Decorating a full house can be expensive. Going from a small basement suite that I didn’t put any thought into decorating into a 1400 square foot townhouse means that there is a lot more wall space and empty space to decorate. While I am trying to go through things slowly and not do it all at once decorating costs can still add up.
In the past few months I have found some ways to make the decorating more affordable without sacrificing quality or your own style. I will also be sharing some bits of my own home that I have changed and made my own.
Paint
Overall paint is not very expensive but can change a room up immensely. It is also relatively simple to do, needing few supplies (many of which you may be able to borrow from friends or family) and with good painters tape anyone can do it.
Spray paint can change out parts of other furniture such as drawer pulls, picture frames, and other decor pieces, even kids toys painted in a colour such as gold, black, or white is suddenly elevated. We changed the black handles that came with our dresser to a bronze rose gold that made them stand out.
Thrifting/Facebook Marketplace
It is always a mystery what you can find at the thrift store or from an online seller, but you can sometimes find the perfect piece. Sometimes it is just right the way it is or sometimes it may need a coat of paint or reworking.
Of course this isn’t the way to go if you are looking for something specific, but it can help you go slower with your redecorating as you wait for the right thing.
Repurposing
Sometimes something that doesn’t work in one area can work in another. Or maybe something you bought for one thing can be used for something else. Pasta sauce jars can be used to store bulk supplies in the kitchen, what was Nigel’s dresser is now our buffet/sideboard/bar cart, and candle jars now hold my makeup brushes.
I have a section in my home of items that didn’t work in one area; shelves, containers, bins, and baskets, but that I don’t want to get rid of just yet. Now as I work on redecorating and reorganizing rooms I can go to that area first and see if I already something that will work before purchasing something else.
Dollar Store
Now the dollar store has a lot of things that are cheap and that won’t last, but that isn’t always the case. If you search you are able to find bins and baskets that will last. I was able to buy these for my bathroom storage as I loved the look of them and they were much more affordable that what I could find in other places.
I wouldn’t suggest getting all of your home decor from the Dollar Store, but you shouldn’t count them out just because they do sell cheaper items.
DIY
You don’t have to be incredibly crafty to be able to DIY some decor in your home. There are tons of great ideas all over the internet and Pinterest that you don’t need an art degree to complete. I created this super easy art piece from my wedding cards and a hexagon punch. Just make sure that what you are DIY-ing isn’t going to cost you more in supplies than it would to buy something from someone (unless you really do just want to make it yourself)
Plants
Now this may not be the cheapest way to decorate but it can still be very affordable to do. If you find a great greenhouse around you with affordable plants you can get some cheap plain pots and decorate them yourselves. Plants always make a space look put together and decorated and while you do have to put some work into them there are many that are pretty easy to take care of.
Decorating and putting together a home doesn’t have to be very expensive, and my biggest tip is to go slow. Not everything has to be decorated on day 2 of living in a space and in fact it is better if you take the time to learn the space before you get everything set up.
What are some of your tips for decorating on a budget?
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