Guest Post - 5 Tips for Decorating Your Home on a Budget

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Regardless of whether you’ve just bought your first house and you’re looking to decorate it, or you’re desperately looking to change the décor in your home – it can be done and on a budget!

Refreshing and updating your home décor is something that should be done every now and then. However, many times the only obstacle between you and decorating your house is the budget. 

You may think that for what you want to do and change in your home, you’ll need huge amounts of money but that doesn’t have to be the case at all.

Take a look at these 5 tips and you’ll see how easily you can decorate your home on a budget.

1. Budget and planning

Before you jump head-first into decorating, we recommend you do a bit of planning and calculating. First of all, create a budget – having a budget will help you immensely regardless of whether your thrifting and DIYing or buying new stuff.

With a budget in mind, you can create a decorating plan. Decorating a house can be overwhelming if you decide to start it without some sort of a game plan. A good plan can help you decide what is a priority and what’s not at the moment. 

Additionally, having a plan can help you decide which rooms you should decorate first and which are not in dire need of TLC. 

Once you have all this figured out, you can slowly start decorating your house!

2. Painting 

A little bit of paint can go a long way. Most professional decorators will agree that just a couple of coats of paint can transform almost any space. And if you think about it, you’ll realize that they are right. 

Paint isn’t all that expensive and if it can truly change the feel of any room, why not try it? Decide which colour would best suit your room and paint it. Currently, the most popular colours include whites, blush colours, burnt oranges, blues, and so on. If you’re the one to follow trends, you’ll surely be able to find something that fits your home.

Just like painting a room can transform it, so can painting the doors and windows. Another popular trend this year is painting window frames black – both inside and outside. Doing this gives your home a more modern and high-end look. So, there’s another idea!

3. Replace fixtures and hardware

Once again a small yet significant change. Switch out all your dated light fixtures that did no favours to your home and upgrade to something more modern. Nowadays, you can find pretty cheap yet modern light fixtures that will immediately change the feel and look of any room. 

A pretty light fixture can be a great statement piece, you just have to find the right one for your space. 

Apart from changing light fixtures, you can also change other hardware for the same effect. Change out all handles in your house, change out faucets, kitchen pulls, and so on. You wouldn’t believe the change replacing them can make. Plus, changing them is pretty inexpensive. Sites like Design Theory Hardware are good resources.

4. Bring in the greenery

Another inexpensive and budget-friendly trick when decorating your house is greenery. Plants can transform and complete any room, and having them is beneficial to your health as well.

The good thing about plants is that you can put as many plants as you like – there is no rule. If you truly love greenery and you have a green thumb – fill the room with plants. 

On the other hand, if you like plants but not overly and you lack the talent to keep them alive – faux plants are very much popular in this day and age. 

You can choose any sort of plants – from potted to floating or hanging. Opt for air plants or succulents and beautiful orchids. Truly – whatever you desire. 

Plants can bring life and brightness to any space, plus they are highly cost-effective. You won’t have to spend much to decorate your room with plants. Additionally, pots and plant displays can also act as decoration!

5. Repurposing, upcycling, and thrift shopping

When you’re decorating on a budget, saving every penny matters. So, before you rush into spending money on new things, look around your house and see what you can repurpose or upcycle. Many of the things you already own can be made to look brand new.

You can easily turn your old chest of drawers into a new one by painting it and changing the handles. Or you can DIY a new shelf. Upholstering old furniture is also a viable option that can transform any piece of furniture you choose to re-do. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something new and different, check out thrift stores. You can find a wide variety of things and furniture in thrift stores or second-hand shops, and in most cases, they are of good quality and in pretty good shape.

Facebook marketplace is just another platform where you can buy and sell second-hand items. So, check it out, maybe you find exactly what you’ve been looking for and for a good price.

If your goal is to decorate your home on a budget – you can do it! It takes a little planning and budgeting, a can or two of paint, and whatever you have at home that can be upcycled or repurposed. 

And if you want something new, check out thrift stores or any other budget-friendly places! You can successfully decorate your home without breaking your bank!

Author Bio: Jasmine Anderson is a Sydney based lifestyle blogger and a toddler mom, with a Fine Arts Bachelor’s degree. Expressing herself through different mediums is what keeps her spirit bright. She loves to spend quality time with her family, go thrifting, and spend just a little bit too much time on the internet. 
twitter: https://twitter.com/AndersonJess_AJ

How To Maximize the Potential of Your Area Rug

When you’re decorating a space, there are several factors to think about. General appearance, feel, level of comfort, and placement are all important things to keep in mind. Adding an area rug to a room can enhance the space in several ways. Knowing how to maximize the potential of your area rug will greatly enhance the look and feel of your living quarters.

Acoustics

When you’re setting up a room, it’s important to consider how sound travels. Many open spaces can echo, making them feel cold and less lived-in or comfortable. Placing an area rug with an appropriate thickness can alleviate or dampen the unwanted sounds.

Aesthetics

Choosing an area rug with colors and patterns may seem like a daunting task. Take it a step at a time and consider the surrounding furniture. If the sofa or bedding is patterned, then selecting a solid-colored rug is best. Conversely, if the furniture is solid-colored, then the rug should be patterned.

Picking vibrant colors will make the rug pop. Match the furniture color to the secondary color in the area rug and the third color in the rug to the walls or drapes within the room. Choosing a lively color to coincide with the other colors in the room will tie it all together and give the décor a thoughtfully calculated appearance.

Comfort

It’s important for an area rug to serve its purpose in regard to acoustics and aesthetics, it also needs to be comfortable and fitting. When you’re deciding how to maximize the potential of your area rug, ensure the material is ideal for the space. For example, in a bedroom, you may want something like a soft, plushy cotton. In a high-traffic area such as a common room, you may select something synthetic, since it’s a little firmer with higher durability. A sunroom may warrant a rug that’s more indoor-outdoor quality and made with a material such as nylon or polyester.

Optical Illusion

Proper placement of an area rug can make a room feel larger than it actually is. Lighter colors can create the illusion of a bigger room, and keeping the rug away from the walls will also enhance the appearance of a larger area. Furniture should overlap on the rug, but stick to only covering one or two sides.

When you’re choosing an area rug, it’s important to consider the space and its intention. Use lighter colors for smaller spaces, thicker rugs to dampen unwanted and traveling sounds, and patterns and supporting colors to catch the eye. Each space and rug pairing will be different. Personally customizing the area rug for your specific space is always a viable option.

Lighten Up: 4 Ways to Brighten Up Your Home Without Running Up Your Electric Bill

During the winter months, shorter days can lead to darkened homes. Achieving a bright, well-lit home doesn't mean that you have to turn on all of the lights and run up your electric bill. Try these tips to light up your house and improve your mood immediately.

Repaint Your Walls

If your home is painted in dark colors, this can make your whole home feel darker. Try painting your walls in a light color, like an off-white or cream. This helps reflect the light that is in the room, which brightens it up immediately. If your walls are already painted in a neutral color, you may try painting the ceiling a shade lighter. This will help bounce the light around the room.

Add Some Mirrors

Mirrors are a great way to instantly brighten up your home. When you hang a mirror, it doubles the amount of sunshine that streams in through your windows as it bounces off the reflective surface. For best results, hang a large mirror or a collage of smaller mirrors directly across from your window.

Consider Installing New Windows

Windows are the best way to bring natural sunlight from the outside world to the inside of your home. If your home is older, your windows may not be energy efficient or as clear as you would like. Having new windows installed can brighten up a room and make it appear larger. If your home doesn't have enough windows, you can utilize new window installation to help brighten up a dark room.

New styles of windows can also help you save on your heating or cooling bills. When the windows are installed, any leaks in the exterior of the window can be resolved. Modern styles of windows are also insulated and designed to keep cold air outdoors and warm air indoors.

Rethink Your Curtains

If you have heavy curtains, you may want to rethink them. Try swapping out your heavy curtains for a sheer variety. This will allow more sunlight to flow into the room. If you need to purchase light or sound blocking curtains for sleeping purposes, make sure to start your day by opening and typing back your curtains to allow as much sunlight in as possible.

If your home is dark, you don't need to feel like the only solution to brighten it is by acquiring more lights. Try these simple tips to make your home feel brighter, and enjoy your home all winter long.

Author Bio: Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn't writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.

How to Decorate your Home for Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s once again time to decorate your home in accordance with the holiday spirit. However, with all the cooking and preparing of presents in the way, it can be a bit difficult to focus on decorating. Therefore, we’ve created this Christmas home decoration guide to give you a helping hand.

Below you will find tips on how to decorate all of the rooms inside your home and achieve that beloved Christmas aesthetic.

Choose your desired color scheme

Choosing the right decoration color scheme for your home can be a bit frustrating especially when there are so many great options to choose from.  And considering that there are many who decorate each room in a different color to evoke a different mood, choosing color combinations becomes even harder.

The classic color schemes that look good in almost any household they’re used are white gold, silver and white, red and green. 

However as of recently, black and cashmere brown have become quite popular as well. When going for a black decor it’s best the ornaments are of the glossy kind so that they can reflect light off them. 

Cashmere brown on the other hand goes well very with other colors such as dull matte gold and pearl creams. 

Picking the right Christmas tree

When picking a real Christmas tree for you home, there are certain details you must be on the lookout for.

First, make sure the tree is healthy and will last longer. To do this simply run your finger through its branches. If no needles fall straight away, this is an indication that the tree will last longer. Avoid buying Christmas trees which are thin and dry and have falling needles.

If you’re wondering which species of Christmas trees to choose, we recommend going with either a Fraser fir or a Nordmann fir. These two types of trees can handle heavy decorations and also tend to last longer than other species when looked after at home.

Decorating the living room

The living room is usually the heart of each home, especially during the holidays. A great way of decorating your living space for Christmas is to give it a botanical aesthetic.

Buy some hyacinth vases and populate them with white hyacinths. These will give the room a nice fragrant scent and will also work as great eye candy. Also, consider decorating your walls with eucalyptus to really make them pop out.

Since the living room is the area where the Christmas tree goes, you will have to deal with its decorations as well. You can decorate the tree in the color scheme of your liking. Just make sure it matches that of the rest of the room. 

If you have a fireplace in your living room avoid real plants and instead opt for faux ones. And try to keep your Christmas tree as far away from the fireplace as possible.

Decorating the dining room

The main focal point of the dining room decoration should be the table. First, choose the tablecloth, we recommend going with white. Then start decorating the table, place some greenery in the middle like flowers and berries. And last but not least put up some fancy candles.

If you want to put the candles near the greenery, firstly, place them in jars to prevent any spontaneous fires.

As for the color scheme, go with gold. This way the with the help of the candles, your dining room will shine in a gold color.

Decorating the hallway

Since the hallway is the first room your guests will see once they go inside your home, it should be decorated in a way to set the stage.

A great way to do this is to first place garlands around the inside and outside of the front door.

Then, wrap your stairs’ banisters with faux green decor and hang some red baubles on them.

Decorating the bedroom

When it comes to the bedroom, go with a lighter decoration.

Perhaps add a chain of twinkling fairy lights and a small faux Christmas tree.

You can always go the extra mile and hang paper stars and snowflakes over the bed as well, giving the room a whimsical feel.

Decorating your outdoor area

The outside of your house will be what everyone passing by will see, so make it count. You have two options here, either go guns blazing and completely embrace the festive spirit or take a more subtle approach.

If you’re planning to go all out, hang white paper star lights from your windows or scatter icicle string lights throughout the exterior of your home. For the icicle string lights, you can charge them using a plug point you put inside your garage.

Conclusion

It’s always best to start decorating your home for Christmas at least a month in advance. Because the longer you wait the harder it will be. After all, the Christmas holiday is that time of year when most people spend their time with their friends and family and free time is scarce. So take some time off around the end of November and if you need any tips on how to decorate your home, simply follow this guide.

Author Bio: Desiree Thomson is a gardening and landscaping expert working at Fantastic Gardeners. When she’s not running around in her back garden, she can be seen blogging for various online outlets or fixated on decluttering her house.