Building a house on a low budget is not an easy thing more so when decorating it. We all know that furnishing a home can be expensive regardless if you’re just making a few renovations or updates to your existing space or just recently moved into your dream home. You’ll be surprised with the cost of furniture from dining to the living room to bedroom furniture if you’re not mindful of your budget because these furniture expenses can add up quickly, not to mention the cost of all the other décor pieces that will fill your space. So it’s a lot. But lo and behold, furnishing your home doesn’t have to be something that gives you a headache or keeps you awake every night worrying about the hefty costs that you’ll be spending. At times, it could also be somewhat seamless and an enjoyable process. It may seem impossible but you don’t need to break the bank to have a home that looks straight out of a magazine page or movie scene. Nonetheless, achieving that ‘straight out of a magazine page or movie scene’ look does not require a new set of furniture or even expensive decoration. You just need to be resourceful, know what you want, and have an understanding of some basic design principles. There are tons of ideas for a low-budget simple house design that you can search on the internet. You can start off first with having a proper interior design to optimize your budget and still have a beautiful space for your dream house in order to achieve your target of having a low-budget simple house design.
Here’s a list of some useful tips for furnishing your home with only a shoestring budget:
1. Make a list
This may seem like a simple task but I tell you, this is the most crucial step of the entire process. List first the furniture and decors that you need in your home. Write down also what you’re looking for or better yet look first for interior design inspiration on the internet.
Then organize it according to your purchasing priority, and allocate an estimated price on each item or how much you’re willing to set aside for it. Having this list on hand will help you break up your purchasing into phases, forcing you to be more mindful and cautious when buying. Thereby avoiding any impulsive purchases that are not within your budget or plan and not getting sidetracked by every piece of decor that may seem appealing while you’re shopping. Although, admittedly you can still have improvisation or change of plans or inspirations along the way, nevertheless having this baseline list could help you stay on track in achieving your low-budget simple house design.
Making a list is part of your planning ahead strategy. By having your list on hand, you can keep an eye out for each piece in your everyday browsing on the internet or furniture stores (even if it’s a furniture piece you won’t be in the market to buy for months). When a stunning furniture piece has caught your eye, jot it down and keep it on your list until the time is right for you. That item might go on sale at the right time, but of course, keep it not for too long on your list for it might go out of the market and become unavailable. The point is when you know how to wait and be patient, chances are your patience might just reward you when you can buy the item at the most opportune time like the item that you want going on in a sale. When you become impatient and impulsive and have a last-minute approach when it comes to purchasing items, it is possible that you might go over budget in decorating your house and end up not achieving your low-budget simple house design goal.
2. Get rid of the Decorating Books and Magazines
As much as they could help you visualize your low-budget simple house design, nonetheless, most of the time they tend to become unrealistic and give you expectations that you cannot reach. These decorating books and magazines are designed to sell a dream so if you’re on a budget or just ordinary folk, you certainly do not or cannot dwell in it. Because in reality, most people have full-time jobs, children, pets, dirty dishes, and dust all over the house.
Yes, the magazines are fun to look at, but they do not represent what happens in your real life, and it’s pointless to try to make your home look like what you saw in a home magazine because it will sooner or later get dirty and disorganized and cluttered. What you must do is accept it and move on.
3. Get thrifty
Thrift shops are your best friend if you want to achieve your low-budget simple house design. A lot of thrift shops in the country often sell high-quality items for affordable prices. You can even find fantastic deals if you persevere enough in checking out multiple stores.
Furthermore, people are now becoming more aware of the conditions of our environment and are becoming more cognizant of the need of making sustainable choices. By thrifting, you’re not only saving money for yourself but you’re also helping our environment through your simple way.
Additionally, you can find a lot of unique vintage pieces where you could also employ natural, neutral materials, that are rich in warm earth tones like linens and pieces of cotton, making a warm, peaceful, and welcoming vibe in your home. There are a lot of places to look at when thrifting like yard sales from your neighbor, flea markets, and even online auction. Also, one of the decorating trends nowadays is to find a furniture piece or decor that has its own unique character which cannot be found in any big furniture stores.
Moreover, it is important to look at furniture and décor that would perfectly fit inside your home and has the same quality as your new BRIA home. So it’s time for you to ignite your creative mind and look for inspirations on ready/custom-made furniture designs and décor for your home.
Whether you recently moved into your new condominium unit or are making a few updates to your existing unit, check out this article from BRIA Home to help you maximize and decorate your condominium– Tips On How To Furnish Your First Affordable Condominium Unit.
4. Maximize Your Furniture with Flexible Pieces
Multi-tasking furnishings can be really advantageous and beneficial for you, especially if you have a small space. For instance, benches that can be turned into storage, pull-out sofas, and bed frames with storage under could really help you to save up some space. These multi-tasking furnishings could be a good alternative to big and bulky furniture, thus creating a much wider space in your home. Furthermore, organizing your things could make your home look spacious and tidy. One of the trends now in home design is owning clever storage to keep your necessities. You have to be wise in choosing your furniture, for instance, if you have to choose between a cute piece of furniture and one with a lot of storage space, you should definitely choose the latter one, don’t be easily swayed and distracted by their cute designs, always choose functionality over design.
Being said that, you may want to switch to high-quality, functional, and practical yet affordable furniture pieces. Try to choose multifunctional and flexible pieces. You can still have a very functional item yet it still has its pleasing look, you don’t have to sacrifice style in order to achieve a good interior design. Storage as decor pieces is widely popular at present because of its flexibility to use such as shoe racks, shelves, and other pieces that have built-in storage with it, which all can function as an aid in your home yet pleasing in the eyes. You can achieve this by thinking creatively and cleverly.
5. Good Lighting is Your Friend
Put the lights to work in your home. Having a good set of lights could make your house look expensive and look like a copycat from any home design magazine or movie scene. Appropriate lighting is the game changer whether you have a small or big house. Good lighting is also inexpensive to buy, definitely within your low-budget simple house design goal. Any house with a well-lit room not only induces good ambiance but also is a key to a beautiful interior design.
Moreover, by using LED lights, you can save up more on your electric bills. The goal is to help the space appear less dark and more space through good positioning of lights, such as putting lights on every corner of a room. Look for architectural lights to help you get the most out of your space because it illuminates a dramatic atmosphere anywhere in your house. Not only lights could help you illuminate your house, but also candles could be used in your house because it adds a little mood lighting.
Furthermore, maximize your windows to make the most out of them. Consider having huge windows to have more daylight or natural lighting because it could also help you save up costs on electric bills. It has been proven that maximizing the natural light in your home has a great impact not only on the physical appearance of the house but as well as your overall mood.
6. Choosing The Right Paint Color
If you bought some furniture pieces from a thrift shop or any store that sells pre-owned items, don’t be dissuaded if a side table or coat rack is a little worn or the wrong color. You can repaint it yourself, that’s why paintbrushes are for, just kidding! But seriously if you think that furniture piece is still worth saving, then go for it if it can help you save up any amount.
The same goes for walls, if you’re renovating your house, a fresh coat of paint can be the cheapest way to refresh your home. Or even if you just recently moved into your new home, the right color of paint can make your home welcoming. Feel free to experiment with colors that you love and if you don’t like the finished look you can always change it. Or you can also apply an easy-to-remove peel & stick wallpaper to save up on money if you’re in the process of just transforming an existing room.
Here’s some guide to help you in choosing the right color for your home so you do not waste money on repainting the wrong color:
1. White
It represents cleanliness, quietness, and youthfulness. It could make your house look expensive even though you’re on a budget for designing it. White also creates a refreshing and cool feeling, perfect if you want that room to be cozier.
2. Black
Choose black if you want to show pure elegance. It’s a classy color.
3. Red
It creates a feeling of confidence and creates excitement, energy, and a lot of passion if you will choose it. Just bear in mind that because red is so stimulating, you cannot feel at ease with this kind of color.
4. Purple
Helps your home to have a blend of calming yet uplifting vibe. The purple color in your home can make you feel inspired but in a more focused way without any rise in your heart rate.
5. Yellow
Choose this color if you want to be optimistic always.
With these sample guidelines on what to choose as a paint color for your home, I hope you won’t commit a mistake in choosing the right color to avoid any unnecessary expense and for you not to go beyond your budget.
