How to Maximize your Interior Decorating Budget?

As we all know decorating your home can be costly $$$. There are alot of areas to think about Floors (Area Rugs), Walls (Window Treatments), Beds (Bedding & Pillows) and Finishing Touches (Florals & Greenery)……below are some Tricks of the Trade to help you maximize your dollars and get the biggest bang for your buck. 

Window Treatments - Purchase decorative drapery panels rather than “operable” draperies.  Layer your window with an inside mount roller shade or blinds for privacy & sun control (these can be purchased at any big box Home Improvement store) and just flank the sides of your window with drapery panels.  These can be mounted on a decorative drapery pole above your window.   Operable panels (treatments that you pull across the window to open/close) will require additional fabric and will drive up your cost.  Another tip is to choose sheers (no lining) as again less fabric means less cost.  Loom Decor is a great resource for homeowners who want to purchase draperies themselves.

Area Rugs - Choose a machine-made rug.  A machine-made area rug will be less expensive than hand-knotted or hand-tufted area rug.  Most machine-made rugs are constructed of synthetic fibers (polyester, olefin, nylon, etc.).  Today there are a great assortment of machine-made rugs in all different styles (traditional, modern, coastal, farmhouse, etc.) in various patterns, sizes & colors.

Florals & Greenery - Faux, silk-like flower arrangements & greenery can be expensive.  Brands such as NDI Florals or John Richard, etc. are absolutely stunning but the price point on these types of floral arrangements and botanticals can break the bank.   One trick that we use, we purchase various glass vases from local discount stores and snip fresh greenery (we like to use Saw Palmetto fronds here in Florida). Just look for greenery that you can find along most roadways or even in your own backyard.   In other parts of the country just clip some tree branches (think apple blossoms, lilacs, magnolias, etc.).  Once a week fill your vases with some new cuttings.  Be sure to shake them out and give them a good rinse with the outdoor hose before bringing them indoors to ensure no bugs!   Add some river rocks or seashells to the bottom of your vases for additional interest.

Bedding - choose a neutral coverlet, quilt or duvet for your bed.  Add color and interest with decorative accent pillows in the style you desire (bold, soft, patterned, textured, etc.).  Purchasing the core elements of the bedding in neutrals always you to update and change it easily. As you can keep the main coverings and just update the decorative pieces to reflect different seasons or just when you want a change.  Visit home decor stores (Homegoods, Home Sense, TJ Maxx, Marshalls) or Department /big box stores (Macy’s, Target, Walmart) for some nice accent pillows for your bed.   

Utilizing these tips will help you elevate the style and decor for your home without the breaking the bank!!!