There’s no denying that decorating a home (or even one room!) can be incredibly expensive. Wallpaper, new flooring, furniture, accessories… it all adds up.
But if you’re willing to get thrifty and use your imagination, there are plenty of ways you can transform your home without breaking the bank.
In this blog, we’re sharing our top tips for decorating on a budget. Whether you are moving into a new home, or just fancy sprucing up your current home, we’re sure you are going to love these tips.
Focus On One Room At A Time
When decorating a whole house, it can be easy to get swept away with colour schemes, furniture and everything in between.
You may even find yourself spending money on something that doesn’t quite look as good as you thought it would once you get it home. To avoid blowing your budget and wasting money, we strongly advise that you focus on one room at a time.
Give yourself a budget for the room and then create a plan with your ideas and colour schemes etc. We suggest starting with a room that you spend a lot of time in, such as the kitchen or lounge. Once you have finished one room, you can give yourself time to save for the next big project.
Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash
Upcycle Your Existing Furniture When Decorating On A Budget
If you are decorating on a budget, purchasing new furniture is probably out of the question. But the truth is, you probably don’t need new furniture! By reinventing your current furniture, you can completely transform the look of a room. Here’s a handful of ways you can reinvent your furniture and accessories:
- Use paint to transform your wooden furniture – turn a coffee table from drab to fab with a lick of paint in a fresh new colour
- Paint your kitchen cupboard doors and add new handles to give your tired looking kitchen a makeover
- Upholster a chair that has seen better days
- Use spray paint to spruce up your clock, photo frames and lamp bases
- Add new shades to your lamps (you can pick stylish and affordable shades up from charity shops, Facebook Marketplace and even in the sales at home & garden stores).
Head To Charity Shops, Auctions And Car Boot Sales
Shopping second hand is key when decorating on a budget. Your local charity shops are great places to pick up accessories, ornaments, photo frames and kitchen wear.
Facebook Marketplace is excellent for everything from furniture and lamps to rugs and wall art. Other great places to shop including auctions, car boot sales, Gumtree and antique stores.
Stick To Paint When Decorating On A Budget
Wallpaper is great. But it is expensive. Plus, if you are renting from a housing association or private landlord, you may not be allowed to use wallpaper.
Thankfully, paint is an affordable, quick and easy way to spruce up your home. Perhaps have one wall painted a bold colour to create a feature wall, or use tape to create sections on a wall and paint them different colours to create a fun wall (perfect for a bedroom). Once you have painted, you can also use wall stickers and decals, which are cheap to buy, to put your creative stamp on the wall.
Add Light With Mirrors
If your home is lacking light, but you can’t afford new lighting, adding mirrors can make a huge difference. Second-hand mirrors are easy to come by, and even if the frame doesn’t quite match your home, it’s nothing a can of spray paint won’t fix. Perhaps add a collage of mirrors to a wall that gets a lot of light, this will reflect the light into the room and make it much brighter.
Use Affordable Pieces To Bring It Together
In the UK, there is plenty of affordable home and garden stores that have some beautiful home décor pieces to help bring your home together, such as throws, cushions, ornaments, photo frames, candles, wall hangings, plant pots, vases, kitchenware, bedding, storage boxes etc.
The Range, B&M, Matalan Home, Homesense and IKEA are some firm favourites when decorating on a budget. Check out the home sections of your local supermarkets too, as they have some excellent bargains.
Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash
Refresh Your Floors (The Affordable Way!)
Floors are usually one at the top of someone’s to-do list when decorating, especially if the existing floors have seen better days. However, new carpets, hardwood floor, tiles or even laminate can be extremely expensive.
Instead, use area rugs to cover old floors. Area rugs are a stylish way to transform a space and add warmth to a room. Plus, they can be purchased second hand (always be sure to give them a good clean).
Another great way to refresh floors (especially in the bathroom and kitchen), is to use vinyl. Packs of affordable floor vinyl can be purchased from home & garden stores. It often comes in easy to use tiles that have adhesive on the back so they can be easily secured to the floor.
Rearrange The Furniture
Sometimes, you don’t even have to spend more to alter the look of your home. Something as simple as rearing the furniture can make a huge difference. And don’t be afraid to move furniture from one room to another.
Tired of the sideboard in your lounge? Add a coat of paint and place it in the bedroom. Have a side table you don’t use? Stick it in the entrance/hallway with a plant on top. When you get creative, there are plenty of ways to re-use and rearrange your furniture.
Cover photo by Jane Duursma on Unsplash
