You Know Your Home Needs a New Look When…

Have friends started declining your invitations for dinner because your décor causes them to loose their appetites? Is your living room (once the life of the party) starting to feel like a wallflower? Does your kitchen look like it belongs in the pages of a catalog…from 1982? Maybe you’re starting a new phase of your life and want your home to reflect your changes. Maybe you’ve just bought a house and have no idea how to fill all the rooms on a small budget. Maybe you just feel like a change. Whatever the reason, it’s time to update your living space. With a few creative ideas, finding a look that fits your unique sense of style is easy to do, no matter what your budget.

First Things First

Take a few moments to study the room (or rooms) you want to decorate. What adjectives come to mind when you think about how you would like the room to feel? Do you long for a bedroom that is a calm and soothing retreat? Would you rather have your living room feel cozy or energizing? Jot down some of the words and ideas that come to mind when you think about your ideal room. This will give you a base to start from.

Let’s say you’re trying to make your dining room feel more welcoming. What colors and textures seem welcoming to you? What accents have you seen in other dining rooms that made you feel welcome? When you’re in doubt about a color or an item just compare it to your vision of what you want the room to feel like.

It may also be helpful to keep a notebook of ideas cut out from magazines and catalogs. Knowing what you like will help you save both time and money as you decorate and make it easy to find the least expensive way to deck out your dream room.

Picasso Was on to Something

Painting is one of the most inexpensive ways to give a room a whole new feel.

Plain, white walls come alive with a little color and set the tone for the whole space. Choose one wall to paint as an accent or paint the whole room, but remember: dark colors will tend to make small spaces seem smaller, while lighter shades will open up a room.

Using the same color for several rooms can also add a feeling of continuity to your decorating as the same shade flows from space to space.

For a great place to find discounted paint, look no further than your local home supply store (such as Home Depot.) Most of these stores will have a section of returned paint that customers, for one reason or another, bought and then returned. These cans of “oops” paint come in a variety of colors and are usually drastically discounted for resale.

One Man’s Trash…

Garage and estate sales are some of the best places to find inexpensive items for your home. The key here is to look for potential. See a clean and comfortable couch in a hideous print? Throw on a slipcover for a whole new sofa. Found the perfect dresser beneath layers of ugly paint? Sand it down and add your own stain. Garage sales are a dream for the budget conscious, but brush up on those bartering skills before you go. One word of caution: don’t let rock-bottom prices lure you into wasting money on something you won’t really use. Sure, that Wild West paining is only $2.50, but will it really compliment the Nantucket beach house feel you’re going for in the den?

In the Neutral Zone.

If you like to redecorate on a regular basis or if you want a room to stay in fashion for years to come, choose neutral shades for large pieces of furniture and wall colors. When you want to change your style, just change the accents. Rugs, artwork, and accent pieces like pottery or plants can easily (and inexpensively) be swapped out to create a whole new look for a room.

If you Can’t Beat ‘em, Join ‘Em

When it comes to decorating do you have champagne taste on a beer budget? Consider working for your favorite home store or boutique. Many of the larger home stores (like Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel) will offer up to a 40% discount to their employees, even for part time employees who only work a few hours a week. Check with stores in your area to find out what kind of discount is offered to employees and ask for an application.

Shop the Deals.

Check the Sunday paper to see which stores in your area will be having sales on what throughout the week. If you find something you can’t live without, ask an employee if it will be going on sale anytime soon. Also, many stores (Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Linens N’ Things to name a few) will honor their competitors’ coupons, so don’t be afraid to ask. Also, many stores offer clearance sale prices on items only available through their website and will sometimes offer free or discounted shipping.

When You’re in a Pinch

If you’re budgetary belt has been tightened past the last notch and you still want to update your living space, use inexpensive accents to change the look of a room. Candles and cheap candleholders can give a space a whole new feel. So can a few green plants (live or fake depending on the level of green in your thumb). Try Rearranging the furniture you already have to spruce up a room. Instead of pressing a couch or love seat flat against a wall, try “floating” it a few feet away to add depth to a room. Hang an inexpensive mirror to reflect a piece of art, and double the effect of your favorite picture.

Don’t let financial constraints scare you; decorating on a budget is easier than you may think. It’s all about knowing what you like and where to find it at the lowest price possible. Start by deciding what you want to accomplish in a room, and then, with just a little effort, you can transform any space from bland into beautiful.