Inside: Who doesn’t love modern and affordable home decor!? These are the best tips for finding, styling and DIYing inexpensive yet beautiful items for your home.
Five years into my marriage and I finally figured out my decorating style.
Took me long enough! *bless my husband*
My first project was a master bedroom update and I spent hours turning our boring old bedroom into a modern and fresh space.
Clean lines . . .
Crisp white and gold . . .
I finally felt like a real adult.
The best part?
I did it all on a budget!
My decor style isn’t cheap, so finding great deals and DIYs is key to creating the vision I want for my home.
I’ve compiled all my favorite home decor projects with lots of links to affordable pieces on this page so you decorate your home on a budget, too.
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OUR MODERN HOME REVEAL
I’m so in love with all the stylish and affordable decor in our new home. With a bigger space, I’ve finally been able to decorate each room the way I want.
One of the best tips I have to get home decor on a budget is to take advantage of off-price retailers. I’ve found some of my very favorite home decor pieces from these types of stores.
Here are a few of my go-to stores for budget-friendly home decor:
Don’t be afraid to hold off on buying a piece of decor that’s out of your budget. I like to add bigger ticket items to a wish list and check back often to see if it goes on sale or if the store has released a promo code.
Some websites will even update you if the item goes on sale if you provide your email address.
How can I make my house look modern on a budget?
One way to give your home a modern look is to use curtains instead of blinds.
We opted to do this in our current home and I love it! The curtains are washable, add an element of style, and last much longer than blinds (if you’ve got crazy kids like me!).
You can also change out the hardware on furniture or cabinets. I chose to do this on our bedroom dresser and nightstands and it makes them look much more modern.
I’ve also chosen to use brighter lightbulbs throughout our home to mimic natural light.
Our current home is already much brighter than our last, but our bathrooms don’t have any windows, so by adding daylight LED bulbs, the room looks light and bright instead of yellow and harsh.
One of the first things we did when we moved into our new house was to update the light fixtures.
Builder grade light fixtures are not very modern, so just switching those out can give your home an instant facelift!
You can also modernize your home by refinishing old furniture pieces.
One of my favorite DIY projects has been our dining room table transformation. Our dining set went from boring and traditional to chic and modern with a simple refinishing job and two new chairs.
Here’s how to refinish a kitchen table for beginners.
Less is more.
I like to pick a few great pieces with a big impact rather than purchase lots of mediocre items which could end up being clutter. This ensures the pieces I purchase have longevity in both quality and style.
And try to keep clutter in mind when you’re picking bigger furniture items. I chose a TV stand with doors on it and nightstands with drawers because they hide the items I don’t want people to see.
OUR CHIC & MODERN LIVING ROOM
If you haven’t noticed, I love white and blush pink!
You’ll find this theme throughout our home, especially in our living room home decor. (If you’re not a fan of white and blush, the tips in this post work great for any color scheme!)
How can I accessorize my living room?
One way to accessorize a living room is to add artwork and prints. You can save money on those prints by making them yourself.
I’ve used Unsplash and Word Swag to make custom prints in the past. You can find photos or illustrations you like in the app, add wording, and then print it at home or have it done by a photo shop.
It’s so easy!
You can also work with Canva to make unique designs and then have them printed and shipped for very cheap. I have the Pro subscription and it is worth every penny.
Try to find inexpensive accessories at your local thrift store before paying full price for brand new pieces. I bought eight adorable pink books for my TV stand and it only cost thirteen dollars! Much better than the steep pricing from other retailers.
You can also accessorize with a little bit of paint. I used my favorite gold spray paint to upgrade the hardware on this tv stand. This made a HUGE difference for an insignificant amount of money and plays off the other gold accents in the room.
Adding fun and unique pillows is another way to accessorize a living room. I always keep an eye out for pillows when I’m shopping because they add such a statement for a small price!
Don’t be afraid to mix new and old pieces, whether thrifted or refinished, in your living room decor.
OUR MASTER BEDROOM TRANSFORMATION
Our master bedroom has undergone the biggest transformation in our home. Here’s what our room looked like before all the updates:
Not great, right?
How do you design a good bedroom?
The best modern decor is simple and chic. Less is more, especially in a bedroom.
To ensure a relaxing vibe, keep things neutral with a few pops of color here and there.
Check out all of my modern bedroom decor ideas for links to shop my favorite pieces.
Any good bedroom design has at least one statement piece. If you’ve found an item you love online, look for tutorials, or use your own creative juices to handcraft it for less.
I made this cool DIY Juju hat to go above our bed and add some interest to our space.
KID SPACES
The Best Affordable Kids Playroom Decor
Playrooms are often a forgotten space in the home. I decided to spruce ours up to have a nice spot for playdates and complete the design of our home.
I found lots of affordable kids playroom decor at Tuesday Morning for this transformation.
What do you put in a playroom?
Here are a few of our playroom essentials:
- Storage bins
- Places to sit (so the moms can talk)
- Fun prints
- Comfy accents
Try These Sweet Baby Girl Bedroom Ideas On A Budget
With the addition of our newest baby, I knew I’d need to set up another bedroom in our home.
I combined several of my favorite baby girl bedroom ideas to make her a beautiful space all on a budget.
How do you decorate a nursery on a budget?
Here are a few of my best money-saving tips for nursery decor:
- Set a budget and stick to it! If you don’t set a budget at the start, you may end up overreaching on a few items and run out of money to cover other needed items.
- Look for the best deals on big-ticket items like dressers and cribs. You can find inexpensive items through Ikea, your local thrift shop and Facebook Marketplace. And you can always update inexpensive items with a little spray paint to make them more special.
- Break out the hot glue gun and make your own decor. I’ve DIY’d cute decor pieces for almost all of the bedrooms in our home and love the results.
If you don’t have the budget to get everything set up at once, purchase the essentials and keep saving to add design elements as you can!
How can I decorate my whole house on a budget?
I hope these tips and the links I’ve shared help you find affordable home decor you’ll love. I use a mix of new, repurposed, and handmade items throughout my home to save money.
Just remember these tips when decorating your house:
- Less is more.
- Make it yourself if you can.
- Find great deals at affordable stores or your local thrift shop.
- Upgrade basic items with an easy refinish or a little paint!
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