DIY Home Decorating on a Budget

Interior design doesn't have to be expensive to be effective.

You don't need to hire a professional interior designer to decorate your home and create a beautiful ambiance. By decorating your space yourself, you can save a lot of money while creating a unique living environment. Often simple changes such as wall paint color, pillows and other soft goods, candles, lighting and artwork are all you need to improve the look and feel of your home, without going over budget.

Instructions

1. Paint the walls a new color. Kristan Cunningham, host and designer of HGTV's "Design on a Dime," states that nothing has as much impact on a room as a new coat of paint. Paint freshens and adds drama and a pop of color, and you can repaint if you change your mind.

2. Add soft furnishings such as pillows, throws, rugs and blankets. Pick a color that coordinates with your new wall color, or pick an accent color that is at the opposite end of the color spectrum. Soft furnishings are comfortable, and they add texture and depth to a space. Add a new rug to a plain wood floor, or throw a rug on top of worn carpet; rugs can help pull together the look of a room.

3. Add strategic lighting to illuminate your room and add a sense of warmth. If you don't have a lot of money for expensive lighting, simply put an inexpensive light behind a sofa or next to a plant to create atmosphere. Three-way lightbulbs can add varying degrees of warmth and character to a room.

4. Use candles to boost the intimate feel of a room. Put candles of various heights on a decorative platter, and display them on a coffee coffee table. Place candles in a little-used fireplace to mimic the look and feel of a warm fire.

5. Add inexpensive artwork to your walls. You also can frame your children's artwork in inexpensive frames, and group them together for visual impact. Or group photos together, and use similar frames to create unity.

References

• IVillage: Decorating on a Budget