Fresh Home Decor: Creative Tips for Redecorating on a Budget

When the economy takes a plunge and the middle class feels the crunch, how much do we have to give up? Recently I was speaking with a friend who sells home fragrance collections and accessories, and she mentioned that the past three years her sales have increased rather than decreased. Later that week I was speaking with another friend who mentioned that sales for designer beer labels have increased in the neighborhood of 400% over the past three years. In our discussions, we all talked about how in times when less money is available we still need to treat ourselves to nice things occasionally. The difference lies in what type of nice things we choose.

The same principle applies to home décor. When money is abundant, you might consider re-papering or painting rooms, getting a new sofa and updating your office with new shelving and artwork. This year there might not be money in your budget for these types of changes, but you need a fresh perspective. Your family room is beginning to feel old fashioned. You are sick of staring at the walls of your office. You need something new—now!

If you want a new look and a fresh perspective, try adding a single new focal point to your room. Rather than replacing everything and starting from scratch with a fresh canvas or new color palette, you can change the look and feel of a room with a single new focal point.

A good change during the winter might be a new window treatment. A new set of drapes or a new valance can change the whole look of a room.

Rather than replacing a sofa or loveseat, add or replace decorative throw pillows. Often during the winter months you can find good sales on pillows of all shapes and sizes at interior decorating stores or in the home interiors department of stores like J.C. Penney or Gordman’s. If you have furniture with a multi-colored pattern, change the look of your room by adding pillows in one of the secondary colors found within that pattern.

If the walls of your office are looking exceptionally drab but there is neither time nor money to paint or paper them, consider picking a single new piece of artwork to hang there. I particularly enjoy the look of a large clock with a world map on its face that hangs in my office. A framed poster or a cluster of smaller pictures might also refresh your workspace.

Instead of replacing the carpet with a few stains on it, find a throw rug or runner that contrasts and compliments your current furnishings.

A new lamp or other light source can brighten any room. Many years ago I found and painted four plaster pillars that I still use to decorate my home. When it is time for a change, I often simply add a different candle holder, perhaps a tea light trio or large hurricane lamp, to one of the pillars.

I also put my pillars to good use by occasionally changing their placement. Two of them are shorter than the other two, so a simple change in their placement in a room can significantly change the feel of the place. Sometimes I clump them together in a group. Other times I set each of them in a separate corner. They have even been known to navigate from room to room, depending on my particular decorating plans and needs. Similar decorating effects can be found with the use of end tables or a set of small nesting tables.

Rearranging large furniture is more work but can be an effective, cost-free method of redecorating. A home office can benefit from changes in desk placement. I like to be able to look out the window during late spring and into the fall, but during the winter it is cozier to set the desk to face a pleasantly decorated wall.

Home fragrancing is another way to refresh your home. In addition to adding focal points such as a hurricane lamp or tea light holders, changing the scents you use in the home can provide a new ambience. During the winter months, I prefer to use warmer scents for home fragrances. I keep various vanilla scents as well as spices and musks in stock for use as the weather gets colder. In the evenings I like to burn candles, but for use during the day I use a reed diffuser or wall plug-ins to keep things fresh.

As the weather grows warmer, I will turn toward more spring-like scents. Linen and other fresh scents are good springtime options. Lilac or other floral fragrances are also fitting for warm weather. As summer comes on, my home is renewed with citrus scents of orange, lime or lemon, perhaps mixed with coconut or verbena.

In addition to rotating the fragrances I use in my home, I also switch out my fragrance delivery devices. Reed diffusers are inexpensive and can be found in several attractive colors and shapes. It is simple to change from one diffuser to another while you are switching fragrance oils.

Significant changes in your home’s scenery can be made at little expense to you. In addition to the ideas above, here is a list of decorating ideas that you can implement for $100 or less:

1. Get a new bedspread. Watch for sales, and you can often find washable “bed in a bag” sets that include a bed skirt and pillow shams for well under your $100 limit.

2. Get a new set of placemats, a reversible table cloth, or a new centerpiece for your dining room.

3. Keep and frame the pictures from last year’s calendar.

4. When it comes to finding lamps and other small items for redecorating, be sure to check thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” My favorite corner shelf was found on the curb in a nearby neighborhood on large trash pickup day.

5. If you need a new wall treatment, remember, paint is more forgiving and far less expensive than paper or plaster treatments. Refreshing a room by painting a single wall can be done quickly and inexpensively.

Recession or no recession, saving extra money is a good idea. Now that you have some ideas for inexpensive redecorating, it’s time to get busy. Enjoy the changing vistas. Your home may surprise you.