It seems that inflation hasn’t spared the interior design industry, so you might have noticed that furnishing your home has gotten a little more expensive in recent months. It’s times like these that call for renovators to get a little more crafty with their budgets, especially if you want to maximize your space without breaking the bank. Don’t worry, these four budget-saving tips on a small budget have you covered.
Decorating on a small budget = planning and patience
Decorating is a practice that requires time and patience—creating a harmonious space is about so much more than just putting together a room full of furniture and objects you like.
Planning ahead will help you define the style of the room you’re looking to decorate, without having to purchase disparate or useless objects that don’t fit in with the rest of your surroundings.
Not rushing into it will also help you really take stock of what pieces you need to invest in versus what can be DIY’d or thrifted. Finally, taking your time decorating a room means you’ll be more likely to find the furniture and objects you want most on sale or sold second-hand.
DIY your decor
It should come as no surprise that flexing your DIY skills can go a long way in cutting decorating costs. Given the current price increases sweeping the world, taking matters into your own hands is becoming increasingly necessary. In addition to the savings that it can generate, DIYing your home furnishing projects can have additional benefits, including giving you everything you need to fully personalize the space. Just imagine how special it’ll feel having a unique accessory made entirely by you that you can match with the colours of your decor.
Need some ideas for projects? Here are a few:
- Reupholstering a chair with a new fabric;
- Repainting furniture;
- Rearranging photo frames;
- Sewing new curtains, cushions, or sofa covers (if you’re into sewing)
- Making a bookshelf
- Creating a piece of art to hang on the wall, like woven art seen here
- Making a lamp of your own
Get thrifty
Another great way to save money when decorating is to find used furniture at antique stores, garage sales, or online marketplaces. If you’re keen on buying furniture and other home goods near you, Marketplace on Facebook is an easy-to-navigate and cost-effective solution.
These chairs I used to pull together my IKEA kitchen were found on the side of the road. I then repainted them. I found the cast iron bistro table legs used for the kitchen table by browsing the classifieds.
Transform furniture and objects
What often makes a room beautiful is when the furniture is perfectly suited to the space. But, unsurprisingly, custom-made furniture is much more expensive than standard designs from your favourite furniture retailer. The solution? Adapt a prefabricated piece of furniture into what you need using items you found at a discounted price or second-hand. Although not all furniture lends itself to this kind of transformation, some examples that do can include:
- An old chest of drawers doubles as a bathroom vanity with some elbow grease;
- A basket? No, it’s a lampshade with some tweaks;
- A ladder you no longer use can become a bookshelf;
- A wood pallet makes an exceptional bed frame;
- A door can magically become a coffee table;
- Turn a folding screen into a headboard in an instant!
To sum things up, decorating your home in times of economic uncertainty can be done, but it does require some patience and creativity. But, rest assured, the time and energy you put into refining your home will pay off. You’ll feel the satisfaction of having done it all by yourself, not to mention the added benefit of how much money you saved along the way.
