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8 Low-Cost Tips For Decorating Your Home on a Budget

Decorating your home can be a super fun project, but also a financial burden. It’s difficult to refrain from grabbing a big cart at Target and filling it up with decorative throw pillows, adorable monogrammed mugs, and more plants than you know what to do with.

While it would be ideal to have the resources to buy out Target, most of us have a budget we have to stick to, and home décor isn’t always a line item on it. Whether you have a brand new space you want to outfit, or you’re looking to revamp your home with a new look, here are a few tips to decorate your space on the cheap.

Also, here’s an amazing study you might want to check out: What Does Contemporary Home Decor Include? Home Decor Items You Must Have. It’s been published recently by Floately and will give you a detailed information on the home decor items you should have.

8 Low-Cost Tips For Decorating Your Home on a Budget

1. Take your time.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with the need to decorate your house all at once. You have bills to pay and there is no rush to drop $1,000 on home furnishings in one full sweep.

Buy decorative wall pieces and furniture in small chunks. A few hundred dollars spread out over the course of several months is much more manageable and realistic.

2. Pick your favorite pieces thoughtfully. 

By taking your time to buy home décor, you’ll have the opportunity to select pieces thoughtfully. Assess what your style is, why you like what you like, and if the costs are within your budget to purchase. Buying a gorgeous teak wood bookshelf and figuring out how to fit it into your room later isn’t the best approach. Being selective is going to help you fill your home with décor you actually like while also budgeting things carefully.

3. Shop the deals. 

If you’re looking for bigger items like furniture, shop deals during the holidays. Many furniture stores run discounts during select holidays, so price things out when the time is right to see if there are any killer savings.

For smaller items, consider hunting down online codes. You might be surprised to land 15-30% discounts that you can print out and use in store to save some precious bucks!

4. Do some painting! 

Painting a room or an accent wall with a bold color can bring life into your space. Paint is one of the cheapest decorating tools available to you, so take advantage of it and paint liberally! On the other hand, if you want to invest more in this aspect, consider a home remodeling consultant to get some help when choosing the right color and bringing life to your space.

You could also use removable wallpaper if that’s more your spend or if you’re living in a rental unit. We like Loomwell – and you can use code GENTWENTY for 15% off your order!

5. Make use of mirrors. 

If you live in a smaller space, mirrors can play with the size of your room and actually make your space feel bigger. Investing in a few mirrors is a great way to decorate your space on a budget and open up the space you’re working with.

IKEA has great deals on mirrors but you can also find them at secondhand stores as well. 

6. Make a home-inspo Pinterest board. 

Still trying to figure out your design style? Try out different color schemes and designs trends by saving them to a Pinterest board. Treat your board almost like a “room” in itself. This could even include different arrangements of flowers and other accessories that bring life to the room. How do you feel when you look at it? 

Which pieces call the most to you? Which don’t fit the vibe? Planning a room out on a visual tool can make play a huge role in deciding what you like and what you’re ultimately going to go with!

7. Search the internet for “dupes.”

Design is based off of trends and there are so many furniture companies that cater to varying budget for trends. If you can’t afford the high-end or luxury version of a piece (and let’s be honest, who really can!), try Googling for “brand and furniture name” + dupe and see if you can get a cheaper version of it from somewhere else!

8. Shop secondhand.

Of course this is going to be on our list! Shopping secondhand can not only help you save money but it helps the environment, too. Plus you’re giving a new life and home to something that was potentially forgotten about. And it gives your space extra character!

Decorating your house doesn’t need to put you in debt. Try these tips and see if they help you make your space feel like home!

About the Author

Rachael Warren (Tulipano)

Rachael is a University of Southern Maine graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Sociology. She remotely works full-time as a Senior Content Marketing Specialist for Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. In her leisure time, Rachael enjoys traveling with her husband, finding the next Netflix series to binge, and taking too many photos of her dogs Jax and Kai. Rachael is obsessed with chapstick, favors the Oxford comma, and is a proud Mainer. You'll likely find her exploring New England + beyond.