Home on a Budget

Home on a Budget

Trying to do up your home on a budget? No problem. You don't need a ton of money to live in a beautiful home. All you need is a few tips!

If you are interested in doing up your home well but don't want to spend too much money, it is worth investing in a few home decoration magazines. If you goshopping when you have something in mind, you will end up buying much less than if you go and just pick out things that you like. There are also less chances of you getting it wrong, or buying something that doesn't look very good.

Avoid buying too many showpieces. When doing up your home, first concentrate on getting the basic furniture right. You can then purchase showpieces gradually, over the years. Also remember that you will receive plenty of showpieces as presents over the years, and you can use these to decorate your home instead of just passing them along to someone else!

Adopt a minimalist look. Minimalist furniture is not very expensive, and if you have a magazine for guidance, you can work according to a look you like so you don't get it wrong.

Stick with one look in one room, and make it a point to match everything. The more coordinated your room, the better it looks. Of course, a colourful room can also look stunning, but then you need to be really very aesthetic and have a very good eye to pull it off. But if you simply match everything perfectly, you are sure to have a room that looks great.

First, decide what colour you want in which room. Then get rods placed above the windows for the curtains, and hang simple curtain sheets. Don't bother with pleats. You only end up using more fabric, and it looks heavy, making a small room appear even smaller.

Opt for non-printed curtains if your place is small. If you feel it is monotonous, you can break the monotony by hanging a plain white sheet or two.

Chiks look beautiful too, and are a much economical option to curtains. They make your place look sunny and tropical. Continue this look by placing chatais interspersed with fabric to match your decor on the floor in lieu of carpets.

You don't need expensive woodwork to decorate corners, all you really require is a large plant. Plants are much cheaper than showpieces, and make your place look better, warmer and cozier. Plants also look great when teamed with chiks on the windows.

Are you looking for a center table? Buy two simple painted earthen pots, place a thick sheet of glass over them and voila, a beautiful center table for quarter the price of a wooden and glass table. Invest in a good quality, thick glass with beveled edges. Use the same concept for your side tables too, by placing square or round sheets of glass over single pots.

Intersperse seating with huge cushions on chatais on the floor, especially if you are a young couple and will not be doing a lot of very formal entertaining. However, if you cannot do this in the living room, then use cushions in lieu of chairs for your child's bedroom.