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Save Big Bucks On Home
Decorating
by Kathy Wilson
More people
decorate their homes during the fall and winter months than at any other time of
the year, and with good reason! We spend more time indoors, we owe it to
ourselves and our families to create a comfortable place to be! Here are the
best ways to save BIG bucks on your home decorating.
| Start with
plan. I know you’ve heard this before, but having a plan doesn’t necessarily
mean you know exactly everything you want to do in your rooms ahead of time.
What it does mean is having a starting point to keep you in the ballpark,
and that will save you A LOT of money in mistakes in the long run. So start
with the three things you need…Color, Style, and Formality. Color is easy…if
you don’t already have a color scheme you love, find one in a book or
magazine, and borrow it! |
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Still unsure? Pick your
favorite color, plus white, never fail combo. Style? Maybe you know you love
Country Farmhouse. Or maybe you like a little of everything! That’s ok, just
make sure you give the room style a name that includes the feeling you want in
the room, and that will keep you on track. For instance, I have a Fresh and
Sunny Cottage Room for my family room. (I use sunny as a feeling as well as a
visual clue!) Keep the feeling in the name, and you will pick the right style
every time! Finally, formality. Know if you like a more formal room, where
things on both sides of the room match, or a more informal feel. So my family
room description would go something like this…I want an informal Fresh Sunny
Cottage style full of soft blue, green yellow and white. So every time I buy
something, I know if it doesn’t fit in that description, it doesn’t fit period!
Look for alternatives to everything!!! Flat sheets on sale are a great buy…I can
get one at my discount store for $2.89. A flat sheet is generally 66x96
inches…that’s over 3 yards of fabric for less than 97 cents a yard! Can’t beat
that, and flat sheets come in so many colors. When in doubt, buy white! Use them
for tablecovers, curtain panels, making comforter covers, throw pillow covers,
or even casual slipcovers! If you find a great color, stock up during a white
sale…you will always find uses for fabric that fits into your color scheme.
Look for furniture at yard sales and in the classifeds. You can get quality
furniture this way for a fraction of what it would cost you new. Learn to make
do with the furniture you have with the art of disguise. Slipcovers, paint and
floor length tablecloths go a long way towards dressing up an otherwise
forgettable piece of furniture. By the way, you can paint ANYTHING these days!
The trick is to use a specialty blocking primer before painting…I recommend KILZ
Original. Yes, you can even paint that ugly laminate bookcase or computer desk!
All your furniture mismatched in style and form? Paint it all one color, and it
will help marry and unify your furniture grouping. (I love white or black for
furniture, depending on the style of your room.)
Finally, look for good resources to help you learn to create your own
accessories, custom paint finishes, and inspirational ideas such as
TheBudgetDecorator.com.
With a little advanced thinking and a bit of creativity, anyone can have a well
decorated home!
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About The Author: Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and
editor of The Budget Decorator, Decorating Your Small Space, and
Decorating Cottage Style. For hundreds of free home decorating
ideas, visit her now at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com. Don’t forget to sign up
for her free newsletter while your there! |
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