Budget-Conscious Home Design Ideas

Consider creating an all white bedroom. Don’t try to use one shade of white, but rather a mix of many. For example, paint the walls Benjamin Moore’s linen white and the woodwork high-gloss bright white. Add texture with a new, white matelasse′ or jacquard bedspread. Buy new white or ecru lampshades. (Bring the lamps along to be sure the shades are the right size.)

Trim plain white sheets with white or off-white lace, eyelet or ribbon. Buy plain pillowcases in different shades of white and off-white and applique with old linen and lace dinner napkins, picked up at a flea market, rummage sale or thrift store.

Display a Collection

Add style to a space and show off favorite collectibles at the same time. To show any collection to its best advantage, always mass it in one spot. For example, hang a glass shelf in front of a window to display a collection of colored glass bottles. The same idea works just as well for plants, baskets, pottery, tea pots, birdhouses, candlesticks, beach glass, boxes, toys, etc.

Hang a narrow painted wooden shelf above a doorway, along one wall, or all the way around the perimeter of the room. (Avoid visual clutter by lining the shelf up with the top of the windows and doors in the room.) Use ready-made decorative wooden brackets available at lumberyards and hardware stores to support the shelf. Paint the shelf and the brackets the same color. The collection will really popl by using a color that contrasts with the wall, such as a creamy white shelf on hunter green walls, or buttery yellow on sky blue, or barn red against taupe.

Create a New Collection

Create an instant botanical art collection. Press leaves, ferns and flowers between wax paper inside a heavy book. While they dry, be on the lookout for mismatched but interestingly detailed wooden frames. Spray paint them all the same color. Have two pieces of glass cut to fit each frame. Sandwich the dry ferns and flowers between the glass and hang in one group.

Check Out: Bedroom Makeover Ideas for People on a Budget

Reframe Photos

Create a family memory wall. Gather up all the framed photos that are scattered around the house into one spot. Reframe all the photos in inexpensive, but matching, plain black frames. Or spray paint the frames you already have all the same color e.g. white, gold or silver. Hang inches apart in a location the family sees often. Good candidates… a hallway or along the staircase or in a small den or family room.

Check Out: Ideas for Decorating a Living Room on a Budget

Chic for Cheap

No molding in the house? Then glue thick, fabric welting or braid (or better yet, combine two or three) around the room where the wall and the ceiling meet.

With a bit of creativity and time, it’s possible to get a whole new look with small purchases such as picture frames, lampshades, bedding and new paint.