Spruce up your home on a budget
Find inspiration online, in-store or even in other people’s houses
NEW YORK — It’s a good time to paint up, touch up and otherwise redecorate your home. But there’s no need to spend willy-nilly.
From finding treasures on eBay.com to taking advantage of new offerings at department stores and discounters, there are plenty of ways to make your home more stylish on the cheap.
“There’s no excuse for an undecorated home on any budget,” said Candace Corlett, president of WSL Strategic Retail, a retail consultancy. “Home has as much retail selection as fashion. And you can get a lot of buys.”
Here are five tips for decorating your home: DO YOUR HOMEWORK: First, create a budget and search around to get inspiration. Attend open houses to see how other people are decorating their homes. You can also find how-to videos and decorating blogs on such sites as Lowe’s and Home Depot.
There are fewer home decor magazines than there used to be. But you can always flip through catalogues from stores to get some tips.
Also, experts encourage you to do broad searches on the web. EBay just launched a new technology called Feed that allows you to personalize your searches based on your style, like mod 1960s.
“It’s all about getting unexpected things,” said Chris Benz, a U.S. fashion designer who is collaborating with eBay on various fashion collections.
He said he has furnished his apartment and office with eclectic eBay finds like vintage Italian turquoise pottery pieces. PICK AND CHOOSE: Study your space and figure out what pieces of furniture you’ll be using more. So if you spend a lot of time in your living room, you may want to spend more on a sofa and an entertainment centre that would house your flat-screen TV and books.
It’s like investing in good shoes or a handbag, said Pallavi Naidu, vice-president of merchandising and product development at Atlanta-based Ballard Designs. Spending more on items that get lots of use means they will last longer and give you more satisfaction. IMPROVISE: You don’t need the real thing. If you don’t have money to spend on a granite backsplash for your kitchen, turn to peel-and-stick wall tiles. Not sure if you want to invest in a carpet? An area rug could cost less and accomplish the same thing. REPURPOSE PIECES. Search flea markets and even your mother’s attic to find pieces that could be reinvented as useful home decor items. And think beyond the original purpose: old sewing machines or leather-trimmed luggage can be used as tables. WHEN IN DOUBT, PAINT: Often, just a fresh coat of paint will make all the difference in a room.