Creating a beautiful space in your home shouldn’t come at such a high price. With the prices of everything going up, I’ve been finding more creative ways to design spaces that are super budget friendly. Here are some tips on how to makeover any room on a budget.
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Tip #1 Make a Plan
Create a budget and come up with an an idea of what you want the room to look like and its function. Not only should you be aiming for a space that looks and feels beautiful, but also a functional space. Pinterest is a great way to look for inspiration.
Create a mood board so that you can get a better vision. Even if the final look of the space may look different than the mood board, it’ll help you visualize what colors and style work best for you. When you go shopping you’ll then have a more clear guide.
Write down the essentials for the room. For example, in a bedroom you’ll need a bed, at least one nightstand, a lamp and dresser (if you don’t have much closet space). In a living room, you’ll need a sofa, coffee table, end table, accent chairs, TV, TV stand etc. This will help you stay organized and avoid any unnecessary purchases.
Measure the room. This is an important tip! Measure and write down all measurements and get a good understanding of how furniture will fit in the room.
You can use painter’s tape to tape to the floor and do a mock up of where things will go and how big they can be. You don’t want to go out and find a thrifted or clearance item for a great price only to find out that its too big for the space and you can’t return it.
Tip #2 Keep it Minimal
Keep the room simple and minimal. Not only will this save you money from buying a ton of items but the room will feel clean.
Purchase the essentials first, then a few decorative accents after.
Tip #3 Visit Thrift Stores
Have you been thrift shopping ?! I’m sure many of us have but not all of us love it. It can be overwhelming because you really have to see the potential in things.
As a furniture artist I love going to thrift stores! Every item I see I think about how I can make it better!
Thrift stores are my go to for finding anything from vases, lamps, furniture, baskets etc. For more on thrift store finds here are my Top 10 Thrift Store Home Decor Finds.
If you feel overwhelmed while thrift shopping. Try to go with a clear and open mind and go over the mood board you created or make a list of items you would like instead of just walking around.
Your mood board will help you visualize the space and help you find similar items when out shopping.
Tip #4 Shop on Facebook Marketplace
Check Facebook Marketplace ALL of the time! If you’re looking for items for your home, stalk marketplace like its your full time job! I check multiple times a day every single day!
Purchasing second hand items from Marektplace to makeover any room in your home will save you tons of money!
I purchased all these items below and more on Facebook Marketplace for a great deal!
To find great items on Facebook Marketplace narrow down the search and choose a category. You can adjust the mileage based on how far you’re willing to drive.
When you’re interested in an item, Instead of sending the generic ”Hello, is this still available” that comes up when sending a message. I recommend changing it up a bit. Say hello and add their name to make it more personal. Add your price and let them know when you can pick up the item (the sooner the better).
Offer a fair price and make sure you respond to the seller in a timely manner.
This living room was put together using mostly second hand items. I found a ton of great furniture on Marketplace. The total spent in this room including the light fixture, curtains, throw blanket, pillows, all the furniture and decor was $834.91!
Not pictured is a TV stand, TV and some wall art. I share more about the prices and this room on Instagram.
Tip #5 DIY
I love a good DIY project! You can paint the walls yourself to save money. You can also give many things you purchase on a bargain an upgrade.
Taking on a DIY project to makeover any room on a budget will save you hundreds if not thousands!
Refinishing furniture is one of my favorite things. For one of the bedrooms I designed, I purchased this chest of drawers on marketplace and cleaned it up and stained it to bring it back to life.
It now looks great in the bedroom and looks like an expensive piece of furniture.
I’ve also added molding to flat panel doors that make them look so much better for way less!
If you don’t feel comfortable taking on a big project like furniture or adding molding, you can upgrade simple thrifted items like vases or lamps to make them fit your style.
I’ve taken thrifted lamps and given them a makeover and now they look like they’re from a high end store.
Tip #6 Shop Clearance & Sales
Searching for sale and clearance items is also a great way to makeover any room on a budget. Besides second hand items, wait and shop for items on sale and clearance.
There are a ton of items on Amazon that are fairly priced and look great. I purchased these slate blue curtains for the living room (thats pictured previously in this post) and they look amazing!
If you don’t typically shop on Amazon, other great options are Target, Home Goods, Wayfair, and Overstock. I have found great deals but typically wait until they have great sales before making a purchase.
Here’s a great tip when shopping online. If you find a piece of furniture you like online but its too expensive go on Google and type in the name of the item or click on the little camera option on the search tab to ‘search by image’.
When you enter the name of the product or image it’ll give you different websites on where the item is. It also gives you other similar options. Under the shopping option, you’ll be able to see if the product is somewhere else and compare prices or see a similar item that may work in your space for less.
I always google the item before buying it first to see what the prices are in other places.
For example, These dining chairs (pictured below) were on Wayfair but I googled them and found them at Home Depot for less
Another great tip is to see what the brand of the item is. I was looking for a dining table and found one at Target and saw that it was by Costway, so I went on the Costway website and they had it for less.
Lastly, in order to makeover any room on a budget, not only do you have to get creative and be strategic, you also have to have a little patience.
It’s going to take more time for you to shop around and gather your items. You may need to take a little more time searching for items at thrift stores or Marketplace but finding a great piece for a great price makes it all worth it!
Hope these tips help you create beautiful rooms for a lot less!
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