Decorating on a Budget Without It Looking Cheap

Hi Everyone,

This is a two-part post, but part 2 is very short. If you’ve read part 1, please click the link below to skip to part 2. If you’re here for the first time to read about decorating on a budget without looking cheap, please keep reading from the top.

Part 2 Begins Here

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We’re (mostly) taking a break from ME to talk about a common decorating dilemma – Decorating on a Budget – Without it looking CHEAP.

Dear Laurel,

Thank you for sharing all of your decorating plans. All I can say is GOALS!
However, the budget for your kitchen lighting is the budget for my entire home! At least, right now, it is.

So, for now, I’m getting vicarious pleasure from seeing what you’re doing, and the thing I also love is that you don’t seem to take any of it for granted, and even though it’s all still too expensive for us, I can see you’re still needing to be mindful of your pocketbook.

Maybe one day, when my kids have graduated college, gotten married, and I’ve dumped my husband, I’ll be able to afford a lot more.

Just kidding about dumping my husband. I love him to bits!

So, any helpful ideas for the other 95% of us would be great!

Sincerely

Ineida Sumbuks

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Thank you, Ineida. ;]

As for GOALS. When I was your age, there was no need to bother with goals because there wasn’t even a remote possibility that I could do what I’m now doing.  It was always, Sigh… “In my next lifetime…”

Yet, here we are.

So, even when the odds seem stacked against you, don’t give up hope! And I am saying that to all of us.

Okay, let’s get into our topic, one of my favorites– decorating on a budget.

Actually, I’ve written about ways to save money decorating numerous times. However, I realize it’s not always easy to find things, even with the search box. So, first, I will link to many of the old posts.

The reality is that decorating on a budget is a VAST topic.

I mean, any one element could be an entire blog post.

However, I’ll also have some new things to say in this post.

And, then, at the end, I’ll include a widget of some of my favorite home furnishings that will help those decorating on a budget, and also some tips for helping some budget items look rich.

Also, where to get the biggest bang, as they say; however, here’s a post that talks about places to splurge and places where it’s safe to spend less. 
I find the place to splurge is on a killer pair of lamps or the throw pillows. And maybe one spectacular cabinet or coffee table. Those are things that will stand out.

The fabric you use for the window treatments, no.

From ten feet away, if the drapes are lined, you won’t see an appreciable difference between the 25-dollar-a-yard linen and the 225-dollar-a-yard linen.

Yet, custom drapes are inherently expensive, so one of my favorite posts is about how to make inexpensive, ready-made curtains look expensive.

This is another post from 2020 about 18 affordable home decor ideas.

You also might enjoy the ultimate guide for decorating on a budget.

For today, I will list my favorite sources when money is tight.

Of course, the best source is anything that’s Free.

• One of those sources might be the street. Of course, this depends on where you live and the street. However, when I lived in New York City, I saw some fantastic pieces of furniture people no longer wanted and were up for grabs. You could walk around the block, and they’d be gone by the time you did so.
• Along the same lines is a lovely item or items a friend or family member no longer wants.

Years ago, when son #1 (Yes, Cale) was one, a friend wanted to get rid of her 1970s Thomasville oak sideboard. I told her we’d take it, thinking it would only be for a few years.

Well, two years turned into 22 years! I have no idea what my wasband did with it. However, it served its purpose in our den.

• If you have the time and patience, you can often find super inexpensive furnishings at flea markets, tag sales, and online at Facebook Marketplace. I’ve written about this topic, too.
• And, then, there’s this post about gorgeous free or nearly free art.
• Plus, more free art and free templates for art walls!

Okay, now it’s time to review my favorite retail sources when decorating on a budget.

Wayfair – Of course, they have home furnishings at all price points and those great open-box prices. And as I said the other day, they have the best customer service!

Etsy – Do you have the Etsy Guide that gets updated every year? If not, you’re missing out on something I should charge more for. Speaking of, as a reminder, at the end of the year, the prices of all of my terrific interior design guides will be going up.

Home Goods and its affiliated companies, TJ Max, Marshall’s, etc. – I love that they often have high-end brands for super-cheap.

Target

eBay –  Seriously, the site is still kind of shlocky looking, but I’ve gotten some fantastic items, including my new kitchen light, which arrived this afternoon. I know. That was lightning fast!

Pottery Barn & West Elm – When I raised my kids in the ’90s and ’00s, half of what we purchased for our home was from PB.

Sometimes, you can find great deals on Chairish. I just found over a dozen wonderful pairs of vintage lamps for under $300 for the pair.

Of course, Amazon. However, please double-check the vendors and read the reviews. If the price is too good to be true, it almost definitely means it’s a fake product.

Now, for a few of my best tips for getting cheap, inexpensive home furnishings to look expensive.

Often, you’ll find a flat factory fake gold or brass finish. Otherwise, the lamp, chandelier, and curtain rod look very nice. Well, paint it! Yes, you can.

About 25 years ago we got a metal chandelier for our dining area from Pottery Barn.  It looked so lovely in the catalog, but when it arrived, it was just plain flat, boring black. So, I grabbed some acrylic paints and my gold rub ‘n buff and gave it a custom paint finish.

Sorry, the image isn’t better, but you understand.

I enjoyed looking at that chandelier for many years.

The trick to painting parts of lamps is to either remove whatever isn’t being painted, if you can, or use plastic and tape and make sure it is 100% covered so you don’t get paint on parts not meant to be painted.

Furniture. Yes, you can definitely paint case goods and tables.

But, can you paint upholstery? Yes, again. I painted these chairs over ten years ago. In fact, I’ve seen a couple of videos on Youtube where they painted a velvet sofa and did it in a way that it remained just as soft as it was, originally. The trick was to water down the paint, thus making the paint into a dye, not a viscous acrylic paint that you would put on the walls.

However, speaking of the walls.

There is nothing like a fresh paint job to make things look much better. Before I sold my place in New York, I had everything painted. Oh man, I was kicking myself that I hadn’t done it sooner. Even though it wasn’t bad before, it was so much better afterward.

Okay, I’ve made a lovely widget for you of inexpensive items that either already look much more expensive, or will with a little paint. Some are on sale, and some are inexpensive to begin with. However, since this is a two-part post, I’ve moved the widget down.

For Monday evening, I’d love to expand on this, so please let us know in the comments what you’d like to see more of.

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Part 2 Begins Here

Okay, it’s not Monday evening. :]

It’s Tuesday evening. I don’t have a whole lot to add at this point regarding decorating on a budget. There is an updated widget after I’m finished holding you hostage for another minute. ;]

By the way, there are numerous posts I didn’t link to that discuss getting the look for less. Please use the search box to look up individual topics. For example, “cheap curtains,” “cheap sofas,” and “high-low.” That sort of thing.

Otherwise, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf, which is going to bed at a more normal time.

Please, no judging. Thank you. :]

In other news,

• I got a refund for the busted glass lampshade.
• I ordered the Cremone Bolts from Wilmette Hardware.
• Then, I took out a second mortgage on my home. Just kidding.
• I’m trying to pay for the fireplace mantel.

I was told by the owner, Renzo Van Engelen, that it’s all crated up and ready to go, but I need his bank information to send him the money. No worries. He’s legit. He has a gorgeous website that you can see here.

Some of you have been inquiring about my sources for things I’m putting in my home.

So, I will be making a complete shopping list before long. Please know that I am paying for everything else except for the promised wallpaper and a fantastic recirculating hood insert from Zephyr.

I’m going to look at marble again for my kitchen counters on Thursday.

Tomorrow, September 27th, is the third anniversary of when I first saw my apartment.

After a second viewing, I made the offer on the 28th, and it was accepted the following afternoon.

I never dreamed it would take this long for me to get going with the renovation. Now that I’m beginning to see my long-time-in-planning vision beginning to take shape, it makes me a little teary. Not sad; happy tears.

It’s really happening!

Very soon, they will be able to install the kitchen cabinets!

Okay, here is the updated widget filled with home furnishings that are very reasonably priced, if not incredibly cheap, without being cheap-looking. (Some might need a little help with some paint, but that is not difficult to do.)

Please pin to Pinterest for Reference.

 xo,

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