In the Tweeds: Budget Decorating Ideas

Hi All,

Today's post is from Leila! She is one of my super sweet readers that also has quite the stylish blog! She came up with some great tips for decorating on a budget! I'm so impressed with images and ideas!

Enjoy,

Camila
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Thanks SO much to Camila for having me as a guest blogger! I've read High-Heeled Foot in the Door for quite some time now, and am always impressed by her inexpensive finds, crazy amazing makeovers (like the turquoise, navy and yellow guest room awesomeness), and DIY genius (hello Oomph tables!). Though not as frequent a poster as I'd like to be, I write a blog called In the Tweeds. It's my little space in the blogosphere where I share about our just-started renovation of a 1920s house in M'ssippi, some DIY, and general design ramblings. I reallyreallyreally want to take the headlong jump into becoming an interior designer like Camila has...maybe some day!

Camila asked me to share 5 things under $25 to spruce up your home...so here goes!



Flowers can add instant color and spunk to any room of the house. From your garden (free!) or from the grocery store (from $2.99 - $15.99 a bunch), they're such an inexpensive way to totally change a space and put a smile on your face every time you walk in the room! And, with frequent cuttings, they can last up to 2 weeks. My absolute favorites are peonies and hydrangeas.

[flower images from Flikr user Cindysprins]



If you're tired of your kitchen cabinets, bedroom furniture, or some pieces in your living or dining room, one of the easiest, tidiest, and most inexpensive ways to make a change is simply to swap out the knobs and pulls! Some of my very favorite sources are Home Depot (for the basics and for the cheaper version of lucite/crystal looks), Anthropologie (for the colorful/funky versions), Restoration Hardware (for classic knobs & pulls), Paxton Hardware (for reproduction pieces), Sun Valley Bronze (for substantial, unique items), and Van Dyke's (for antique reproductions). At anywhere between $2-15 per knob or pull, you can turn a ho-hum piece of furniture into something really special.



Another sub-$25 way to liven up your space is to find dishes and trays. You can use them on an entry console to catch keys when you walk in the door, on a coffee table or bookshelf to house memorabilia (like matchbooks or wine corks from a special night, or ticket stubs or seashells from a vacation. Fun dishes and trays can be found anywhere and everywhere: Tar-jay (like those super cute Liberty of London trays in stores right now), Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, World Market, and the like. Make sure to check the bath aisle too (especially at Anthro), because some soap trays are super cute and could totally be used in a living room. You can always find vintage dishes and trays (think colored depression glass, china dessert plates, milk glass, and old brass items) well below $25 at flea markets, antique stores, eBay, and etsy!




Adding art to your walls is another easy and inexpensive way to spice up your home. There are tons of ways to do this... (1) Swap out pictures or prints from existing frames with free printable art, like from Vintage Printable or the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery. (2) Buy a calendar, cut out the pages, and frame them in a grid above a sofa or on a blank wall. IKEA has the best, cheapest frames, perfect for arranging in a grid. And remember many places have killer calendar sales the end of January! (3) Buy an art canvas from an art store and let your inner artist out! Try to copy a piece of abstract art you love, or paint your own image. (4) Buy an few art canvases and wrap them in a favorite fabric remnant from a fabric store or online retailer. Hang them in a row and it's instant wall interest. (5) Buy cheap vintage frames from a thrift store, spray paint them all the same color, and hang the frames - empty - as a gallery wall. There are so many inexpensive ways to add life to your walls - just get creative!




(I bet Camila was just waiting to see this one since she's the master of the paint transformation!) Paint is hands down the least expensive but best way to spruce up your house. Armed with a gallon of paint and a free afternoon, you can freshen up a thrift store find or something found in grandma's attic...or change the color of a room...or subtly change it by painting tonal horizontal stripes or using a stencil.

[stencil from Sunny Goodtime Paints]

Thanks for reading, and thanks again to Camila for having me by!