Top 10 Budget Decorating Tips from A Burst of Beautiful

I’m popping back in today to share one of my sweetest blogger friends, Alicia, with y’all for another round of this week’s Budget Designer Series!  Her home is absolutely beautiful and she always has so many great ideas to pass along.  XOXO- Lauren

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Hello Bless’er House friends, I hope you are having a wonderful day! My name is Alicia and I blog over at A Burst of Beautiful and I am so happy to be visiting with you today.

I know Lauren is the queen of budget-friendly decorating, so I thought it would be fun to share my tried and true Top 10 Budget Decorating Tips with you.

Make a Plan

Decorating your home can be fun, and it should be! But it can also be overwhelming. One of the hardest (but most important) lessons I have learned along this journey is to always make a plan. It will save you time, energy and money down the road.

Before taking on a decorating challenge, take the time to focus on a plan for your space. There are four questions I always plan around before I start a project in our own house.

1. How will the space function (i.e. if you are decorating your living room will it be used for conversation, play, entertainment, work, etc.)
2. What is your style and how will you incorporate it into this design?
3. Create a list of items you need and determine how and where you’ll source them (i.e. vintage, repurpose, shop your house, new, etc.)
4. What is your budget

If you think about these questions and stick with your answers you’ll be sure to follow the right direction and not be swayed by spur-of-the-moment decisions. Because we all know how easy it is to become overwhelmed and sidetracked when you are taking on a large project. You want to be sure you are only purchasing items that fit within your style, needs and budget.

Shop Your Home

This is one of my favorite pieces of advice, and I tend to do it with the changing of each season. Take a look around your home and switch up your furniture, art and decor items. You’ll be surprised by how fresh and different your space can feel simply by moving a few things around.

Thrift Stores & Garage Sales Are Your Best Friend

Don’t underestimate the amazing things you can find at your local thrift store and neighborhood garage sales. Seriously. You can find one-of-a-kind treasures for mere dollars. Just make sure you keep an open mind. An item may look worn, tired or dated, but it’s usually nothing a little TLC and elbow grease can’t fix.

I love scouring for white dishware, old windows and vintage wood cutting boards!

 

Think Outside the Box

You don’t always have to use everything as it’s intended. Get creative and find new purposes for items that you might otherwise not have a use for.

When it came time to decorate our little one’s nursery we wanted to make sure we were purchasing furniture that would grow with her. Instead of spending our money on a change table, which would have a limited shelf life in our daughter’s bedroom, we opted for a classic dresser instead. We simply topped it with an attachable change pad and instantly had a functional changing station which would convert back into a beautiful dresser as she grows.

Paint Makes the Biggest Impact

If you want to make a big impact for only a little bit of money, go with paint. You can change the entire look of a room by simply painting the walls a different color (check out my go-to farmhouse paint colors). Or use it to spruce up a tired piece of furniture. The options are endless.

When In Doubt Go Neutral

I always follow this rule when it comes to large or expensive pieces, like your living room sofas or dining chairs. Neutrals are classic and will stand the test of time, and it’s unlikely you will tire of them quickly.

Neutrals also provide the perfect backdrop for adding textures, colors and patterns, so you never have to worry about them feeling boring (if you struggle with decorating with neutrals you can check out my how to post here).

Big Box Stores Have the Best Prices

As much as I love scouring flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales, if I am looking for a new piece I can’t deny that big box stores usually offer you the best price. We purchased a lot of the bigger items in our home from big box stores, like our dining room table, kitchen island and sofas

To help create a sense of character in our home we knew it was important to layer in vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces to create a curated look that feels as if it has been collected over time.

Do-It-Yourself

There is no denying that you can save a bundle by tackling a project on your own. Whether it’s laying your own floor, tiling your bathroom or painting your kitchen cabinets.

If you’re good with your hands and have the time you can likely learn to do a lot on your own. And that gives you the benefit of cutting out the middle man and the cost!

Just take a look at our kitchen. When we moved into our home four years ago we knew we wanted to update our kitchen, but it would have cost us a fortune to gut the whole thing. So we tackled it on our own, reformating the layout, building open shelving and painting all our cabinets a crisp, bright white (you can see the before and after pictures here). It was a lot of work and it required a lot of patience, but the end result was amazing.

Go Natural

Head out to your backyard, the beach or country to enjoy nature’s bounty. There is so much you can find outdoors to add life and interest to your home. Clip fresh flowers from your garden, collect driftwood and seashells on the beach or gather pinecones in the country.

 

Build It Yourself

Much like do-it-yourself, building your own furniture is a great way to save some cash. There are so many websites that offer free plans that it is easy to find exactly what you’re looking for online.

I am very lucky to have a husband that likes to build me things. A few of my favorites are the industrial pipe coffee table and side table and farmhouse bench he built for our living room and dining room.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful! And I hope I’ll be seeing more of you around! Don’t forget you can visit us on our blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube!

Alicia xo

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