3 tips for mastering your decorating budget

I have recently had conversations with several people who seemed baffled about decorating their spaces. "I can't afford to redo everything." or "If I buy that chair I will have to change all of the furniture." were repeated.

I had a few ideas that I thought would be helpful to share here.

1. Keep the expensive stuff simple

The priciest items will stay in you favor longer if you keep them simple. For instance, custom window treatments can be the most expensive item in a room and chevron pattern that was trendy several years ago will seem super dated in another five years. Opt for fun fabrics on pillows or throws.

The same goes for flooring and upholstery.

2. Choose a "floating" color

What the heck is a floating color, you ask? My best example is an heirloom chair I had recovered in black velvet. It has lived in five different rooms in my house in five years. It works everywhere for me. 

I also painted a bamboo dresser in black that lives in my breakfast room instead of hot pink so that I could use it elsewhere without a new paint job.

It does not need to be black. White, beige, gray and navy can work really well as your "float" color just make sure that you don't end up with everything in that color.

3. Patience

Rome wasn't built in a day and your living room will benefit from patience. Thoughtful consideration of your lifestyle and aesthetic are a start but it also helps to shop without expectations. If you go sofa shopping with the goal to choose that large piece by the end of the day you may regret that decision. 

I once went into a junk shop (and I do mean junk) and there sat a gorgeous Sheraton style settee.

 I inspected it for damage and even sniffed it. It was a very high-end piece for $350!! I was not shopping for furniture that day but took home a prized possession that I still love.

I have been guilty of the opposite only to find myself unloading that funky bowl or lamp that I bought because I was looking for accessories that day and bought just to avoid coming home empty handed.

So to recap, keep the most expensive items simple by choosing solid colors or subtle pattern. No trends unless you can afford to change them when you tire of them. Choose a color that works with everything else for items that you might move to other rooms. This includes tables, single chairs, ottomans and dressers.

Lastly, have patience. You never know what you will come across if you wait. Rushing out to fill your house will mean that you won't have a spot ( or funds) for the truly fabulous items that you will find over time.

A budget bath makeover-before and after

Between the multiple visitors coming this Fall and selling our house, we decided it was time to give the ugly second bath a facelift.

You will see no marble or high-end finishes here this is a budget makeover. I'll let you in on the jaw dropping cost at the end.

First some before shots that were taken before we moved in.

This view is from the hallway

This is standing in the door from my daughter's room

 This small bath is separated into two rooms and is accessed from both the hall and my daughter's room. I would have liked  to change that but the time involved is just not worth it unless we stay here.

The view from what is now my daughter's room. Check out that awful floor.

The junky medicine cabinet was replaced with a towel ring and new towel bars were added.

All of the doors in our house have been painted black. The walls are SW Repose gray at 75%.
A new shower curtain  and curved rod helped freshen the look too.

We re-grouted and caulked the tub and replaced the hideous vinyl floor with a wood look vinyl. A light fixture next to the shower was also changed because the old one had corroded as did the previous shower curtain rod.
We did not replace the vanity, faucets or light above the vanity. I think the faucets might be switched out in the future but this was enough of an upgrade for the moment.
The cost was $350 for the new hardware, flooring, paint and shower curtain!

Almost totally thrifted

The tray from West Elm is one of only a few new things in my living room.

Hope y'all had a great 4th of July!

I was thinking about a post on thrifting and it dawned on me that my formal living room is almost entirely bought second hand in shops or on eBay. I inherited a couple of items and only a few were bought new.

It can be done with patience and lots of searching.

This little X-bench is from Target and I recovered it in a piece of Brunschwig's Le Lac that I scored on eBay.

I inherited the Persian rug and this antique French child's chair.

It has only recently become a bit too fragile for kids. I have many fond memories of this chair from my childhood.

This bombe chest was a local antique store find for under $350 because the marble top has a crack, all the better if you ask me.

The Sheraton style sofa is my favorite thrifting score of all time. It had just arrived from an estate and was marked at only $350! I was really suspicious of flaws (smells) at that price but it was in perfect condition and is a very high-end piece.

This Korean case was only $15 at the Salvation Army. It makes a great end table and if I get tired of looking at it I won't feel guilty in sending it away.

I purchased a pair of these chairs on eBay and then had them recovered, making them the most expensive items by far but they are super comfy.

Many of the accessories were thrifted.

I did buy new drapes and hardware, as well as, table lamps.

The chandelier is from eBay Curtains and hardware are new

The wall color is Sherwin-Williams Faint Coral and this whisper of pink is my favorite part of the room.

Why so many thrifted and antique things? Well, the first answer is easy, budget. I either haven't had or wished to spend thousands on a single piece. The second part of that answer has more to do an appreciation of the imperfect. You should see my husband! Ba-dum-bum! Sorry, I had to do say it.
 In my eyes nothing is all that great if it doesn't have a little wear on it. Too much newness looks vulgar to me. I like patina and its offered without a premium in second-hand stores.

The Princess and the pillows

Since I did not feel like cleaning and I have a small case of painter's block, I figured I would browse Etsy for a few throw pillows for the family room.

For those of you thinking I should forget about pillows and get a new coffee table, I know, I know. Just a few short years until the little one grows out of banging on things as a form of entertainment.

I should be able to unload the citrine and gray pillows on my daughter, who chose those colors for her bedroom.

They are an ancient, one and a half years old. Gotta go, right?

Since I am bored with the matchy citrine and gray scheme I thought I'd throw in some orange.

This cotton velvet beauty boasts that it was featured on HGTV. I don't watch HGTV but that's another post. Its under $20 so it is high on my list.

I definitely want to stay away from theme-y things but I kind of like this nautical rope pillow. Its just simple enough that it is not too cute.

HERE

Watercolor? Maybe. It is certainly unexpected but I don't know if it is my style.

HERE

The germaphobe in me would die before buying an actual vintage pillow but the retro look fits my room.

I think this one is kinda cute

There are MANY of these sort of pillow covers available and for $16 it can't be beat buuuuuuuut I want something a little different.

HERE

I have been thinking about designing an elephant fabric, but I digress. Here is the problem...

I saw this silk velvet pillow and now I don't want anything else. $140 seems a bit extravagant for something that everyone in my house (except me) throws on the floor. Have I mentioned how much I hate that?

The Etsy shop, Sukan, has loads of these lovely bits of heaven.

What's a princess to do?

My daughter-my client

My 15 year-old daughter has been aching to give her bedroom a new look. She chose white paint for her walls when we painted a year and a half ago and really regretting that decision. When one's daughter is the client it seriously complicates the already slippery slope of guiding a clients choices.

Here is where we are.

Custom curtains on Etsy

Budget and practicality are major concerns but also the fact that she will be off to college in a few years and I will be using many of these items as the guest room decor at that point.

I think we have settled on chevron curtains. This is the girl who wanted cheetah print curtains a few months ago so I am breathing a huge sigh of relief.

I might try to "guide" her to this Greek key pattern instead.

Here

She was leaning towards several bedding sets from Target--totally budget friendly.

HERE

She has toyed with the idea of a plain white comforter too.

Given the high fickle factor it is a wise choice.

She wants to add yellow, gray and black elsewhere. It was red and orange two weeks ago. See what I mean?

We have this Ikea Ektorp loveseat and I could get out of buying more yellow and gray pillows by giving her the pillows that I have in my family room.

If I can unload my pillows on her I will get these.

Things are getting too matchy-matchy in the family room.

All in all, I like this plan.

Thrifty Thursday

I went to a local church thrift that often has accessories and after regrouping when the cutest vintage bamboo dresser was sold, I looked at the smalls.

I grabbed the silverplate Revere bowl on principle. I wasn't sure exactly what it would corral. Right now it sits on my little bar table full of corks that are awaiting some Pinterest project.

It joins another recent thrift find, the julep cup trophy that now holds straws and one lone swizzle stick.

I grabbed this tray after looking at a few others.

I had planned to paint or do some sort of makeover but I kind of like the patina its got. It is not exactly glam but it holding a variety of un-glam things like bills, rejection letters and a few sketchy report cards.

Have you "thrifted" anything good lately?

A little something

Here is a little something to brighten your day.

I am off to do one of my least favorite thing in life, car shopping.

My husband's car died and the clock is ticking. We maintain a strict debt free lifestyle so this is going to be tough. 

I'll just keep thinking of these pretty flowers on my mantel at home.

More design tomorrow.

Elevating the ordinary

My grandmother used this set of canisters for their intended purpose as did her mother before.

I prefer to display these sentimental objects. 

Their regular use in the past means they are not in the best of shape and I am missing one lid. That container has become my countertop lollipop storage and beats the bag it came in as a functional container.

I love using vintage and antique containers for all of the ugly, ordinary stuff that would otherwise be on view.

 If you didn't inherit this sort of thing I advise you head out, right now, to each and every thrift store in your area  to look for containers.

Here are a few of my "thrifted" containers and their contents.

 I couldn't stand the ripped Crayola box another second.

 Is it breakable? Yes. Is it precious? No. It is a milk glass cachepot with a chip and it works to hold crayons that were threatening a coup of my family room.

Not terribly exciting but I liked the 50 cent glass and made it hold Q-tips for now. It sits atop an antique butter plate that I used a a soap dish until I put liquid soap in that bath.

 Maybe we are strange (I know I am) but we need an array of pencils, pens, Sharpies and scissors everyday.

I put mine in this large, antique engraved glass jar that I picked up for a buck. It has a minor chip.

 This silverplate candleholder (?) with lid holds scented oils and matches out view but at the ready.

Have you used pretty little things to keep ordinary items?

We have a DIY in progress...

"What", you ask, "is this?" They are my ready-made JcPenney curtains getting a little plastic surgery.

It is so unlike me to buy ready-made curtains but my budget has been busted and JCP has extra long drapes at a nice low price compared to custom.

I thought about this for a looooong time. I had plenty of fringe from Brimar (trade only) in the same ivory but it was too granny, I thought.
I contemplated black grosgrain on the leading edge or in a Greek key design like these from LiveLikeYou

but I am just not that confident in my skills.

Then came this Christmas post from Sanity Fair.
Greek key ribbon at Walmart!!!?

I bought both black and white. At $2 and $3 a 9 foot roll I couldn't pass it up.
I decided that the black was a little too much contrast so white it is.

It is reminiscent of sari fabrics and has just enough sparkle for me.
My newly upholstered chairs arrived recently and the combination looks great.

One down, three to go plus a date with an iron.
Now I just need to find rods I like.