If you’re anything like me, you aim to decorate on a budget! I’m sharing 6 tips that will help you stretch your decor budget so you can get the look you want in your home for less.
I provided visual examples from my home for each of the 6 tips, but if you need clarification on any of them, just leave it in the comments. Now let’s get into these budget decorating tips.
~6 tips to help you decorate on a budget~
1. Revamp what you already own.
When it comes to giving your home an update, a great low-cost alternative to buying something new is making over a piece that you already own. Something as small as updating the knobs on a nightstand or painting a dated piece can instantly breathe new life into it.
For example, last summer I wanted to update my entryway but it wasn’t in my budget to get anything new at the time. So I spray painted my current table, got a $2.50 {on sale} knob from Hobby Lobby, and used a small tube of Rub’n Buff to update a mirror I had in the living room. For about a $15 investment, those pieces got a brand new lease on life. Plus, I got the updated look I was after while spending very little. This is one one of my very favorite ways to decorate on a budget!
home tour
By the way, aside from the horse statue {$15 HomeGoods}, the basket {$10 Ross Dress For Less} and plant, everything was purchased secondhand.
2. Buy Secondhand
Buying home decor and furniture secondhand is a great way to stretch your decorating dollars. Thrift stores, garage/yard sales, estate sales, Craigslist, antique malls, and the like are great places to score home decor and furniture on the cheap.
You can even find great deals virtually now, as local Facebook online garage sales have become increasingly popular. If you’re not familiar with them, Heather at The Heathered Nest wrote a great post on Facebook garage sales HERE.
If you’ve read even one post on this blog, I’m sure the word “thrifted” came up. I’m an avid secondhand shopper when it comes to home decor. Below are some examples of my thrifty finds. So if you’ve never shopped secondhand for home decor or furniture before, give it a try! You might be surprised by what you find.
Things that are great to buy secondhand:
– Furniture that’s in good condition but might just need a little TLC.
Out of all the pieces below, only the campaign nightstand which you can see HERE got a makeover.
– Lamps
All of these lamps were thrifted, but I only had to makeover two, you can see these makeovers HERE and HERE.
– Decor items {candle holders, vases, decorative bowls, small figurines, books, etc…}
These are just a small sampling of my secondhand home decor finds.
– Rugs {especially if they are vintage!}
– Art/wall decor
3. Shop your home
Finding new and different ways to use what you already have, is a great trick for keeping your home decor fresh without spending a cent! Swapping out piece{s} of furniture and decor from one room to another can go a long way in giving your rooms a new feeling.
You might notice in my pictures that you’ll see a piece maybe in the living room in one post and in the entryway in another. That’s totally me shopping my home! You should try it and see if it doesn’t shake things up just enough to give your rooms new life.
Examples:
summer home tour | spring home tour
4. Be strategic about when you shop
Shopping at the “right” times can also be a great way to save on furniture and home decor. Popular retail markdown time frames, like end-of-season sales or after Christmas sales are great times to grab home decor items at a bargain.
Two ways I find it helpful to shop these types of sales.
1.If you’re into seasonal decorating, finding pieces that you can use the following year for that particular holiday or season. Holidays have specific imagery attached to them. We know there will be bunnies and eggs at Easter, hearts for Valentine’s Day, and so on. Making it easy to buy pieces that you can stash away for the following year.
Example:
These are two items that caught my eye at Target’s end of the season sale for spring. I got the banner for $4 {originally $12.99} to use next year. I also got the bunny from Target on clearance for $5.98 {originally $19.99}.
2.Even if you’re not into seasonal decorating, shopping end of the season type sales can also be to your advantage. Often times there are pieces that are sold and marketed specifically for certain seasons/holidays that can work perfectly fine for everyday use.
Example:
This is Target’s end of season sale section for summer. Everything here is marketed and sold as outdoor furniture and summer decor but just look at those fab garden stools or $35 and $24. They are a steal! Plus, you can use them in just about any room in your home.
Also, see that little leather pouf in the corner {on sale for $19.99}? It was also sold as an outdoor piece, but would look great in any room. I think it actually looks more like an indoor piece…
5. Think outside the decorating box
Another way to save when it comes to decorating your home is to open your mind to new ways of using things other than their intended purpose. Admittedly this is one takes some practice, but asking yourself how else can I use this item so it functions for me can lead to big savings.
Having an open mind is especially good when shopping sales like the ones I mentioned in tip #4.
Examples:
I stopped by World Market sometime in January when the last of their holiday inventory was on major markdowns. Now by this point it was slim pickings, but I spied these pretty pink mercury glass candle holders for less than a $1 each {originally $3.99}. While I had no use for new candle holders, I realize they could be very functional {and pretty} holding my small office supplies {paper clips, push pins, staples, etc…} when I finally got around to making over my office nook.
Another example is this easy and super inexpensive dress-up area, I created for my daughter by using a spice rack from Ikea that I spray painted white and hung upside down.
big girl bedroom reveal
6. Have some versatile pieces in your decorating arsenal
Having a few key pieces of decor that you can use to continually create new looks is essential when decorating on a budget. You can some of my favorite versatile decorating pieces HERE, But, let’s look at a couple of quick examples for now.
– A pair of stools, that can work as seating as well as do double duty as a table if needed.
– One or two textural throw blankets in a neutral color or a classic pattern like a stripe.
– Pitcher/vase in a solid color or classic pattern {like blue and white} than can work year-round from holding seasonal greenery/flowers to utensils in the kitchen.
– Solid color throw pillows that you can easily mix and match with other maybe more seasonal pillows to create a fresh look without having to replace all of your pillows {throw pillows can really add up when you’re buying multiples}.
As you can see I use my blue pillows year round!
I hope you found these tips useful and will give some or all of them a try!
Do you have any budget decorating tips to share?
Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.
Linking up to: Nifty Thrifty Things #240 | Sweet Inspiration Link Party #16 | Inspiration Monday | silver-pennies-sundays-link-party-179 | The Bouquet of Talent Linky Party #203 | Busy Monday 226 | The Creative Gallery | Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party #121 | Make it Pretty Monday – Week 185
These were excellent tips and tricks to re-create a space! I love how you showed different uses and upgrades.. Great post. and btw.. your thrifted lamps are gorgeous!
Hi Jamala! So glad you like the tips! I have to stop with the thrifted lamps, it’s become a problem ?.
These are such great tips Linda. I can never get enough of your beautiful home. It is so full of little treasures, I can spend hours looking at the photos. Sharing so the world knows how great your style is!
Why thank you so much Mary! Your comment just really made my day! ❤️ Thank you again!
I agree with Mary, your home is like a little museum so many cool things to look at :). Loved this post as you know I am all about saving a dime, so many great tips!!!
Carli you’re my thrifting soul sister! You have so many great found pieces also! Like that rattan planter in your shelf styling post. ??
Great tips but also great photos of your gorgeous house!!!
Thank you so much Christina!
Linda, I love all your tips! I even have started thrifting more myself and it has helped tremendously. I especially love how you repurposed the ikea spice rack and placed it in the big girl room to hang clothing!
Hi Liah! I’m so happy to hear you are thrifting more, it’s really a great way to save on decorating your home. But, watch out it can get addictive ? I love that little spice rack! So many good uses!
Love these tips, Linda! They’re perfect for getting the look you want without breaking the bank! I particularly love your entryway redo for all of $15. The color of the table is so, so pretty! So much better than buying all new things!
Thank you! I’m really happy with the outcome too! I appreciate you stopping by Celeste!
I love #6! I had never thought about it, and now that I do – I don’t think I have a decor staple that works with several looks and in many rooms!
Hey Vin! Oh I’m sure you do! Really it’s your home so you can put anything anywhere you want ?.
Linda, these are such excellent tips! And, your home and style are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the fan favorites at The Sunday Showcase from the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link so you can check out your feature. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2016/07/sunday-showcase-make-pretty-monday-6-12.html Hope to see you again tonight at Make it Pretty Monday. Have a great week ahead! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
I like that you mentioned choosing garden stools that can have other functions as well such as becoming a table. I will look for that kind of stool since our garden has a limited space so each item must be functional to prevent clutter. Thanks for the tips on how to choose decorations for the garden!
You’re welcome!