In today’s troubled economy and high inflation, most people are forced to cut spending on luxuries, frivolities and extras. Naturally when money is tight, it is spent on necessities, and things like home décor is on the last of everyone’s list. Honestly, how much do you really have to spare after spending so much on rents, utilities and groceries alone?! But the good news is that it is very much possible to have a spectacular looking home even on a tight budget. Whether you’re decorating a new house or you’re fed up of your old décor, you don’t need to spend a fortune to make your home look stylish and appealing. Decorating on a tight budget can be a challenging but very rewarding task. All that is required is some creativity and imagination. Here are some inexpensive home décor ideas that will help you in creating your dream home without cleaning out your bank account!
1. Start from the critical areas first
Understand that you can’t decorate/redecorate all areas of your home at once. Take it one step at a time. E.g. you entertain your guests in the living or drawing room and therefore, that should be the first place to start when planning for home decoration.
2. New isn’t necessary
You don’t have to get new, expensive furniture, rugs or accessories to change your home. More often than not you can get really good second hand stuff from second-hand shops, exhibitions, garage sales, embassy sales, and thrift stores. There are always plenty of ads for used furniture sales in the Sunday newspaper as well. Furniture in these places is not necessarily junk. People often sell their good furniture while redecorating their homes in order to make room for new things. Chances are good that you will come across some great stuff at throwaway prices and can find some great bargains. Even if you don’t like the furniture in it’s current state, with a little effort you can refurbish and restore it to look as good as new. Nevertheless if used furniture is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of discount furniture stores out there which sell new furniture at very affordable prices as well. Great accessories also do not have to cost a lot of money. You can always find inexpensive counterparts at great prices. There are many stores offering items that look as good as the expensive items at half the price. The trick is to be on a continuous lookout for good buys.
3. Reupholstering
Another cost-effective alternative to new furniture is to reupholster your old furniture with fresh, new fabric. Slip covers are also a great option for chairs. Reupholstering is the best option if the upholstery is worn or the color is outdated. You can choose from a wide variety of textures and colors that are available in different types of fabrics. This is also a great way to give your sofa a new look for the season. E.g. in summers you can have some light, floral print while rich, dark shades are more suitable in winters.
4. Change the wood polish
A much cheaper alternative to new furniture is to change the wood polish of your existing furniture. You can go for lighter or darker tones according to the look you desire. By simply changing the polish you can give your furniture a whole new look.
5. Add pizzazz with paint
Paint is one of the most inexpensive ways to create instant change in your décor and is the best option if you’re really short of cash. Simply going for a fresh coat of paint in a room can give it a whole new look. You can paint each room a different color. You can even go for the different textures as well. You could paint just one wall in a color which complements the existing color, or you could change the paint of the whole room. Choosing paint colors can be quite confusing. You can bring several sample shade cards home and decide the best color for the look you are going for in your room. Keep in mind that paint dries darker than the sample. The safest option is to go for neutral colors for the walls and accent them with fabrics for the upholstery. If you are a little more adventurous, you can use new, hot colors. You can even paint stripes of the color on one wall. A freshly coated wall with an exciting color is enough to rejuvenate any dull corner of your home and is one of the most effective décor tips.
6. Create focal points
Select the most important (or favorite) element in a room, say a fireplace, and make this the focal point. Then place furnishings and objects around it to draw a person’s eye towards it. E.g. you can paint one wall with your favorite color, and make this the focal point of the room. You can then hang a piece of interesting art on the wall and place a piece of nice furniture on that side of the room to provide even more accent to the wall. You can also create a focal point of your best and most beautiful pieces. It will be the first thing people see when they walk in the room.
7. Theme
You can provide each room with a theme. You may decide on a color, or it may be a particular style. This will be a good starting point, and will help to guide you through the decorating stages.
8. Play around with your old stuff
If you do not have any money to spend right now, just move your existing furniture and accessories around to change the look & feel of your room. The idea is to look at your stuff with a fresh perspective and to work with what you have. Look around your house for items to use in new and innovative ways. Rearrange the furniture. Try putting your furniture at an angle. You can set the furniture in a more friendly way. Place things against different walls, or even away from the walls. Use the vase from the bedroom room in the living room with new flowers. You will see that just by rearranging your furniture you can update the look at no cost at all.
9. Shift from traditional to contemporary styles
Instead of the usual living room furniture (sofas, coffee table, chairs, side tables etc) which can be quite expensive, you can go for more contemporary pieces like ottomans, recliners, sectional sofas, sleepers, rockers and gliders. These can be found at quite affordable prices. You can also use just one sofa with tall plants, floor lamps and decorative stands on either side, and large floor cushions for remaining seating. This will give your living room a very trendy look.
10. De-clutter
By de-cluttering a space, you will be providing yourself with more room. Don’t use your bedrooms as dumping grounds because they are away from the public eye. Put any items that you don’t need (or like) away in boxes and either sell or give them away.
11. Group small but valuable pieces together
Some small decorative items (like delicate crystal pieces, frames, mementoes etc) look small and insignificant if placed on their own. What you can do is that you can group them together and make a precious corner out of them.
12. Less carpets, more rugs
Wall-to-wall carpeting is oh so passé. Besides, carpets are expensive and can be home to a lot of dust and bacteria, leading to allergies. If you have a marble, wooden or even tiled floor, you should be flaunting it, not covering it with carpets. A rug can be used to finish the look of the room. It can soften a room and be a cozy place to curl up. Rugs are also a cheap way to cover annoying imperfections in your floor. Use an area rug in some vibrant color to define a conversation area in your living room. Look for one which will complement the décor of the room. Place it underneath your coffee table, or just place it in a central location where the seating is situa ted. This will give a modern touch and make your living room look stylish.
13. Change the curtains
Why not use blinds or chiks instead? They are both available in so many different designs, colors, materials and textures.
14. Use Lighting
Changing the lighting can also give a new look to your home. Lights are the mood setters and you can create any kind of environment using different lights. You can change the entire ambience of your home just by using the right lights. You can replace old chandeliers with some modern lighting fixtures. Recessed lighting, under-cabinet lighting and picture lighting in all the right places can add great style to your space.
15. Use Plants & Flowers
To give your room a fresh look you can add greenery with lots of plants. The best thing about plants is that they can go with any color or theme you choose and are relatively inexpensive. You can place decorative plants in beautiful stands. You can use unusual items such as coffee cups, bowls, waste baskets, pails or watering cans for potted plants. Flowers give a very soft and beautiful touch to the room. They can also be placed strategically to hide any flaws in the room. You can even use artificial plants and flowers as they look very real and obviously do not require the care that goes into fresh ones. Another advantage of artificial plants and flowers is that they will last many years and will only require the occasional dusting. Despite these advantages, I still recommend fresh indoor plants, as they not only add beauty to the home, they also help to defuse noise pollution, purify the air, spread tranquility and peace to the surroundings, and facilitate to clean the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. However, special care must be taken with them. All in-house plants need to be moderately watered, soil changed once in six months, pruned once a week and kept in an area with access to some cross ventilation and sunlight. A word of caution. Not all plants are meant for in-door use. There are certain types of plants that do well in-doors while others do well out-doors. You must consult the salesmen in your local nursery, garden center or plant sales outlet for advice in this regard. Some popular in-door plants are: Philodendrons, Peace Lily, Boston fern, Coleus, Dendrobium (common orchid), Poinsettia (Christmas flower), Easter Lily, Arum Lily, and Bonsai plants. Some popular out-door plants are: Daisies, iris, chrysanthemums, morning glory, gerberas, impatiens, petunias, sweet alyssum, geraniums, money plant, fan and rubber palms, pink frangipani and a variety of bamboo species.
16. Use Wallpaper
Wallpaper is back in fashion. If your not comfortable with using it on a whole room, you can wallpaper just one wall to create interest or drama. E.g. you can wallpaper just the wall behind your bed in complementing colors and textures.
17. Use Mirrors
Mirrors can be used to create the illusion of light and space. This is especially useful in small rooms with little natural light. Mirrors are very beautiful and come in various styles (ornate, modern, and beveled to name a few) and can be used as an alternative to wall hangings & paintings. When hanging a mirror, place it in a position where it will reflect either a nice view or an interesting architectural element of the room. You can use mirrors to reflect beautiful centerpieces and candle & flower arrangements.
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