18 Practical Home Decor Tips For Anyone On A Budget

Oooh, smart.

Zoë Burnett / BuzzFeed

We asked the BuzzFeed Community for their best budget decorating tips. Here are some of our favorites!

1. Remember that you don't have to buy everything all at once: it'll help you both stay in budget and put together a room you love.

instagram.com

I just got done redecorating my living room. The trick for me was to buy one or two things at a time. Yes it took a longer time to redecorate than it could have, but it's done. Slowly and surely. Don't go over your budget for anything that you can buy next month.

—jmachi

Only buy things you LOVE. So often, people are quick to fill a new space to make it feel cozy and complete, so they get furniture and decor that they don't truly love. By surrounding yourself with items that you truly love, your space will be completely personalized and you'll never get sick of it.

—alakate

2. If you have a ~theme~ in mind for a room, check clearance aisles, wait for sales, collect coupons, and be patient.

buzzfeed.com

I did my daughter's room pretty much from scratch for about $500 because I planned, shopped clearance and made a lot of decor myself. The bulk was spent on a bed, mattress and paint but every time I saw a throw pillow, frame or piece of decor that fit the theme, I bought it. Use coupons and browse clearance sections often for the best deals.

—mpiquette1983

3. Personalize your cheap furniture with peel-and-stick removable wallpaper.

deliciousanddiy.com

Use peel and stick wallpaper to transform any flat surface! I used it to turn a hideous desk into a centerpiece in my house. I also used it on a cheap, ugly Ikea computer table.

—parastok

From Delicious And DIY.

4. Or with a couple coats of gold spray paint, even if you've never painted anything before in your life.

buzzfeed.com

Don't be afraid to DIY! I am the least artistic person on the planet, but I really wanted a gold theme in my apartment. And that doesn't come cheap. So I found some DIYs with Ikea furniture and gold spray paint and went to town.

I've done coffee and side tables, an entryway table, and a mirror. It feels good to know I had a vision and saw it through — on a budget! —alyssak45ae0b754

5. You can even paint upholstered furniture: just use fabric medium and acrylic paint to transform your old outdoor cushions.

atcharlotteshouse.com

If you have some outdoor cushions that you hate the pattern or color of, buy some fabric medium at a craft store and acyrlic paint in any color. Clean up the cushions, mix the two together (2:1 ratio of paint to fabric medium), paint them...then, Bam! Brand new cushions without spending a ton of money.

—Valerie Pardo, Facebook

Find a tutorial on At Charlotte's House.

6. Ask your family and friends if they have anything they've been meaning to get rid of.

Family Channel / CBBC

Don't be ashamed or embarrassed to ask friends or family for any decorative items they no longer want! You'll be amazed at what people are willing to get rid of that has been taking up space in their garage or basement that they are fine with giving away!

—MJ Cormier, Facebook

7. Shop secondhand, thrift, and consignment stores for gently-used pieces that don't cost a fortune — and that can be higher quality than something new that costs the same.

instagram.com

All of our furniture except our bed is from thrift stores. You can often find gently used, classic, and (most importantly) durable! pieces! for hundreds less than new.

—rmrodriguez12012

I religiously keep up with a couple of secondhand furniture stores in my area. Those kinds of shops usually try to sell things in good shape so all of my furniture and decor looks store-bought.

—jordans48a0e85ad

I definitely recommend consignment furniture shops. Most pieces will be under $200/$300 and very high quality. Especially if you like antique, vintage, or mid-century furniture. Just give it a good clean and new stain or some paint and it's good as new!

—peaceluvbball51

8. And when you shop places like Goodwill or your area's Habitat For Humanity's ReStore, you'll save $$...AND it'll all go to a good cause.

facebook.com

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore!! They take donations from people looking to get rid of furniture and sell I️t for a fraction of the price. I️ got a $300 entertainment center for $75!

—theresag46c7a972a

Don't be afraid to go to Goodwill. They only take in gently used items, and if you can find the right store, it's all nice stuff. My mom made a tv table out of an old dresser you'd never know wasn't purchased that way from an Etsy page!

—melissak4f9598632

9. Thrift stores are also great if you need inexpensive frames or wall art.

buzzfeed.com

Don’t buy framed wall art! Thrift stores have some really inexpensive frames, sometimes you can even find a few matching ones.

—alys4b4e83fd5

I bought a large (24"×36") framed print from Goodwill, just to reuse the frame. There was a $40 price tag on the back from a home decor store, I spent $5.

—ihateredroses

10. Use those thrift-store frames to turn clearance calendars into classy, cheap art for your walls.

younghouselove.com

I frame calendar pictures. Calendars are super cheap after the new year starts. I find a calendar that I like and choose a few pictures. It also guarantees that the pictures will go together!

—ericar40dc1cf9f

From Young House Love.

11. Check out your local Facebook groups to see if your neighbors might have something you need.

marketplace.apartmenttherapy.com

Definitely add your local marketplace and garage sale/buy, sell, trade groups on Facebook. My husband and I are tight on cash but we needed a couch for our apartment. Our local Facebook selling groups had tons of couches (older/used, naturally) for dirt cheap. Hopefully we’ll have money eventually to afford the couch we want, but this one does the trick for now!

—kaleep43bdb1b45

Also check out the Apartment Therapy Marketplace, which lets you see what people near you are selling — this grey loveseat in NYC is going for just $125. And (of course) don't forget your local Craigslist!

12. If you find the perfect couch or chair but hate the color, buy a slipcover — it'll look great, and still be cheaper than a brand-new piece.

prettyhandygirl.com

Most of our furniture is family hand-off, freecycled or thrift store finds. If you don't like the color of a free/cheap piece buy a slip cover. Our most recent score? A frickin' working, never-been-used hot tub.

—pami45535c347

Learn how to slipcover neatly on Pretty Handy Girl.

13. Keep an eye out for the furniture that gets tossed in the trash, but know how to spot quality stuff.

redouxinteriors.com

Go dumpster diving...I've found some really cool stuff and if it's banged up a bit, I just paint it.

—bengalsforever11

The best stuff to get are tables, chairs, chests, and bed frames — in solid wood or metal and in fairly good condition. Even if they're rusty or have layers of flaky paint, they're easier to DIY refinish with just some sanding and a new coat of paint.

Avoid particleboard and laminate furniture. It's not very durable and nearly impossible to refinish. Also avoid upholstered furniture from the roadside like sofas because it's a good way to accidentally bring pests (fleas, bedbugs, rodents) into your home.

—omgitsaclaire

From Redoux Interiors.

14. Pick up your seasonal decorations right after the holidays are over to get 'em on at a steep discount.

instagram.com

Just like candy, buy Halloween, Christmas, and Easter decorations right after the holiday when stores are clearing their inventory. Get summer decorations in August and September when they're putting up back to school displays. You can also find A TON of Christmas decorations at resale stores, and no one is buying that stuff in June, so it's super cheap then.

—ihateredroses

15. When you move into a new house or apartment, prioritize what you're going to fix up first.

instagram.com

Start by making a list of things that HAVE to be changed if you're moving into a new house (aka things that are dangerous and things will keep you up at night because you hate it so much). Next tackle those things and then do one room at a time. Once that room feels complete, then you can move on to the next room and so on.

—k46c4ca680

16. A fresh coat of paint can make any room feel completely different, whether you get new furniture or not.

graceandgoodeats.com

It’s AMAZING what a coat of paint can do. Ugly cabinets? Paint. Brown trim? Paint. Old flea market furniture? Paint. Horrible brass light fixture? PAINT. I bought my first house in August and it’s a late 90s townhouse with minimal updates. Paint is my best friend. I’ve done all the cabinets and just that helped so much.

—pixkanaka

From Grace and Good Eats.

17. Don't discount repainted baseboards or crown molding, even if you don't paint the rest of the room.

newtoncustominteriors.com

Never doubt the effect of things as simple as painting baseboards or adding crown molding — it's cheap and can totally change a room.

—kellyg4b1fa1039

From Newton Custom Interiors.

18. And if you do decide to paint, don't forget to check out the shelf of discount-price and mis-mixed cans.

yelp.com

If you're buying paint, check out the discount cans that were mixed wrong. You can find some pretty colors at much better prices!

—falloutboylover2000

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