budget doesn’t have to be boring. You can make your home just as beautiful and cozy as the next person. Have fun with it!