I’m pretty notorious for changing my house up every so often. New this, new that, new wall color. I blame this on working from home and I easily get bored of my surroundings. But I rarely ever spend a lot of money on it all. It’s super easy to totally change up your space without spending a ton of money. And yes, I even have a few decorating ideas and tips so you don’t even spend a DIME. Yes, you read that right. Now’s as good a time as ever to switch some things up. Here are my best tips!
Decorate Your Home On A Budget
Decorating on a budget is definitely possible. It just may take some patience and hunting and maybe even a little DIY here or there. Interior design can feel very expensive and overwhelming, but if you look at your home in small sections you’ll feel more confident in decorating and not going overboard. And if you tackle items that can make a big transformation without a big bill, it’s even better. Scour Facebook Marketplace, flea markets, garage sales and the like to find items you can easily paint and update to fit into your home that’s budget friendly. Here are a few things you can do to decorate your home on a budget.
Affordable Lighting
There are a few things you can do to make a big statement or change without spending a ton of money. The first thing that comes to mind are new lighting fixtures. Swapping out a dated chandelier or boob lights for something more modern and simple can totally transform your space. Many light fixutres are budget friendly and I love to shop at Amazon, Wayfair and even Ikea for some of these options. Affordable, simple and can make such a big impact. Plus, go ahead and sell that old chunky chandelier on Facebook Marketplace to pay for the new one. Below are some favorites that are all under $100 and will make your space feel new and refreshed instantly.
Update Your Rugs
An area rug can really bring a room together and even update a space to make it feel more cozy. My favorite place to shop for affordable rugs that won’t break the bank is Rugsusa.com. I’ve bought giant area rugs, 8×12, for under $300. You really can’t beat that. It can instantly make your home feel like a whole new space. Add a runner to your foyer for around $50, an area rug for you living and dining room and voila, your space feels new and fresh!
Raid Your Closet, Cabinets And Memory Box
Knick knacks and tchotchkes are what makes a home feel well curated and styled. But they can add up quickly. Try raiding your closets first and pull out any little baskets, trays and such that you have hiding around. Same with books! These help to style vignettes (more on that below) without having to add to your collection. Display plants, add hats to your wall instead of art, statement bags can add depth and layers to your shelves and even souvenirs from your travel can be used as decor. Try to think outside the box when scouring knick knacks for your house that you may already have.
When I look at my buffet styling in the above photo, so much of them are just like this! I have two cool sculptural bags that are layered for some depth. I used a little wooden bowl that was in my cabinet to display coins from around the world. A few books stacked neatly adds height and I’ve added a sculptural element to the top. Instead of art, I used thumbtacks to display my hats. And lastly I pulled my teak ice bucket out of my bar cabinet and have it on display. Use what you have first and then fill in the rest.
A Fresh Coat Of Paint Is Not Just For Your Walls
Sure, painting your walls will totally transform your home. I highly recommend it as a good weekend project for a transformative option to your home. But you can also paint some of these knick knacks and little treasures you may have lying around. If you have some old vases that are just boring glass, try painting them with this easy baking soda and paint tutorial. It can transform those vases from boring cheap Ikea glassware into clay like statement pieces that can be a focal point in your living room instead of in a kitchen cabinet. Clay pots and vases are super expensive, so this is a great way to save money because all you need is some paint and baking soda! It looks super realistic and you can paint it the exact colors you need to coordinate with your home.
Spray paint is also an easy and affordable way to transform items especially with just a simple matte black, or brass look which can be ideal for sprinkling into your vignettes. Goodwill is such a great place to find little trinkets to transform with just a simple coat of paint!
Fill In With Affordable Finds
Fill in any gaps with affordable finds at stores like Ikea, Amazon and Target. I also really like Lilah Lifestyle for cool unique pieces that aren’s uper expensive. And don’t forget about flea markets and thrift stores. Again, a little paint can go a long way when you find cool sculptural things at a flea market that just don’t match quite right with your home. So always kep an open mind when shopping!
How To Re-Style Your House Without Spending A Dime
If you already have lots of little knick-knacks, trays, books, and such, this is going to be super easy! I can’t take full credit for this process either. I read the Emily Henderson book ‘Styled’ and she talks about this a lot. So I tried it for myself and what do you know, it works! The reason why it works is that everything will feel new and fresh once you finish this process. I promise! That little sculpture in the bathroom may now be perfect in the living room making it feel brand new to you.
This is also a good way to take inventory of what you have and what you may want to eventually add to your house. I’ve done this three times now in my home and it’s crazy how different it all feels and I’ve truly not added much to my home in terms of home decor items. It’s also a really great way to do a good deep clean of your home. Plan out a weekend afternoon to tackle this project! Here’s how to do it.
Step One
Remove everything from every shelf and table in your house. Yes, everything. Don’t forget rooms like the bathroom or your nightstand. All the frames, trays, books, baskets, vases and little tchotchkes. Take them and place them in one big pile. On your kitchen table, or island or even the floor. Just get everything out from where it’s been living and into a big pile so you can easily pull from it.
Step Two
Now that everything is removed, at least take this opportunity to dust and wipe everything down. Clean all the shelves and tables and also all the things you just pulled off of them. You’ll thank me later for knocking this one out. This may take up some time, but it’s well worth it.
Step Three
Once everything has been cleaned, you can start creating little vignettes to place around your home. A vignette is just a little collection or cluster of items that complement one another. Pull a few things together and start styling all your shelves, tables and consoles. Move things around, play around with items, swap here and there. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole new feel to your house.
5 Tips To Creating A Vignette
Ground Everything
Have something that grounds it all. This can be a tray, or a box, or a stack of books. And a little tip for stacking books, remove the covers of them as most of them are a more neutral color!
Add A Sculptural Element
This just means something that has a shape to it that isn’t just a box. This is where those little knick knacks and figurines come into play. A few things I personally have in my house are interesting little vases, hourglasses, succulents in tiny pots and so on. Also, plants are really great for adding sculpture and movement to vignettes. A simple ivy plant is great and impossible to kill.
Choose Odd Numbers
Having just two things together doesn’t feel complete and is not as visually appealing. Choose 3 or 5 items to place together. A good example would be 1 item that grounds the vignette (a tray), plus one sculptural item and maybe one non-sculptural item like a frame or box. These three pieces together will feel more balanced and complete.
Add Depth + Height
You don’t need to place three things in a straight line. Add some depth and interest and create layers. Place a tall frame towards the back of a shelf, and then put 2-4 things in front and to the side of it. Think outside the box too as you can always lean a frame against a wall or a mirror and then place things in front of that for instant depth. Adding height and depth will create a visually appealing vignette for your home.
Take A Step Back
Once you place something, it doesn’t HAVE to stay there. Take a step back and look at it from a few feet away. Is it balanced? Does it work with the rest of the shelf? Can you add or move something around? Just play with it and see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll eventually start to see it come together and start to learn how to create pretty vignettes.
