Today I have some great tips for decorating cheaply. Yes, you can have a beautiful home you are happy with and not bust your budget! Sometimes we feel stuck with our decor because we aren’t thinking out of the decorating box! Ready for 5 inexpensive decorative ideas?
I have an obsession with decorating! And that often means I sometimes need to find ways to cut costs and decorate on the cheap. Here are some of my favorite thrifty decorating tips so you can do more in your home with a lot less money!
DECORATING CHEAPLY IS ALL ABOUT SHOPPING YOUR HOME
You read that right! My favorite place to shop when decorating is in my own home. Walk around each room in your home and see if there is anything that might work in another room. I do this all the time when it comes to vignettes. A vase from the dining room, a basket from the kitchen… you get the idea!
I need to sit and spend a little time in a room without distractions to think about things in the room would look pretty in other parts of my home. This is a creative exercise and the more you do it the easier it will become! This tip works wonderfully!
The mirror above was in an upstairs bedroom but I moved it to the foyer. Look for a little makeover of our foyer later this week.
DECLUTTER
It’s hard to decorate a room when it’s cluttered or untidy!
I know this sounds daunting, but getting rid of piles of trash and clutter can really make such a difference when it comes to how a room looks and feels.
Try it in one room this weekend and see what you think!
My laundry room can get cluttered faster than I can clean it up. I call it a “hotspot”! If you have hotspots in your home declutter them and clean them and make sure you do not put anything in there that does not belong! You will feel so good if you can keep your hotspot room looking nice and tidy! You can see my decluttered laundry room HERE.
Decorating starts with a decluttered home!
Here’s a post that is an awesome way to DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE HERE. This post is full of savvy and practical ways to have a decluttered, organized home, and to keep it that way!
SEARCH YOUR ATTIC/BASEMENT/CLOSET…
Take a few minutes and go into the attic, basement, or your storage space. Are there old pieces of art or decor that might be beautiful in a room that you are re-decorating? Or the frame the art is in might look amazing by itself. There might be things that you could breathe new life into with a little paint and TLC.
The planter above over a decade graced my living room and it’s twin my foyer. Because these were a little pricey I could not bring myself to get rid of them when my style changed.
And I am so glad I found them in the basement and turned them into porch planters for the summer! I use them every year! They may not be our style anymore but they look great as a planter!
The large jar has also been in my basement and I forgot I had it! But when I was searching for something lighter and brighter for the buffet and came across the jar I knew it would be perfect.
The moss balls are a few years old. I made the and they were also down in the basement in a clear plastic box! It’s all about digging around, my friend!
SEE TEXTURED MOSS BALL DIY HERE.
VISIT YARD SALES AND THRIFT SHOPS FOR DECORATING YOUR HOME CHEAPLY
Someone’s trash has been my treasure more times than I can count. I love thrifty decorating! Some of my very favorite home decor items have come to me second hand. Finding a great deal is such a rush!
I can’t tell you how many times I get asked about these topiaries. They are a thrift store for $10.00! Amazing, right!!!!! They have made an appearance in almost every room of my home and are one of my favorite decor items.
You never know how many inexpensive gems are waiting to be found by you!
DECORATE WITH MULTIPLES
A single thrift store chamber pot lid would not have the same impact as a trio of them hung by the large mirror in my dining room.
My home is full of thrifty and even downright dirt cheap decor. It’s the way we elevate those thrifty items to work with the rest of our rooms so no one is the wiser that makes the difference!
Decorating cheaply does not mean decor that looks cheap? It’s about looking at what you already have and thinking of ways you can upscale it or move it. And it certainly means finding treasures in thrift stores and yard sales!
Give us your best tips. We would love to hear!!!!
Could you share where your large gray basket came from that are in so many of your pictures?
Hi Traci, I found it at the Pottery Barn but it is not in stock any longer. Wish I could help more.
I think cleaning and decluttering (even storing away some items just so they appear fresh later on) is one of the best ways to “redecorate”. I always suggest this to my daughter when she gets down about not having money to realize her dreams. Sometimes, your house smelling fresh is so much nicer than having a lot of decor and fancy linens!
I really like the light colors and the way you decorate your home is beautiful
Yvonne, I love the knobs on the credenza in your foyer! LOVE! Do you know what they are? I must’ve spent 200 hours in the past 10 days hunting online for new knobs for my kitchen cabinets. Thank you.
Lowe’s have some very similar. I’m sorry I can’t help you more! I love that you are upgrading your kitchen cabinets. What a difference new knobs will make.
These are great tips. You have a beautiful home.
Wow – I just used the expression “shop my closet” last night to my husband. I have just rotated a few items in our house – and what a difference it makes. I stood in my basement looking at my pantry and dish storage racks and brought up a few items to use for staging a buffet in my kitchen. It’s amazing how these little changes can make such a big impact. The other thing I did recently that was easier than I thought was eliminating a colonial looking hutch top and then I painted the buffet part a gorgeous blue. What a difference for very little money!
My mother, a first generation Polish woman was raised during the Depression. We always had summer and winter seatcovers and curtains. When I was married to a man who was laid off in the wintertime, about February, cabin fever would set in. There was no extra money for redecorating or even thrifting. I would rearrange the furniture, put up clean curtains, put the living room pictures in the bedroom and vice versa. Forty years later, I still do a lot of the same things. But today, I can shop for small treasures that let me make cute vignettes, often tieing in old loved treasures. Think that’s what makes a house a home!
I love your thrifty and inspired decorating, Kathy! And yes that is what makes a home!
I love the flowers in the pitcher. I have really been drawn to pretty but simple pitchers lately. It is so nice to change out the flowers for the seasons. Love the ideas!
Yvonne, I’m a local Lancaster county girl too. In which thrift store did you find those beautiful topiaries?
Love these tips. Your home is so calm and elegant.
Don’t forget, when thrift shopping, a can of matte finish egg-shell white spray paint goes a long way in “refreshing” your finds and in tying several items together to form a collection or grouping! It’s my best friend!
Cocktail Napkins! I have a grouping of neutral artwork on the landing of our front staircase heading up to my husband’s office. One small, thickly framed piece gets changed seasonally via pretty cocktail napkins cut to fit (I’ve also used Christmas cards) … a red Christmas ball, a blue bird, floral display, pots of fall sedum … and I keep them all in the frame to swap out easily for that little touch of the season!
Very clever!
I am new to your blog. I love your content & decor!!I enjoyed this post! So much inspiration. I love white dishes of all sorts. I think they add such an elegant touch to the table. I do have a quick question. How did you hang the white dishes on the wall? I love that idea but wouldn’t know what to use to hang some of my dishes. Thank you for sharing your ideas! You have a fan in Hawaii!
Hi Rachel, you can read about it here:https://www.stonegableblog.com/the-best-way-to-hang-plates-on-a-wall-without-wires-or-magic/
Oh this post has me longing for yard sale season! Until then I can hit the thrift shops at least. Beautiful inspiration as always!
Amber
https://followtheyellowbrickhome.com
Love those tureen lids on the wall. I’m amazed at how often our Salvation Army has soup tureens on the shelf! I’ve gotten two there! And my cousin just brought me two plastic bags full of corks! Woot! 😉
Amen! I love all these thrifty ideas.:)
I’m looking forward to reading this soon!
I am a decorating junkie and love doing small projects to spruce things up around the house.I always shop my home and have just given new life to several things with paint and spray paint, going neutral with black and white.I’m all about thrift shops and sales and using things in unexpected ways, love your topiaries too.
Yvonne, Again and again I am so inspired by your tips and inspiration. I love decorating and now that I am maturing it is encouraging to find your blog a highlight. You give me incentive to always strive for beauty inside and out. Thanks
So glad, Linda!
I’m so glad to hear you thrift. I do it too and love the thrill of the hunt. The price tag sends me running to the car, yelling “ Start the Car!”. Lol I have a mix of expensive furniture with garage or thrift store finds. I’m saving money and saving the environment. I have friends that won’t step into a thrift store because of pride. Well, I take pride in a good buy.
Love these ideas! I especially liked the Chamber Pot lids on your wall! Where did you find those items, and what do you do with the pot part?? Thanks!
Spray paint! A chandellier that was an ugly gold tone was spray with textured black and has been in my dining room ever since. A ceramic table lamp was spray painted to complement a new color scheme in a guest bedroom. A random assortment of bunnies purchased at thrift stores and garage sales was unified when they were all sprayed wth a matte white. They come out in the spring time for a seasonal display. I have spray painted brass candle sticks. A brass candelabra was spray painted hot pink for a baby shower. The possibilites are endless. Cheap, quick, fun.
Yvonne: You may have mentioned in another post, but where did you get the sisal rug in your living room? Is it fairly soft underfoot? Does it shed? Thanks!
Hi Analinda, you can find the rug here:https://rstyle.me/n/dexjtzb6by7
I too, love to decorate with “finds”. Would you please share how you have hung the white stoneware lids? I also notice you often move your wall decor around. How do you manage with leaving holes in your walls? Thanks so much! Wishing you many blessings.
You can see how I hung them:https://www.stonegableblog.com/the-best-way-to-hang-plates-on-a-wall-without-wires-or-magic/
Great tips today. I always scout my basement to see what I can repurpose. I also need to do the decluttering. I seem to want to hang on to stuffI don’t need.
Love your site! 🙂 My favorite way to decorate is with things I find in my yard….or other yards! Acorns gathered in the Fall, branches with leaves turning, evergreens, etc. I love bringing nature in to my home. Also love the grocery store for cheap decor….gourds, squash, artichokes….display for awhile then cook them up! Best of both worlds!
This doesn’t have anything to do with your post but…where did you find the oversized clock in your living room?
I really like the bed room in the natural fall colors. It is like bringing the outside inside. so crisp and clean. You can almost smell fall in the air.
Love these tips! Especially the one about decluttering. With a smaller house, I find that’s the most important thing to remember. Rather than bringing in more stuff, I often just need to remove some things!
Chamber pot lids in the dining room…how fun
Estate Sales! Some of the items can be pricey, but if you focus on one or two items you would like to add to your collection, it can be a fun place to shop. Estatesales.net is a great way to keep up with the sales in your area.
Such a great tip!
Great tips for Decorating On the Cheap!!! Thank you so much for sharing all of your wonderful decorating/decor tips – for free!!! I’ve learned so much.
I love this post as I love decorating on the cheap too!! It’s always so much fun and helps me think out of the box. Sometimes it takes a little nudging from maybe reading your post or a picture in a magazine!! Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!! Have a great weekend!!
Certainly like your advice on shopping our own homes. After years of decorating many different style homes I have accumulated quite a few collections and also focal point objects to add to my rooms. Still love to shop but it is such fun to use the things we have!
I love this post….I head for the “Clearance” aisle before I look at anything else no matter what store I’m in. And shopping my house all the time is genius. So fun when Denny asks if something is new. As always, thanks for the great tips.
Victoria
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Thanks for your tip Victoria!