Makeover Your Budget: Design Time!

So, now for decorating your home on a budget.

Remember, it isn't about saying no to items, its about saying yes to what really matters to you.  Do you have what you are saying yes to yet?

Getting ready for this post, I went around my house trying to snap a few pictures of things I have thrifted or gotten for free or from Craigslist. I had to stop because pretty much my entire house is decorated with these things! Here are a few favs:

Guild shop chandelier ($99)

Goodwill, Guild Shop, MAMS (nothing over $20)

Matching pottery lamps from Roundtop ($45...for the pair!), side tables from the Guild shop ($15), green vintage couch from MAMS ($35), huge gold frame via garage sale ($5), and butterfly lithograph print hand-me-down from family (free)

Henredon side consol from MAMS ($60)

Pre-children, I used to have so much more time to spend trolling for bargains, and part of being a successful thrifter is stopping in frequently. But another (and most important!) part is having a vision.

I love Young House Love and have followed them forever.  The have re-done several houses on a super low budget but always end up with to die for decor.  One tip they have is to have a theme for your house.  Here is their current theme.  The idea is to find something you LOVE then build your decor around it.  you don't have to have the whole room come together at once, just buy one or two things as you find them and fall in love with them.  For me it was this fabric for the curtains in my den.

My motto is: Live with what you love, get rid of the rest!

Now, as you head out in search of your bargain items, here are a few places I love and a few tips I follow.  One of my favorite things is each purchase you make from the stores below goes back to help create meaningful work and assistance to the community!

Where to buy home items in Houston:

• The Guild Shop: LOVE this store more than words can say.
• MAMS: Great for frames, old books, and some furniture.
• Habitat for Humanity ReStore: This is a mixed bag, you never know what you will find!  Good for home fixtures, tile, cabinetry, and who knows what else!
• Goodwill: This is much more of a "treasure hunt" but you can find some great artwork and other random home accessories here.
• Craigslist: You can set up search notifications and have them sent straight to your inbox.  Search often and be ready to go pick it up, with cash, as soon as you find it. 

When Shopping, keep in mind:

• Buy quality!  That means solid wood and great brands -- Henredon is a great brand for furniture, especially couches.  Look for brands you'd love to buy if money were no object
• Do you LOVE the item, or is it just cheap?  Only buy what you love.
• Can you spray paint it?
• Can you refinish it?
• Can you sew a slip-cover for it?

Where to learn a few make-over skills:

• Spray paint anything via Young House Love
• Chalk Paint (no need to sand or prime ever again!) via Perfectly Imperfect.  Remember the dining table and chairs I did?
• Slipcovers via Miss Mustard Seed.  Remember the couch I slip covered while 8 months pregnant (here and here)?

For me the hunt for just the right item is way more fun then dropping $$$ on an item in a store.  I get to find things that no one has and then I get to be creative and re-make them into something even better.

Have fun shopping!  You may want to join up with Young House Love and their Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge...if you do, be sure and link up with their blog this Friday.

I'll be posting again Wednesday as the last participant in the Noonday Collection blog train and will be sharing what I say YES too when I budget!  Check out Everyday Adventures for today's giveaway.