Home Decorating Ideas On A Budget

How to decorate a house with no money?

Today I’m going to give you all of the best home decorating ideas on a budget.

Over the years, this question comes up again and again…

Understandably!

So, here are the best affordable home decor ideas and creative ways to save money that I’ve collected through the years.

how to decorate a house with no moneyHome office with painted window trim.

Tips for Decorating A Home on a Budget

We all love beautiful things.

Unfortunately, beautiful things are also usually quite expensive.

However, with a little creativity, you can make your home beautiful on a tight budget.

Interior design is a fantastic way to express yourself and create an environment where you’re comfortable.

It’s easy to get carried away by Instagram posts and Pinterest boards and feel like you have to spend a lot of money to design your perfect space.

Of course, those perfectly styled rooms filled with expensive home decor items are so inviting.

But there are plenty of ways you can decorate your house if you’re on a tight budget.

These are a few time tested budget friendly home decorating ideas…small changes which can have a big impact.

start with your own - how to decorate a house with no money

1. Decorate with what you own.

This is a totally free option when it comes to home decor, and one of my favorite home decorating ideas on a budget.

The first step is to look around your home for pretty items that you love that will look great on a bookshelf or as a centerpiece.

Next, combine little knick-knacks you already own into groups as vignettes and display them all together.

There are plenty of ways to use stuff you’ve already got around the house to redecorate, and it’s totally free!.

Sue De Chiara high gloss blue butlers pantry

2. Organize With Your Home’s Decor In Mind

Neatly organized shelves are always going to be more aesthetically pleasing than cluttered ones. If you’re looking for some great, low cost organizing ideas and products, this post has quite a few of them.

Try organizing your books by color rather than randomly throwing them into your bookcase.

You can beautify your closet by organizing by color too.

Color coordinating your possessions is a great way to not only organize your home but add some visual interest to what you already own.

This is another interior design look that’s totally free

peonies in a vase on table.

3. Shop at budget-friendly home decor stores

If you are looking for some new interior design items, start at budget-friendly decor stores.

Check out T.J.Maxx, Target, Walmart, Etsy and Ebay as they always have some great deals.

The last two serve as an online flea market and can be a great resource for all types of interesting finds.

These are great places to find pieces that you can use as a focal point for a room or for your interior design look as a whole.

If you’re in the market for a coffee table, lighting fixtures, or throw pillows, these are great things to pick up less expensively.

Be sure to check out this post for even more ideas and sources for budget friendly home decor.

large rectangle mirror over demi lune table.Wall color in our living room here is Benjamin Moore Cape Hatteras Sand. We gave new life to this Demilune table above, with a fresh coat of high gloss paint.

4. Decorate with a fresh coat of paint for a whole new look.

If your living room furniture or dining room set just isn’t doing it for you but you don’t have the money for anything new, you can always add a coat of paint.

Fresh paint breathes new life into older furniture.

A new coat of paint is one of the best ways to make your room feel refreshed.

Chances are you might already have some leftover cans of paint on hand.

If not, all you have to do is buy the paint and roll up your sleeves.

When it comes to interior painting, don’t overlook the kitchen.

5. On a budget, a great idea is to opt for a minimalist look in your home’s decor.

One major budget saver is going for a look that doesn’t require tons of stuff.

A minimalist look that mostly eliminates clutter and focuses on a few key focal points is a great way to introduce an interior design style to your home without breaking the bank.

This method also allows you to splurge on a few nicer home decor pieces because the room will focus on them and there won’t be a need for other home decor items

minimalist look on white built in bookshelves

6. Decorate with unique accents.

This doesn’t necessarily mean a Salvatore Dali reproduction!

“Unique” simply means unique to you.

People sink a lot of money into interior design items without a real plan, which means they’re constantly updating because it’s not exactly what they want.

Find a few pieces that you absolutely love and use them to guide your interior design efforts so they inspire the whole look of your home.

It’s always a great idea to find one statement piece you really love and use it as a jumping off point for the rest of your space.

7. Rearrange the furniture.

Sometimes we’re so used to seeing our furniture layout, day in and day out, we don’t realize there might be a better alternative.

Try taking a few photos of your space on your phone. This allows you to look at the room in a new light.

You don’t need to move every single piece around (although this could be great too!)

A few tweaks and edits to your furniture layout could be the most affordable way to love your room again.

home decorating idea on a budget - rearrange furniture, like this blue and white wingchairFamily room wall color here is Benjamin Moore Calm.

8. Take out those family heirlooms and display them throughout your home.

This tip is a personal favorite.

Displaying beautiful keepsake items is not only cost effective, but a great way to truly put a personal stamp on your home.

Don’t miss this post on framing keepsakes and special family mementos.

home decorating idea on a budget, family heirlooms framed and hung on the wall Wall color here is Benjamin Moore Cumulus Cloud.

9. Decorate with some plants or fresh flowers, always budget friendly and always a great idea.

A quick trip to a local nursery or hardware store can yield some beautiful results.

A personal favorite of mine is Isreali Ruscus .

This is the exact greenery in the photo below.

It’s such an easy way to get a fresh look.

Simply put the stems in a pretty vase or container and and the leaves stay fresh and green for months on end!

A great way to spruce up any room, I love to use it in our dining area.

plants and flowers in a white kitchen are a great idea for decorating your home on a budgetOur marble kitchen counters, see more with this article on marble vs. quartz counter tops.

10. Don’t over look consignment shops and thrift stores for budget friendly home decorating ideas.

Whether you’re looking to get rid of pieces you own or buy new ones (or both!) local Goodwill and thrift shops are a great design source.

Find out the day of the week when they receive new items so you can be the first to peruse the shipment.

I’ve seen everything from a beautiful dining table to vintage area rugs at these shops.

Also, be sure to check out the estate sales and even the yard sales in your area – as you never know what treasures you might find.

Some shops will even negotiate the price, it never hurts to ask!

how to decorate a house with no money using what you already own gold vintage mirror and vases

Home Decorating Ideas On A Budget – Conclusion:

Interior design doesn’t have to break the bank, and there are plenty of totally free ways you can update your home’s look.

Don’t let Pinterest or Instagram intimidate, rather use it for inspiration.

And never forget, those professionally taken photographs are missing a key element.

It’s people that give home life! You want to make sure your home will reflect YOUR personality.

If you’re looking for even more home design inspiration, be sure to check out these other popular posts below:

Beautiful White Exterior House Paint Colors.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist Paint Review.

Organized Pantry Ideas and From the Pros.

Top Three Best pure White Paints for trim color and baseboards.

Edgecomb Gray paint color review.

Benjamin Moore White Dove Paint Review.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster Color Review

The Top 10 Paint Colors For Your Kitchen’s White Cabinets.

For even more decorating tips – join our helpful design Facebook group!

In this group – members share photos with their design questions and dilemmas from their own home.

We all chime in with our best advice!

We also share our best sources and tips – so it’s great for those hard to find items and pieces.

Lastly, to help you even further with your home design projects, download my FREE DESIGN CHEAT SHEET!

how to decorate cheat sheet

My handy design cheat sheet – keep it on your phone as your easy cheat sheet for all the correct design and decor measurements you’ll ever need!

It’s loaded with all sorts of quick tips and handy measurements.

It’s a must have “go to” for all of your home decor projects.

GET IT NOW!


Send me the cheat sheet –


Sign up below with your email address and get the cheat sheet in your inbox today
!

*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase something, I may get a small commission from it at no cost to you. For more info, please read my disclaimer. I only refer things that I truly love and hope you will too!

Leave a Comment

7 Comments

  1. Darlene LaBelle-Manzanares wrote:

    I am moving from a 3 bedroom house into a small 700 square feet house? Any suggestions.

    Published on 5.6.20 · Reply
    • Sue De Chiara wrote:

      Time to really think about donating and selling a lot of belongings, most of which you probably won’t even miss.
      I love to find little spaces, like behind doors to hang things, this includes cabinet doors too. Under the bed storage. Ottomans that have storage inside.
      Good luck!

      Published on 5.6.20 · Reply
  2. Richard Blumenthal wrote:

    Hi Sue. Thanks for the great ideas and wonderful photos. We recently downsized so we want to make the best use of a smaller space. We did a major remodel but now is the time to personalize the place, so your suggestions are timely. Two items I’d like to add to your list: Craigslist is a nationwide online service that (among many other things) offers free stuff in your local area. Also estate sales can be a source of unique, low cost household items. These both require diligence but the reward can be huge for those who stick with it.

    Published on 10.17.19 · Reply
    • Sue De Chiara wrote:

      YES! Both are great ideas! Thanks Richard and good luck with the new place!

      Published on 10.17.19 · Reply
  3. Maryellen wrote:

    Great post!

    Published on 10.16.19 · Reply
    • pamom2lgi wrote:

      I love the paint idea. A few simple and cheap painting ideas:
      I painted my bathroom vanity with a sample jar (under $5) of country blue paint purchased at the local big box store and it turned out amazing.
      For a shatterproof accent piece, I took the same paint and painted a plastic coffee jar, wrapped the top in twine and then placed a dollar tree cactus in it. A new $12 shower curtain from Amazon was the icing on the cake. I love my new bath. The entire bathroom transformation was under $30 (with new vanity hardware).
      Amazon sells hardware in bulk to cheaply change out kitchen hardware (I got a bag 10 pull handles for about $13 per bag). I used them also to change out the pulls on my bedroom dressers. What a difference!!
      I also went through my house and took off all of my outlet covers and painted them chocolate brown. It took my old and stained generic beige outlet covers and made them all match. I know that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but once I put them all back on, it made a big difference.
      I then used the same sample paint to paint a chair rail in the foyer
      Then I bought a $4 can of spray paint and made all of my dollar store baskets match!! They fit into my already existing Ikea storage cube nicely.
      I love paint!
      Thanks for your article. I love decorating on the cheap!!

      Published on 9.8.20 · Reply
      • Sue De Chiara wrote:

        Thanks for sharing all of these great ideas!~

        Published on 9.9.20 · Reply