What could be worse than having a grand vision for the design of your home, but not having the funds to make it a reality? Well, believe it or not, you don’t necessarily need a lot of money to create decor that you can be proud of; great design can follow DaVinci’s rule that simplicity is the highest form of sophistication! The simple fact is that when it comes to great decor, it’s more about thoughtful use of light and space than it is about collecting expensive accoutrements. Sure, maybe certain antique pieces convey certain formal connotations or sentimental values that may be important to specific designers or owners, but even expensive design centerpieces won’t resonate unless they have the rest of the space working right alongside. So, to help you get your home looking its best—without having to sacrifice your kids’ college fund to do it—here are a few tips on how to achieve top-notch decor on a dollar store budget.
Paint, Stain, or Texture
First off decide on a base hue to compose the rest of your design choices around. If the option is available, then painting walls is a good place to start. Beginning at the base level, paint primes a space for future design in much the same way that an artist prepares a canvas with a base/background color before painting a masterpiece. Laying down a foundation color and texture will give you a sense for how the rest of the design will come together. Even if you haven’t nailed down a specific concept for how the overall finished composition should look, deciding on foundation colors and texture does a lot to guide the rest of the process. And a little paint is one of the least expensive forms of revamping a space. However, many property owners or management companies do not allow renters to paint or add texture to walls. So be sure to discuss the issue with your property manager beforehand. If it isn’t something they will allow, it may be easier to simply avoid the hassle and apply any additional expense toward choices that further the overall design goal without violating your rental contract. Browse local flea markets and thrift stores for a rug or tapestry. Depending on the space and your overall vision, you can either lay it on the floor or hang it on the wall and accentuate the piece with matching curtains and pillow covers which you can make yourself after a supply run to a local fabric store.
Do it yourself
There are plenty of design and decor projects for which the DIY approach makes perfect sense—even for the inexperienced! Refinishing furniture and painting projects are safe enough for anyone. Also remember, do-it-yourself does not necessarily mean all by yourself. There are probably all sorts of skills and talents among your circle of friends and family members that could come in handy when improving your home. So, including others where available expands your work capacity, and may be a valuable sounding board for ideas, all while keeping costs down.
Forget about matching
Good designers know that there is a fine line between matching and obsession, and even if you go out of your way to make sure that everything in your home is that exact same shade of ‘burnt sienna,’ it’s still no guarantee that the final product is going to look good. In any case, the best results are those that achieve a sense of balance and harmony. Any object with even the most basic elemental values has the potential to become a terrific decor piece. Purchasing entire furniture suites tends to be very expensive, not to mention unimaginative. Instead, consider assembling a room’s furniture collections with a mind to match pieces according to materials, colors, forms, and tone (rather than any one single factor) to create a sense of underlying complexity.
Shop S-Mart: Salvage and Secondhand
Good, thoughtful decor has the potential to show off elements of who you already are, and where you’ve already been, while at the same time including subtle connotations that indicate where you might like to go, or who you might like to be. This is a principle that many home decorators miss, choosing instead to focus on decor chosen for its price tag or its label. Decorating with salvaged and secondhand items boils down to the art of decorating with what you already have, including underlying characteristics like creativity and resourcefulness. There are all kinds of guidebooks and websites that can help people focus on an aesthetic approach that optimizes existing belongings while minimizing the need to buy new. With a sounding board of peers to bounce ideas off of, a little bit of research, and a little bit of vision, a savvy but low-cost decorating concept will refresh your living space without breaking the bank.
