Affordable Ways to Decorate Your Newlywed Nest

Posted March 30th, 2010 | 4:29 pm | By Stephanie Gray |

I’m in the midst of moving right now, which means packing, purging and also shopping! I love organizing so I’m not totally going out of my mind, but I am ready to get into the new place permanently. None of this living-out-of-boxes shenanigans. And I’m also ready for decorating!

While I’m still renting, I think it’s important to personalize your space. I mean, I’m probably not going to invest in new cabinets (although the kitchen needs it) or renovate the outdated bathroom, my boyfriend and I have painted two of the rooms. All you really need is a bit of paint, a weekend and some patience, and you seriously can turn a room from blah to ahhh. While it’s time consuming, it’s one great way to update a space without tons of cash.

Another cost-saving idea is buying off Craiglist or Kijiji, etc. When it came to furnishing our place, the space was honestly bigger than we had furniture for (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve downsized), so knowing I had to buy a full dining room table sounded like an expensive venture. Luckily I got a great deal on Craiglist. I bought a table and four chairs for less than $300, and it was practically unused. The seller had used it to stage his apartment to sell. Lucky us!

Thanks to getting such a steal on the dining set, it was much easier to convince the bf to splurge a little on a couch from West Elm (pictured).I also bought a bunch of cozy pillows, including some much desired white lamb ones. The great thing about pillows is if you buy a neutral couch you can change the look up completely with some new accessories – much cheaper than buying a whole new piece of furniture.

Next on the list is lighting, rugs and a few more furniture pieces (like a TV stand and dining room sideboard). It’s a challenge because we don’t have a huge budget, but we don’t want to go cheap either. I’d like things to last and hopefully bring us to where ever we end up next.

I haven’t had tons of time to browse, but once I do I’ll pass on more of my affordable home decor ideas! And I’m even thinking about doing a DIY home project, thanks to watching so much HGTV lately. (I love the idea of DIY, but I’m not the craftiest person, so if I pull it off, it will be a miracle!)

Fishs Eddy had the coolest home stuff. If I lived in NYC I would have bought waaay more stuff!

I love the idea of a clear or glass lamp base for my bedroom night table. This one retails starting at $595, so I’m going to be looking for something a little more in my budget.

Tags: budget, decor, home, west elm

Posted March 30th, 2010 | 4:29 pm | By Stephanie Gray |

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