Decorating Your Home: 5 Style Tips that Cost Less than $50
by: Julie Dana
Do you dream of adding style to your home
but don’t have a lot of money?
Don’t despair! There are 5 things you can do that will help your house
look beautiful without spending much money.
1. Declutter your home.
Nothing zaps a great look like clutter.
Look around you. Do you have paper plies or mail stacks? Do you just add
to your knickknack collection rather than rotate your select favorites? When
was the last time you saw the front of your refrigerator? Simple solutions
that cost very little money are to invest in nice office trays, pretty bulletin
boards and frames for your child’s
artwork. Make the trash can handy to immediately toss unwanted mail. Taking
away the clutter will make your space appear larger and help your treasured
objects be emphasized rather than lost.
2. Make display surfaces pretty.
A key element in houses that are decorated
by a professional rather than want-to-be is the art of accessorizing. Flat
surfaces such as mantels, bookcases, and coffee tables are the perfect places
to restyle for less. The one important point here is to keep it simple. Bookcases
should only be 2/3 full. A mantle should not have mirror above it (a very
dated look) – choose artwork
instead. Place no more than three items on an end table – cluster these
varied but related items together for more impact.
3. Paint to Impress.
Paint, as you know, makes the most dramatic
change for the money. Be bold, be daring and most importantly -- don’t do white! Choose a complex color.
This simply means if you would use several different words to describe the
color than it is probably complex. For example; if you said it was a kinda “gold,
straw, beige-y color” than it is probably a complex color. If you said “just
yellow” - it probably is not a very inspiring look. A beautiful color
on the walls can make the room go from ordinary to extraordinary in less than
a day and usually for less than $50.
4. Make it personal
Decorating your house is a job but styling
your home is fun. Personalization is putting your interests, hobbies or values
into your décor to really
make it your own. Buy simple – read inexpensive - curtains at your local
big-box store and then buy exquisite wide ribbon to hot glue on the edge. Use
your grandson’s first sneakers to tie back the den curtains. Use some
family photos but just promise not to use too many. A guest coming for a visit
may find all those staring eyes unnerving.
5. Change with the seasons.
You know the drill – lighter brighter
for spring/summer and darker richer for fall/winter. This easy task of changing
the fabric items around the home can help you make it seasonal. Change out
placements, bath towels, and accent pillows. The final touch is to purchase
a seasonal bouquet of flowers: fresh or fake- these centerpieces can add
punch to a room.
Decorate your home by spending time not money in decluttering, painting and
accessorizing. By following these simple tips, you can make a huge impact by
bringing your home from average to spectacular for very little money. |
