Home Decor On A Budget

I grew up with a father that searched high and low for the best deal in town. Whether it was a new car or a new shirt, he was determined to find the lowest price. As annoying as it might have been growing up, those savvy skills have stuck with me into my adult years. When it comes to high ticket items, I have a hard time paying full price.

With that being said, I have a few tips and tricks to save you some money when decorating your home.

1. Be open minded. Don't think that you will only find decor items at furniture stores. Be willing to find items in all kinds of places. For example, my husband and I recently purchased a faux fur cow rug, a leather entry bench and matching night stands at Fred Meyer. Yes you heard me right. Fred Meyer has a fairly large selection of home decor items that are usually 30-50% off. The next time you are out and about, check out the home decor items in a few different stores.

2. Get creative. Look for inexpensive ideas on Pinterest or get ideas from your favorite home decor store and think of ways you could do them yourself. For example, my parents had this old window on the farm (pictured at the beginning of the post) and I couldn't wait to put it in our home. My mom and I cleaned it up and she wrote our wedding date on it. Adding our wedding date to the window made it more personal and unique. I loved the way it turned out. Another example are these table decorations (pictured below). These jars can be found at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, antique store, etc. You can paint them and fill them with whatever suits you. They give a farmhouse vibe without looking cluttered.

3. Re-evaluate what you already have. Sometimes we get so focused on buying new things that we forget to use what we already have. Try to re-vamp what you already have before buying new. If you have a coffee table, but don't like the color of it anymore, re-stain it. I included a picture below of our coffee table that I recently re-stained. It was a little outdated before, but a fresh coat of dark stain brought it back to life. You could also re-paint hooks in your bathroom if you feel like they are out-dated. You could even put them on a piece of barn wood for a farmhouse look. Salvaging old items is not always possible, but it's worth a shot.

4. Don't assume that consignment stores will be less expensive. When my husband and I were searching for an entry bench and night stands, we went to 5 different consignment stores in search of the perfect piece. Unfortunately, it was hard to find matching night stands and most of them were at least $100 a piece. And that doesn't include the cost of having to sand and re-paint them. Some of the items were less expensive, but not in great shape. Don't get me wrong, consignment shops have great finds. I found a dining room table with four matching leather chairs at a consignment store for a great price and was very happy with the purchase. However, don't assume you are getting the best deal. Our brand new night stands were less expensive at Fred Meyer and we only paid $20 more for our entry bench compared to the ones at the consignment store.

I hope you found some helpful hints in this blog post! Let me know what home decor projects you are working on!