Does style have to be expensive? It all depends on what your expectations are for something to endure regular use and still look good over time. But there are ways to create style without spending lots of money. Here are eight tips.
Recycle what you already own
Repurpose existing frames and put new art/photos in them. Use a small carpet as art rather than on the floor. Use your old drapes as fabric to make new pillows and a throw. Wrap old books in decorative papers to create texture on bookshelves.
Move it
Move your furniture into new positions. Often just changing the position of large furniture pieces can refresh a room. Placing furniture on a diagonal, for instance, can add lots of energy to a space and really open it up.
Before
After
Paint for punch
Take an old piece of furniture like a console or side table and paint it a bright colour or white. This will completely change its look and add way more punch to a room. Then coordinate pillows and accessories to it.
Shop strategically
Splurge on something you love, like a sofa and then add other inexpensive items to it so u can maintain a budget. So not everything has to be “cheap”. Spend on things that can be used regularly so they last.
Floor savings
Rather than buying a premade expensive area carpet make one from having broadloom cut to size and bound.
Create personal art
Use the items that matter to you which end up packed away to create artwork. For instance old jewelry can be put in Ikea frames or previously loved toys glued into shadow boxes. These are inexpensive and have meaning.
Wonderful windows
When making drapes, purchase inexpensive fabric but add a high contrast detail to the edge as this border will make it look much more expensive looking.
Keep your old dining room set but…
Add two different end chairs rather than changing all the chairs. Use mirrored trays in the center of the table to deflect attention.
And remember, keep only what you really need. We often hurt our style because we just have too much stuff. Less is definitely more, so if it seems too cluttered it probably is!
There are charities like Furniturebank.org that take used home items and give them to the less fortunate and in return you get a tax receipt. And that is kinda like “found money” that you can use for your next decor project!
