Where to shop
You need to know where to shop to get the most bang for your buck. In the process you must also remember to keep an open mind as to how something can be used in the d ©cor. For instance, if you need new curtains and you see a great deal on colourful bed sheets then you may have just happened upon the answer to your needs. I like to think in general terms when I'm searching for something specific. If I am looking to change the wall colour in a space, for example, I do look at paint but I also look for clearance wallpaper, yards of fabric that can be used to cover a wall (and yards of fabric can come in many forms: bedding, bolt fabric, large canvases that can be taken apart for the fabric, draperies etc. and so on). Don't be too literal when shopping for your d ©cor needs and you'll soon realize that your budget will go a lot farther than if you stick to the traditional mindset. Here are a few places that I frequent where great deals can be had.
Dollar stores
Depending upon which ones you shop at, you can find great d ©cor items from dishware to decorative containers at dollar stores. Craft supplies are always great to have on hand to update items like picture frames, small furniture items, to use in stencilling and so on. A small, cluttered bathroom can be updated to a clean, organized space with a few decorative containers to use as open storage. The containers will provide colour and shape to the room while hiding everyday items. At a dollar apiece, you really can't beat the price. Containers come in unpainted wood (that you can finish with craft paint to suit your colour palette), wicker, coloured cardboard, metal and even bamboo. Other dollar store items that can help with storage in a small powder room are things like suction cup hooks for the shower or to hang hand towels from, coated wire waste baskets and toothbrush/toothpaste sets. Peel-and-stick vinyl flooring at two or three for $1.00 can help you transform a tired floor in a small space for under twenty dollars. Other decorative items to be on the lookout for at the dollar stores are items like small, decorative toss cushions, large decorative tassels (which add a touch of elegance to draperies), photo frames, decorative decanters (for cooking oil in the kitchen or bath oil in a powder room), and so much more.
Garage sales, flea markets, thrift shops
I know I mention shopping at garage sales frequently but I just can't stress enough what great deals one can find sometimes. My husband and I happened upon a yard sale a few weeks back by chance and came home with the following items for a total of $20.00: vintage hand tools, two vintage enamel-covered metal basins, vintage kitchen utensils, garden hose and hose wheel, and a vintage cake-decorating set in the original box. Now, we collect vintage items like this so it was a real find for us. I'll use an enamel washbasin in the garden and fill it with flowers and the other stuff will go on display at the cottage. Perhaps these items are not to your tastes but they were also selling a solid pine dining table with two drop leafs for $15.00 along with kitchen chairs that sold before I could even check the price on them. That table could have been used as it was or painted to suit a specific colour palette. It could have also been cut down to use as a coffee table. These are just a taste of what you might find out there and it's always a fun treasure hunt. To keep yourself focused, make a wish list for your home before you head out, but do keep an open mind as to what might fit your needs.
For paint and wallpaper
Look for mis-tints in the clearance section of a paint store. You can find deals if you're patient and you may also change the colour of the paint depending upon what kind of paint it is. I changed the tint of a recent can of paint by adding craft paint to it until I got the desired shade.
Wallpaper stores usually have a clearance section where you can find great deals on wallpaper. You may not find enough to do an entire large room but I've done and redone my kitchen and bathroom several times over the years using only clearance wallpaper, never paying more than twenty dollars at one time to redo either room. Wallpaper provides wall coverage, colour, pattern and sometimes texture so it can really transform a small space in a day. If you find a great deal but don't think you'll have enough to finish your room, consider dividing the room and papering the bottom one third or just paper a focal wall and paint the others in a complimentary colour. I've seen clearance rolls of wallpaper for as little as $5.00 each for a double roll.
Fabric
Check out the remnant bins at fabric shops (or keep an eye out at the places mentioned above) for fabric you find eye-catching. Use fabric to recover lamp shades, recover or make toss cushions, cover an entire wall, make a large piece of art by stretching it over a frame, cover a headboard, make a shower curtain or make new window treatments. While you're there, keep an eye open for decorative braiding, cording and beading that you can also use to update lamps, curtains and the like.
Decorating doesn't have to cost a fortune. Little by little your d ©cor will be transformed into a space you can be proud of. Don't let a meager budget hold you back from having the space you want.
