You’ve just moved into your new rental property and done your budget to ensure you can cover all your monthly expenses, you know, things like rent, utilities, groceries, medical aid, school fees, and well, the list just goes on and on.
Halfway between working out your budget and making your grocery list, you look up – only to see those drab, boring walls that just screams rental property. Immediately you start imagining different decorative finishes on the walls, the windows, the floor – there’s colour! Colour everywhere! You are so excited now, all you want to do is rush out the door and head straight to the shops to get started on giving your new home a solid personality injection. All you can think about are all the gorgeous décor items you have seen in shops, and you are just so ready!
But then, you remember the prices. Those magnificent paintings were a bit overpriced, weren’t they? Mind you, that rug also looked like something you could get at the flea market for half the price, right? Now that you really think about it, you saw some really amazing pieces at the flea market just the other day, and they were just, so, you! Sure some of it looked a bit old but maybe you can do something about that. Now that you have a plan you can finally make your new house a home.
From decorating tips to DIY tips, the internet is full of crazy and wonderful ideas on how you can decorate your new place on a budget. Saving you some time because who doesn’t need the extra time while shopping, we have compiled a list of the top 8 decorating on a budget tips for you.
Make it yours
You have personality, and lots of it! Why not let that flow over to your decorative choices? Really look for items that show your personality and interests and use them together with other subtler pieces to take your rental from ‘bleh’ to beautiful.
Be thrifty
There are so many unique and awesome pieces of furniture, accessories and décor available if you only know where to look. Visit some flea markets or thrift stores in your area. Scout classifieds adverts or even look at Facebook groups that offer second-hand items for sale. Your dream chest of drawers may just be out there waiting for you and all it will need is a new coat of paint or two and perhaps those great handles you saw on discount at that store you were planning on going to anyway.
Think in colour
Nothing livens up a drab like a few splashes of colour. Think about the colour palette that you would like to use and look for pieces, or even paint them, according to your chosen colour scheme. Check with your landlord perhaps he would be fine with you painting the walls with a bright shade as long as you mute it down again if you move out.
Store it
Few things are as versatile as space savers and other storage items. Think a little outside the storage box and see how bookshelves can become an open storage display. You can even add some patterned wallpaper to the back of the shelves to turn this into a focal piece. Because you don’t live in your own house it doesn’t mean that you can’t have unique furniture.
Let your light shine
Is there anything better than walking into a perfectly decorated area and the light just catches every piece of the room’s personality, every little detail that just makes it all fit together so seamlessly? You could upgrade your lighting to match or even accentuate your decorative choices, making your home shine. Perhaps even consider floor lighting or lamps that fit in with your overall décor theme.
Let nature in
Be super homey and bring some plants inside. Indoor plants make for a feel-good vibe – you can even consider dedicating a specific space to make a small indoor garden for yourself. Use windowsills for potted herbs or flowers that need specific amounts of sunlight.
Mix and match
There really isn’t any hard and fast rule that says all your couches have to look the same. Be exciting and buy once off pieces from different sets that match each other or your décor. Line your couches with different coloured throw pillows or even paint chair legs in a hue that pops.
Mix Texture
Texture really just adds a lot of depth to a room, look at long pile rugs or a throw with different textures for your couch. Not only will it add a lot to the space around it, it will also make it feel oh so homey.
Decorating your property really doesn’t need to be an expensive exercise, a well-thought-out strategy in terms of the look and feel you want to go for will take you a long way in choosing the correct items to decorate your new home with.
