Decorating your home on a budget can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! With a bit of creativity and elbow grease, you can transform any space without spending a dime. Here are 15 no-cost ways to invigorate your home decor.
Re-Arrange Furniture
Simply moving your existing furniture into a new configuration can give your room a fresh new look. Switch out the location of your sofa, chairs, coffee table, media console, and accent tables to create an entirely different flow in the space. Try placing your furniture at different angles or pushing it against a different wall. Make sure to measure so that everything fits, and don’t be afraid to switch up pieces between rooms for a change. This easy weekend project costs nothing but your time.
Display Collections
If you have any collections like books, photos, artwork, or meaningful travel souvenirs, find ways to creatively display them around your home. For books, try arranging them by color on a bookshelf or stacking horizontally on a coffee table. Frame special photos or artwork in coordinating frames from dollar stores. For travel collections, install floating shelves to display special finds. Collections showcase your personality and interests, while adding eye-catching focal points.
Use Alternative Storage
Get creative when storing items like toys, office supplies, and seasonal decor. Repurpose baskets, jars, crates, or unused furniture like a trunk as storage containers. Not only will this free up hidden space, but it also adds visual interest. Try placing baskets under side tables to hold blankets, stacking jars to hold office supplies on a desk, or lining up crates to store kids’ toys. Dedicate different spots around your home for different themed collections.
Rearrange Closet Space
If your closets are stuffed while certain spaces sit empty, reorganize your closets and drawers to free up wasted space. Consider buying closet organizers to better utilize every inch, but you can also DIY organizers using materials you already have. Get ideas online for how to build shelves, hanging rods, and dividers out of wood boards,tension rods, and other spare materials. Sort and rearrange your clothing and accessories to fit the new configured space.
Update Hardware
One of the easiest updates you can make is swapping out hardware like cabinet knobs, drawer pulls, light fixtures, switch plates, and door handles. Even if you rent, this quick fix can completely change the look of your space. Stick to a cohesive finish like bronze, silver, matte black, or brushed nickel for a more curated and polished look. You can find affordable hardware options at home improvement stores. Updating hardware makes cabinets, doors, lighting, and more look freshly updated.
Add Mirrors
Mirrors instantly make any space look larger and brighter. Consider adding mirrors in small spaces like hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms. For more decorative options, look for unique mirrors at thrift stores and garage sales, or DIY your own leaner mirror using inexpensive supplies. Place mirrors across from windows to bounce more natural light around. Hanging a large mirror like a beautiful oval accent mirror can give a blank wall some style. Mirrors add light and visual interest no matter what size space you have.
Update Window Treatments
Liven up boring blinds with budget window dressing options like curtains, valances, and shades. You can make your own using Fabric strips, tablecloths, or bedsheets from a thrift store. Choose fabrics and patterns that complement your existing decor. For an easy no-sew option, use clips, rings, or a tension rod to hang fabric. Add insulation and blackout properties by installing inexpensive honeycomb shades behind existing curtains. Dress up those dreary windows to change the whole look and feel of a room.
Use Temporary Wallpaper
Temporary, removable wallpaper allows you to change up wall surfaces without the commitment of paint or permanent paper. Choose bold patterns or textured designs that complement your decor. Use it to create an accent wall, wallpaper only part of a wall like behind a bed, or paper inside closet spaces. When it’s time for a change, it peels off easily. Look for budget-friendly options like peel-and-stick wallpaper sold at big box stores. Creative wallpaper adds a big visual impact.
Display Artwork
Fill those blank walls with eye-catching artwork. You don’t have to spend a fortune on expensive paintings or prints. Use what you have – children’s artwork, souvenir posters, pages from old books, fabric, and more can become beautiful pieces of art. Frame items in inexpensive or DIY frames, then arrange in groupings on walls. You can also get creative displaying art without frames by using embroidery hoops, clothespins, wires, or removable adhesive strips. Rotate what you display for an ever-changing art exhibit.
Add Plants and Flowers
Incorporating greenery and floral arrangements dramatically livens up any indoor space. You don’t need to spend dollars on expensive plants – propagate clippings from outdoor plants or ask friends to divide and share their houseplants. Look for inexpensive pots at yard sales and discount stores. Repurpose unique containers like baskets or teapots for plant holders. Cut flowers from your garden or purchase inexpensive bouquets from grocery stores. Greenery instantly makes any room look fresher and more inviting.
Make Display Shelves
Display shelves allow you to add personalized decor touches while organizing and highlighting your things. Make basic shelves using reclaimed wood boards and cinder blocks/bricks for supports. For a floating shelf, use brackets with a board. Paint or stain shelves to match your decor. Use shelves to display plants, books, artwork, collections, and meaningful objects. Add baskets for concealed storage. Shelves also provide extra space for displaying seasonal decor. Floating shelves maximize vertical space especially in small rooms.
Update Paint Finishes
Breathing new life into old paint doesn’t have to mean a major undertaking. To change the look of a room, try simple paint techniques like stenciling, rag rolling, sponge effects, or a chalkboard wall. Use painter’s tape and foam rollers from the dollar store to create patterns like stripes or geometric shapes. Faux techniques like rag rolling, sponging, washing or stippling transform the texture of your walls. The same paint color can give a whole new look with an updated application technique.
Add Moulding
Moulding adds architecture and interest to plain walls on a budget. Look for decorative trim pieces pre-cut at home improvement stores that you simply glue on. Or turn small wood boards into DIY picture rail, chair rail, wainscoting, or shiplap using a nail gun. Use trim to highlight specific walls like behind beds, define seating areas, or create faux wainscoting or shiplap. Complement new moulding with updated wall paint for a custom built-in look on a budget.
Update Flooring
Replace worn carpeting or an outdated floor with budget DIY options. Use stained plywood panels, peel-and-stick vinyl tiles, concrete stenciling, stained concrete, faux bois technique, or painted floors. Even a stenciled rug can transform a floor’s look. Many of these options go right over your existing flooring. Watch for end of season sales on remnant rolls of vinyl flooring, then cut to size. Use area rugs to delineate different zones like seating areas. Changing your floors makes a huge impact.
Incorporate Textiles
Incorporate more texture into your decor with textiles like pillows, throws, slipcovers, and curtains. You can easily sew your own using discount fabric or repurpose bedsheets, tablecloths, or blankets from home. For a quick no-sew option, use iron-on bonding to attach fabric to basic pillows from a discount store. Dress up your window, furniture, and beds with custom textiles to complement the colors and patterns in the room. Vary fabrics and textures for visual interest.
Lighting Updates
Lighting transforms the look and function of a space. Swap out outdated ceiling fixtures for budget-friendly flush mounts, pendant lights, or track lighting. Use dimmers to control mood lighting. Employ different lamp shapes and styles – sculptural, midcentury, ceramic, etc. – to provide task and accent lighting. Add plug-in sconces, string lights, or table lamps for extra illumination. Even inexpensive lighting updates make a noticeable difference in the ambiance of any room.
Style Bookshelves
Bookshelves show off your personality. Organize books by color, subject, or size for visual impact. Incorporate framed photos, artwork, and accessories like vases and bowls. Use baskets andbins to neatly conceal clutter. Consider painting the backs of bookcases in an accent shade to add a colorful backdrop. Curate your shelves to highlight special collectibles and meaningful objects. Well-styled book storage shows off your favorite items.
Wrapping Up
With a little creativity and effort, you can make big changes in your home without spending a fortune. Try rearranging and repurposing what you already have in new ways for a fresh decorative look. Bring in visual interest with wall decor, greenery, accent lighting, and unique textiles. Small projects like updating hardware and paint techniques make spaces feel brand new. Don’t let a tight budget discourage you from creating a beautiful and personalized living space. What no-cost projects will you tackle first to invigorate your home decor?
FAQs About Budget Decorating (No-Cost Ways to Invigorate Your Space)
What are some easy no-cost ways to update my home decor?
Some easy no-cost ways to update your home decor include rearranging furniture, displaying meaningful collections, reorganizing closets and storage, updating hardware like cabinet pulls, adding mirrors and artwork, incorporating plants and fresh flowers, putting up display shelves, and adding unique textiles like throw pillows.
How can I makeover a room without spending money?
Focus on working with what you already have in new ways. Try repositioning furniture in fresh configurations and repurposing baskets, crates, jars or furniture as storage. Rearrange closet space and update window treatments using fabrics you have. Paint, stencil or faux finish walls. Build display shelves from scrap wood. Style and organize bookcases and collections. Add lighting.
What are cheap DIY decor projects?
Cheap DIY decor projects include stenciling or rag rolling walls, making over tile or concrete floors with stencils or paint, building picture ledges or floating shelves from boards, turning scrap wood into shiplap or wainscoting, making pillow covers and curtains from discounted fabric, and repurposing flea market or thrift store frames and mirrors.
How can I decorate my apartment for free?
Free ways to decorate an apartment include rearranging furniture and rugs, displaying collections or artwork you already own, adding plants and flowers, hanging inexpensive or handmade curtains, updating lighting with affordable new lamp shades and light bulbs, styling open shelving with books and meaningful objects, and incorporating textiles like blankets or tablecloths for pillows and throws.
What are creative ways to decorate on a budget?
Some creative ways to decorate on a budget are: repurposing unusual objects as decor, like a ladder as shelves or crates as side tables, finding statement pieces secondhand, making your own artwork and wall decor, displaying collections in interesting ways like books stacked or photos clipped to a line, using removable wallpaper, stenciling paint techniques, and making textiles like pillows from discount fabric.
How can I upgrade my home while sticking to a budget?
Some budget home upgrades include painting walls or trim, replacing hardware like light fixtures, faucets, and cabinet knobs, installing peel-and-stick backsplash tile, refinishing or painting existing furniture, converting a closet to customized storage, replacing showerheads with higher efficiency models, updating appliances with Energy Star models, replacing light bulbs with LEDs, and installing weatherstripping to save on energy costs.
What are cheap accessories and decor I can use to spruce up a rental?
Cheap, removable decor ideas perfect for rentals include peel-and-stick wallpaper or stenciling, sleek blackout curtains, stylish lamp shades, coordinating throw pillows and area rugs, scented candles, framed artwork and prints, entertaining unique sculptural vases or trays, and funky wall hooks for hanging hats, keys, towels, etc.
Conclusion
Decorating on a budget requires resourcefulness and a willingness to take on DIY projects, but the payoff is an inviting home personalized to your style. Focus on working with pieces you already own in creative new ways and opting for affordable updates like paint techniques and new window treatments. Add visual interest through art, fabrics, collections, and greenery. The projects shared here allow you to makeover any space with no-cost decorating ideas. Get started transforming your home with these inspiring tips that don’t break the bank.
