Chances are, your bedroom is important to you – after all, you will spend about a third of your life there. The way your bedroom looks and feels can be important to you for a lot of reasons, but for many people it’s about making your personal space feel as comfortable and elegant as possible. But most people don’t have the money to create the bedrooms you see in decorating magazines or on home improvement channels. What if your taste reaches way beyond your budget? There are some tips and shortcuts you can use to make your room look great without emptying your wallet.
1. Don’t Be Afraid of Bargains
Shopping at thrift stores is actually hip. Go on a hunt – hit up flea markets, bargain stores, and online sales to find everything you need for your bedroom, and don’t get yourself in the mindset that brand names matter.
If you spend enough time shopping, you will eventually find items you never knew you wanted. Wall decor and furniture can be bought secondhand, even bed linens – soak them in boiling water for 20 minutes, and you have nothing to worry about.
2. Do It Yourself
If you’re trying to save money, it can be a good excuse to get creative and crafty. Get yourself some fabric paint and unique fabrics and textures so you can spruce up your pillows and blankets. You can even make your own curtains to match your pillows. And you can do your own painting, too. Try changing the color of just one wall instead of all four, or painting designs or murals on your walls to make the room look uniquely yours. Apply your painting skills to tables and chairs, too, especially if you want them to look refurbished.
3. Use What You Have
Have you got an old peg board left over from your school days? Bring it out and put some postcards on it. A couple of your dad’s glass ashtrays? Make candle holders or candy dishes. Old Christmas lights? Hang them up and make your room festive. There are probably all sorts of decorating ideas sitting out in your garage, and all you have to do is find a use for the things you thought were useless. It’s a lot more fun that spending too much money.
4. Don’t Forget the Details
Sometimes decorating your bedroom can be about the little things, like putting some fringe on your lampshade or cut-outs on your wall. Whatever makes you feel like the room is more reflective of your personal style. If you want to redecorate, you can always start small and focus on a few smaller areas instead of worrying about changing everything at once. Think about how your room smells, or what the color scheme is. Sometimes the details can make a huge difference.
Most people can’t afford to throw down large amounts of money on furniture and bedding, no matter what the magazines might tell us. But if you shop around and aren’t afraid to be thrifty, you can come up with some cool ideas to make your bedroom one of a kind. You don’t need to go broke making your room somewhere you want to spend time in, and you can get a good night’s sleep knowing you didn’t.
Mike Knowles writes articles for interior design blogs that can show you how to make bedroom sets look expensive.