This post is all about how you can save money on decorating!
Decorating your home can be such a fun process! Adding the perfect furniture and accessories to your house makes it so enjoyable to come home.
The only downside? Decorating can drain your bank account REAL quick!
Luckily, here are some tricks you can use to save money as you add those personal touches to your own house.
Save Money On Decorating
Step 1: Figure out your style
The first step to save money on decorating is to figure out the style that you want in your home! If you aren’t sure what your style is, you might end up buying a things that don’t fit together. Save your future self the headache and start with some style reflection!
Take a quiz
First, with a simple google search, you can find a bunch of ‘interior design style’ quizzes online! Take a few quizzes and note which home styles seem to be speaking to you.
In case you’re curious, most of the quizzes I take report that my ideal interior design style is Scandinavian! I love the mix of cleanliness and coziness, and I hope to add more of that to my home!
Collect inspiration
Now that you have some ideas of what you like in a home, start collecting specific inspiration pictures in magazines, on Instagram, on YouTube, or even from your friends/family homes!
My favorite place to gather inspiration pictures is on Pinterest. You can start really broad by searching for rooms in your house plus an adjective, such as “cozy kitchen”, “bright bedroom”, or “stylish bathroom”. If you know your interior design style, you can also search for rooms or furniture with that style, such as “Scandinavian nursery” or “Scandinavian nightstand”.
Here’s a little sneak peak of my ‘dream home inspo’ board on Pinterest. If you like what you see, feel free to check it out here. I have a looong way to go but I love using these pictures to guide my purchases now!
Once you’ve collected some pictures for inspiration, start studying those pictures to figure out which things are consistent between them. Maybe you’ll start to notice that you love certain textures like wood, leather, or fur. Perhaps you notice a trending color scheme of white, black, and green. Maybe you find that you’re drawn to either clean surfaces or thoughtful knick knacks.
As you come up with certain style choices that you love, you’ll be able to figure out how to add that to your own space!
Step 2: Clean it up
Next, the best-decorated home is a clean home! So, before you start adding decorations to your home, it’s vital that you clean up!
Get rid of excess
First, if you can get rid of excess “stuff”, your home will just feel better. Your thoughtful decorations will be able to truly stand out! Make a list of the areas in your home that could use a little ‘clean out’. Then, start by cleaning out the easiest one! Keep the things that you love, and donate your less-used objects so that they can make someone else happier!
Not sure how to clean out? Try my most favorite book, Minimalista. This book is all about how to make thoughtful and intentional decisions about the possessions in your home! Plus, it’s full of inspirational pictures of tidy, functional, and beautiful homes. I can’t recommend it enough!
You can buy Minimalista on Amazon here.
Give everything a place
Once you’ve cleaned out the excess, make sure everything in your home has a place that it belongs! Doing so will make it easy to clean up and keep your home running smoothly. Having a clean, put together space will make it infinitely easier for you to add beautiful decorative touches!
Consider a tidy routine
Once your home has been cleaned out and cleaned up, consider starting a weekly or daily ‘tidy routine’.
I recently started doing a tidy routine in the morning and it has been game-changing! It feels so good to just quickly clean everything up. If I do so, it usually only takes about 10 minutes to make the house feel fresh and clean again! So simple and easy, I love it!
Taking care of your home with frequent tidying is an easy way to make your house feel amazing without spending any money.
Step 3: Do It Yourself
Now that you’ve got style inspiration and a nice clean space to decorate, it’s time to get to work adding your special decorative touches!
Start by taking a small space and planning out exactly how you want it to function and look. Then, come up with a list of things you’ll need to make it work just the way you want!
To save more money, consider which decorations you can “do yourself”. You might be able to upgrade/fix up existing decorations to match your new style or even build your own decoration/furniture pieces.
Here are some ideas that can help you save money by doing your own home improvement projects:
- Shop your home. You might find that some of the decorations you’re looking for are already in your home! Take a look around at what you already have and you might find just the thing you were looking for.
- Upgrade what you already have. As you look around your own place, think about how you can upgrade your old pieces. Some of my favorite ‘upgrading’ projects include: tying new fabric around an old pillow, painting an old vase, or my most recent project where I sanded down an old stool to use it as a brand new plant stand *heart eyes*!
- Find tutorials online. Sometimes, you have an idea of what you want in your home (ie, some sort of big yarn wall decor), and it seems simple enough to make but you don’t know how. Good news, the internet is FULL of easy DIY projects! Just google the project you are thinking of and browse a few DIY articles. You’re bound to find a cheap and easy option that works great in your home!
- Borrow or rent tools. The last tip is to borrow some tools! Even if you dream up a project that uses big, expensive power tools, you might be able to find friends, family members, or even local home improvement stores that are willing to lend out their tools to you! Don’t be afraid to ask and learn how to use a tool. It might be the gateway to creating your perfect home!
Step 4: Thrifting
Next, if you have a few items on your list that you don’t already have or can’t be DIY-ed, I suggest you start visiting thrift stores! People are always selling old furniture and decorations at a discounted price. With a little love, those items can be good as new and perfect for your home!
I know going to a thrift store can be overwhelming! Spending some time perfecting the process can help you save money on decorating. Here are a few tips to make the experience more successful:
Have a shopping list
First, taking a shopping list to the thrift store makes it WAY easier to stay focused and not waste time! Lucky for you, you’ve already been building your list of ‘must-have’ home items!
Look for certain colors or materials
Another way to make a thrifting trip less overwhelming is to keep an eye out for certain colors or textures. If you’re chanting ‘wicker, wicker, wicker’ in your head, chances are you won’t miss the pretty wicker basket sitting on the shelf!
Consider which objects you can upgrade
Don’t forget that there are plenty of thrift store items that can become the perfect piece with just a little upgrade! It might be helpful to write down what tools and materials you have on hand for upgrading. Then, when you find the perfectly shaped vase but it’s neon green, you’ll remember that you have white paint at home to make it perfect.
Don’t be afraid to clean
A big downside to thrift stores is that you have no idea how clean anything is. Don’t let that drive you away from an amazing deal! You might find a dirty vintage cookie jar discounted even more because it’s dirty. With just a quick scrub, it will be good as new and you’ll have saved so much money!
Check Facebook marketplace
Although I love a great thrift store, I also love shopping on Facebook marketplace. As long as you have a list of decorations you’re looking for, it’s super easy to search for that on marketplace. You may be pleasantly surprised at what’s available near you!
Step 5: Sales
When you’re trying to save money on decorating a home, finding great deals on the items you want is game changing! Although it can be hard, waiting for an item to be on sale can save you a ton of money. You can also keep an eye out for BOGO deals or shop around at other brands until you find a budget-friendly price on what you want.
Some high-ticket items might be pricey no matter what, so I suggest creating a ‘home decor’ budget. Put a little money every month towards the beautiful things you want to add to your home. Patiently saving up for your dream home will be so rewarding in the end!
Step 6: Take your time!
Finally, creating a thoughtful home takes time! If you rush through the process, you might end up with decor that you don’t love or that isn’t meaningful to you. However, if you take your time, you’ll be able to find perfect pieces that are pretty, personal, and exactly what you want! Hopefully, these pieces will last you a long time, which will save you a bunch of money because you won’t have to be constantly updating your home!
Best of luck as you save money on decorating your space! I hope you have a fantastic time making your home just perfect.
XOXO Rachael