6 Budget Friendly Home Decorating Hacks
1. Shop on Major Home Decor Sale Holidays & Weekends
This tip may be obvious, but it can literally pay off! Home decor stores know you are shopping on the weekends so you’re likely to find good deals almost any weekend out of the year. You also want to watch specific holidays like Presidents Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day for major sales on furniture and decor. These sales take place because big-box retailers are moving out last season’s merchandise to make room for the new seasons stock, and you get to pocket the savings! If you’re willing to be patient this tip can save you big.
2. Use Digital Art
I’m obsessed with digital art. I’m not one of those people who has a particularly deep personal connection to art so when I can choose pieces that make me happy, even if just for a season without breaking the bank, I’m all in. I use digital art not only in smaller frames to style by bookshelves and gallery frames, but in larger scale art too! Many of these companies like Collection Prints or Juniper Print Shop offer to print them for you and ship them - super high quality and still way cheaper than selecting a mounted or canvas piece of art. You can also opt to download a digital file and have it printed at your local FedEx, Walgreens, Costco, or CVS. I love downloading new digital art as a way to transition season-to-season. All it takes is a split second to download and a trip to my local Walgreens to pick up the prints, and an hour later - easy peasy and it doesn’t break the bank!
Source: Studio Mcgee
3. Get High-End Sconce Look without Hardwiring
Let’s be real, when you make the decision to start decorating your space it’s a big enough commitment as it is, you don’t want to have to get an electrician involved. Especially if it’s for something more aesthetic and less functional. This is where the handy battery light & puck light trick come into play! Just select your sconce, one that disguises the actual light, and add a puck light or battery-powered light bulb! Yup, they make such a thing! No electrician needed. You’d never know the lights aren’t hardwired, but the puck lights still make them functional. Here is our favorite go-to puck light!
4. Use Quality Pillow Inserts in Inexpensive Pillow Covers
If you’re not one to spend on pillow covers, and would rather shop what you can find in the latest Studio McGee collection at Target, that’s fine! Just be sure to replace the insert your discount pillows come with for slightly higher quality - this doesn’t have to break the bank either! We recommend faux-down alternative pillows like these. When choosing your insert always size up 2” from the size of your pillow cover for a snug fit. You can shop some of our favorite throw-pillow combos here!
5. Save on Curtains and Rugs
While you can certainly splurge on curtains and rugs to get your desired look, more often than not, this is an area I try to save with my design clients. There are a ton of inexpensive rugs out there that are polypropylene vs wool which not only make them easier to clean, but less expensive too. If you need a large area rug this is definitely an area where you can save up to a thousand dollars just by looking for a different material rug than say, a wool one. We love these neutral and affordable rugs. Curtains are similar, they are all about the construction, and most people cannot tell the difference between real linen and cotton that mimics linen. Save yourself from paying hundreds on just a single curtain panel and opt for more budget-friendly options. We often find great options for our clients on Amazon, like these!
6. DIY Basic Furniture for Custom Look
Sometimes my grand ideas come with an unrealistic price tag and I’m forced to DIY. I’m not a DIYer by nature, but sometimes that’s the most cost-effective option. I recently took 3 Ikea cabinet pieces and gave them a custom high-end look just by adding some cheap reeding molding I got from amazon, painted the white cabinets Agreeable Gray, and added my own brass hardware. People think I spent thousands to achieve this look when it really cost me about $800 for a 12ft long cabinet.
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