Decorating Dollars and Common Sense

Redecorating can be a costly venture, and for many people, a complete redo is beyond their budgets. How can you update your décor without breaking the bank? By using fewer dollars and plenty of common sense.

Assess your Current Décor Portfolio.

With notebook in hand, take stock of your furniture. If a chair or table or couch or cabinet is in bad condition, decide whether or not you want to repair it or replace it. If a piece is in good shape, but the fabric or color is outdated, consider reupholstering or, if that is too much of an investment for the piece, use a slipcover. For cabinetry or case pieces, consider stripping and painting or staining.

Take stock of your accessories, everything from area rugs to paintings and prints to vases and knick-knacks. List those things you would like to incorporate into your new scheme, and pack up those that don't make the cut this go around. Accessories can be rotated out, and changing the artwork and area rug in a room can freshen up the space. Having a stock of accessories, then, allows you to change the feel of a room from time to time without having to reinvest dollars.

The assessment of decorating assets saves you money. Updating the more expensive items means you have fewer items to replace, and by rotating your accessories, you don't need to redecorate as often.

Click, Clip and Shop

Visit websites such as hgtv.com. Clip photos from magazines. Shop the furniture stores and home décor departments. Build a collection of ideas and from this, plan out your new interior design. You most likely ran across several very expensive items you would love to have, but the cost is prohibitive. Take a close look at these items and decide what it is that you like about them. Is it the graceful turn of leg that caught your attention on that $1400 chair? Did the molding on that $900 coffee table catch your eye? By isolating the characteristics that you like, you can search for less expensive items that have those same characteristics. You can also, with a little creativity, alter your existing furnishings to mimic those high-end items.

By clicking, clipping, and shopping, you'll invest more wisely. Your research will not only help you define your desires, but also gives you a clearer idea on costs. Common sense tells you a $1400 chair is impractical for your lifestyle, but your due diligence allows you to invest your decorating dollars in an item that will give you the same aesthetic return.

Build Your Equity

You may not be able to invest in a $1400 chair, but that doesn't mean you should buy junk. Investing your dollars in solid furnishings and accessories that transcend the trendy means less cost in future redecorating projects. It's certainly less expensive to purchase a slipcover to update the well-built couch than to buy a new couch. The next time you assess your décor portfolio, you'll need less dollars for replacement costs.

Another form of equity is sweat equity. Learn how to do some of the easier tasks yourself, rather than having to hire jobs out. Stripping and staining is a skill that will allow you to update your case goods at minimal costs. Sewing your own slipcovers and pillows will save a considerable sum of money.

Collect on Your Common Sense Dividends

By updating existing pieces you've eliminated the need to completely replace your existing furnishings. Those you do purchase either as replacement or additions are not only contemporary, they will remain so because you have learned how to invest in solid furnishings and how to update them.

By being selective with your accessories, you created a diversified stock that allows you to freshen the look of your rooms without having to spend new dollars every time.

By researching décor options with an eye toward characteristics and your own personal tastes, you have armed yourself with the information needed to find those items at a reasonable cost, and the quality you expect for your hard-earned dollars.

By using common sense before using your decorating dollars, you can collect on the dividends of your work: a beautiful home you can be proud of and savings you can enjoy.