As I’ve confessed in the past, I do not have a decorating bone in my body. But I so admire those who do! Myra is such a person and she kindly offered to share some tips she’s learned in her experience as an interior designer. I can’t wait to attempt to put some of her tips into practice once we move into our own home. – Crystal
Guest Post by Myra from My Blessed Life
Decorating is something I’ve loved for as long as I can remember. As a child, I regularly rearranged my room and the living room (whenever my mom would allow me to!).
I decided to study Interior Design because it was a “trade” I could practice as a stay-at-home mom. After I graduated with a B.A. in Interior Design, I worked for three years in the high-end furniture industry. My clientele was willing to pay big bucks for furniture, accessories and for my time, but I was not.
Over the years, I’ve discovered a number of tricks for decorating a home beautifully and frugally:
1. Get Inspired
Read decorating magazines and browse decorating blogs online. Don’t try to perfectly replicate what you see; take inspiration and create your own look!
2. Shop at T.J.Maxx and Hobby Lobby
I have found numerous items at these stores on sale or on clearance. Hobby Lobby has a rotating 50% off sale that covers most of their inventory. If you need a product that doesn’t go on sale, check Hobby Lobby’s website for a 40% off coupon.
3. Hit Yard Sales and Thrift Stores
Don’t buy junk, but look for items that can be re-purposed. I love finding architectural pieces like picture frames, windows, shutters and furniture like this desk I re-purposed.
4. Use Paint
Many people are afraid of paint, but it is one of the most inexpensive ways you can update a room. Neutrals are good, but don’t be afraid to use color to spice things up! Arm yourself with spray paint for re-purposing items – it will become your new best friend.
5. Let Nature Bring It
Use branches or sticks, rocks, shells and de-bugged moss to bring the outdoors inside – for free!
6. Cut the Clutter
Knick-knacks be gone. It is more pleasing to have five awesome pieces on your mantel rather than twenty little things.
7. Create Your Own Wall Decor
Hang architectural pieces on the wall. I hung an old window in my dining room that I dug out of my mother-in-law’s neighbor’s garbage. {blush} Enlarge photos and use inexpensive frames to create an arrangement of family photos.
8. Mount Window Coverings High
Trust me. It will make the ceiling look higher and your room will appear more “grand.”
9. Use Books
You think I’m kidding? I’m not. I’ve found many inexpensive “pretty” hard cover books at antique stores, thrift stores and at library book sales. You can stack them, lean them and even turn them around backwards to let the pages show.
10. Be Yourself
Let your home’s personality shine through! Take it slowly. Don’t try to completely overhaul your home in a week. Change little things out here and there and you will be amazed at how much you can do for so little out of pocket cost!
Myra enjoys her days as a WAHM and wife to her childhood sweetheart. She blogs at My Blessed Life about various topics to inspire your heart and your home. You can also find Myra on Twitter @blessedlife2 and Facebook.
I agree with painting, it is definitely a great way to transform your home without spending too much. Awesome blog by the way and thanks for sharing these amazing tips.
What about knick knacks that are family heirlooms or sentimental pieces? Do you have any suggestions for a way to incorporate them into the home decor without looking cluttered? I’d appreciate any suggestions.
Old windows are great and something I have been making use of for years. Beware of lead paint!
I’m also a firm believer in “less is more” and a multitude of knick knacks should be left for the shelves at the thrift stores, not the home.
Great blog, Myra. 🙂
We’re going to be building a pretty big addition onto our house, and I’m wondering what are your favorite magazines/books for ideas? I like things sweet and simple, but I’m such visual person I don’t know what I want unless I can see it 🙂
Myra-thanks so much for the tips. I am pretty good at finding all the “deals” but have a hard time putting it all together. Wish I could have you over 🙂
I had to laugh at the “use books” idea… I have stacks of older/antique books around our home. I love them! They’re inexpensive, beautiful, and have a richness to them that I find appealing. Just last month I wrote a post about my vintage book collection.
Great ideas! :o)
Myra’s such a clever lady! Love all her tips. 🙂
Love this post! Myra is a girl after my own heart. I currently have 5 old windows hanging around my house. Favorite hobby: turning something ugly into something I love with a little elbow grease and paint. My chandelier is a one-of-a-kind now that I’ve revamped the ugly late 70’s thing that was hanging there. It cost less than $25 to redo. Moss is sitting on my dining room table as my spring center piece right now. I’ll have to show my husband this post so he knows I’m not crazy!
For the old windo idea, put photos in the glass part. I used to babysit for a photographer. She did this in her parlor/living room and it looked awesome!!!
LOVE these tips!!!!!!! 🙂
Thanks Myra ! This is a great post. A lot of food for thought!
Need to start looking around.
Spray paint? When I think about spray paint I think about the different levels of color that usually comes with spray paint and how awful spray paint looks.
Is spray paint usually pretty easy to work with? I think I need a tutorial about spray paint!
@Rochelle, Spray paint is wonderful! I’ve used both the cheapy paint and Krylon. I love Krylon spray paint. There are many different colors to choose from. I love painting with black, bronze and a creamy ivory. But I’ve also spray painted one of my dining chairs red – LOVE it!
The key to spray painting is to keep moving and use more than one coat. If you stay in the same place too long, the paint will clump up and run. It’s easy to come back with a second coat and fill in the lighter spots.
Hope that helps! 🙂
@Rochelle, Spray paint is awesome! I normally use Krylon’s black, bronze and ivory. I’ve also used red to paint a dining chair – LOVED it!
The key is to keep moving so the paint doesn’t glop up and run. You can always come back with a second coat to fill in the lighter areas.
I hope that helps! 🙂
@Rochelle, Spray paint can be tricky, but goes on smoothly if you follow the directions closely. I repainted an old gold lighting fixture by sanding it, priming it and then adding two coats of spray paint. I love it and can’t wait to repaint some of my other fixtures!
Here’s a photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mama-bear/4093217040/
Love this post!! Thanks so much!
LOVED this post and really liked the pic of the window as decor… I have a house built in 1914 with original wood work and so many of todays decor pieces just don’t…”go”. GREAT Post!
@mandi, Thanks Mandi for your sweet comment! The house we live in currently is new, but I LOVE old stuff because it has so much more character than new things. 🙂
Her tips are great!
I use books as decoration also. We have a large collection of Bibles, thick college yearbooks and classic looking hardbacks found at garage sales that draw the eye away from our tattered paperbacks. Stacking books instead of arranging them all in a row gives the shelf visual interest. I stack books of the same size then place a picture on top. Use odd objects as bookends. My favorite bookend is an antique iron.
To add to her tips, mirrors (especially those with pretty frames) make the room look bigger. Just be sure to position it so that it doesn’t reflect something you don’t want people to see. For example, I had our mirror in the “perfect” spot until I realized it reflected our thermostat! That really took away from the pretty mirror.
@Sara, Love your ideas, Sara! I couldn’t agree more about mirrors. Many people put mirrors on their mantel, but nothing is reflected except the ceiling and/or ceiling fan.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
@Myra, Thanks! I didn’t mean to post twice, but for some reason the first time I posted it didn’t show up.
Mirrors make a room look bigger! Just be sure that the mirror won’t reflect a ceiling fan or something. My mirror reflected our thermostat until I finally moved it!
I’ve been lucky enough to find curtains that I love at Target and Wal-Mart. To me, curtains make the most dramatic statement in a room. Hanging the rods high and the drapery hold backs low make my tiny windows look bigger and grander.
And what she said about books is true. We’ve got a large collection of Bibles and thick college yearbooks as well as classic looking hardback books found at garage sales that bring the eye away from our tattered paperbacks on the bookshelf. Instead of having them all lined up in a row, stack some and put a picture on top of the stack. Use odd objects as book ends. My bookend is an antique iron.
I think a clean and neat home is more important than a well decorated home, but I find great pleasure in letting the creativity flow to make my home beautiful!
Great tips! With patience and creativity, its amazing how beautiful one can make their home for very little money.
Mary Ellen
I agree shopping your home and moving things around canmake a huge difference. I have a friend that loves to decorate and she will gladly come over to my house and help me shop the other room to move things or paint them and use them. I have stared to be able to look at things in a different way now too. I try to ask myself what purpose do I want this space to function as? I go from there. But paint is definately the cheapest fresh new look. Also I love to sew new pillow case covers for throw pillows it makes a room look all freshened up.
@Stephanie, Love your idea about making new pillow covers! Fabulous!
Browsing through decorating magazines while in Barnes and Noble really helped us when it came to decorating our new apartment. We took notes like we would be tested on it, and then ‘shopped’ our own decor to see if it could be repurposed in another room. Everything else was bought at Ikea and dollar stores! We saved a ton of money and now, our apartment has never looked better!
@Rachel, I love browsing through magazines too! So many ideas! I wish there was an Ikea near where I live. I’m dying to shop there!