After buying my first home, and now onto my second house, I realized that many of the interior design ideas I find are costly, and likewise in homes that do not look like mine. That is why I wanted to talk about 5 tips to decorating with what you already have at home.
Don’t get me wrong, some of the homes I see on social media are stunning, but unless I have tens of thousands of dollars, my house is not going to look like that anytime soon.
That is why I am here talking about how to love your ordinary house by using these tips to decorating with what you already have.
Where are the houses like mine, with the small living room and no kitchen island to decorate?
Even though I work, I spend a lot of time at my house, as I work long shifts. I try to do my best to spruce things up inside my builder grade home without the costs of all new decor.
Just to clarify, I do not want to sound ungrateful. I am SO beyond grateful for all the people, things, and animals in my life.
My house does not have high end upgrades, but my husband and I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into some of our projects, and sometimes that also comes with the biggest reward…
1. Using Accessories
I LOVE finding new accessories for my home.
The accessories I use are items I typically already own and relocate, however once in awhile I will pick up something new (which I try to resist).
Pillow covers, blankets, and candles are a great place to start to accessorize and elevate any room no matter the décor style.
These are all easy accessories to hang on to, as they don’t take up much room for storage purposes, can be easily restyled, and can be purchased without breaking the budget.
Here is a simple change from my leather chair with a new pillow cover from AMAZON…wow, so awesome, plus this pillow cover has so many colors to choose from!
Blankets are great for appearances too! And there are some good inexpensive ones out there.
Real candles although sometimes pricey can help quickly change the mood in a room, whether from the smell or the color. I use candles all the time for decoration without burning them (especially with young children around), but there is also so many great candle warmers out there now!
There are also tons of battery powered candle choices out there now with remotes (my personal favorite)!
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Amazon Accessory Ideas…
Trays and risers are some of my favorite accessories. There are such a wide range, as with everything else, but I found this one that I use in my hallway powder room in the $3 section at Target, can you beat that?
I do have other trays as well, like this gold one that definitely help to sophisticate the look on this cabinet on its own.
2. Using Flowers: Real vs Faux
Both! I say DO BOTH! Incorporate both.
Real flowers look great, even in $1 vases….
I like to cut fresh hydrangeas from my front porch area. These make great pieces for tables, counters, or bathrooms. I move them around, reuse them, use baskets, vases, and jars to name a few vesicles for display.
Hydrangeas are a favorite of mine, very versatile, real or fake, and hold up well when dried!
I love some of my faux flowers just as much as real flowers and usually keep an arrangement of faux flowers in high traffic areas at my house in case of a casualty with two young kids.
My advice is do NOT spend a ton of money on faux florals, find a FEW you love and rotate, rotate, rotate. You will never get sick of them freshen up different spaces when you are bored.
3. Painting
Does anyone like painting? For me, painting is a sort of love, hate relationship. I love the colors and the finished product, but could do without the rest.
But, I do know one thing…paint makes a huge difference!
Even taking the time to paint floorboards, trim around windows, or one piece of furniture. The cost is usually relatively minimal with smaller projects and creates a whole new look without the cost.
You can check out my Easy Master Bathroom post here and see how the original vanity cabinet was transformed with paint.
Try painting you may grow to like it! (Or be like me and buy all kinds of paint and enlist my husband’s help).
4. Hardware updates
Hardware is something we all look at everyday and don’t always realize it. One of those see through items that after the change happens, there is a huge difference!
We have the standard oak kitchen cabinets. There is nothing wrong with them and I cannot justify getting rid of them…or at least for now, but I had to do something so I CHANGED the hardware.
The before when we moved into our house and after below.
Another great relatively inexpensive hardware update idea is door knobs. We changed all the interior door knobs in our house and they really upgraded the look with the white and bronze contrast. I wish I had though of this sooner!
Last on the list of 5 tips to decorating with what you already have can be a hard one to master, but with the right find, there comes reward!
5. Facebook Marketplace and Thrift Store Finds
This is a hard (and sometimes long) process especially when you looking for something specific, however the search can be rewarding with patience.
The best items I have found are when I least expected it or when I was not looking for them.
My advice in this department is BE PATIENT and do your research. QUALITY is important here! I know this from first hand experience and bought a piece or two I regret.
Do your research on the brand, company, and condition of the item.
I bought an oak dresser for $60 and my husband nicely painted it for me for my daughter’s room.
To this day, this dresser is AMAZING and the price point makes it that much sweeter…Unfortunately, I don’t have a before image, but you can envision it…oak dresser circa 1950.
Wrap-Up
There are so many budget, easy, and fun ways to spice up what you have…using pieces you already own is even more rewarding in the end!
And, remember don’t be afraid to move things around, that is the fun part!