Thursday, February 9, 2012

From House to Home

You love decor, HGTV, online design sites, and the housewares section of Target.  But you have no idea how to turn your current apartment or house into a home.  You know what you like, but you don't know how to accomplish a complete look.  Plus, you can barely afford to pay the bills..... much less splurge on decor and furniture!  Fear not, design novice.  There is still hope for you!  Today I am going to discuss budget-friendly design solutions for turning a house into a home.  


The most important thing to do before you begin investing in furniture or trying to design a space is to identify how you will utilize the space.  If it is a bedroom, obviously you will utilize the room for sleep.  But, do you find yourself working on your laptop in bed?  
If so, perhaps a workspace would be beneficial in your bedroom.  Do you picture yourself coming to your bedroom to talk on the phone or read?
  Then a comfy sitting area with lots of light would be well utilized.  


When you have an empty house or a sudden urge to redecorate, it can be easy to run out and   spend your hard-earned moola on a million small decor items.  But refrain, you must, my dear.  Having clear direction of what you want to create with your space will always mean spending your money more wisely and being happier with your surroundings long term.  Once you have a clear idea of what you want to utilize your space for, you need to discover your design style.  If you live with a husband, boyfriend, or bestie, this will require compromise as you learn to fuse your tastes together in a cohesive fashion.


After you have come to terms with your design tastes, it's time to begin treasure hunting!  The best places to start when your budget is tight are local antique shops and resale shops.  You can find some beautifully unique pieces with lots of character.  Try your best to look past the color, fabric or hardware on items- these things can be changed.  Instead, pay attention to the structure of the furniture.  Focus on the lines.  

1/2/3/4

Once you have the base furniture for your space, now is the time to spruce it up! I have a set of matching lamps on each side of my bed that I originally bought from Hobby Lobby for a total of $100.  The lamps had red shades with leopard trim and a brown base.  Sure, they were cute.  But they weren't quite right for my super-girly bedroom.  We painted the base a turquoise and traded the shades for two larger white ones for a total cost of $50.  I love how they turned out!  What do you think?


Don't believe a home can be "spruced" at budget-friendly prices?  I curated a collection of beautiful items that won't break the bank.  In fact, they're all under $50!


How have you managed to turn your apartment or house into a home?

48 comments:

  1. Love the suggestions and your bedside lamps! Adorbs!

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  2. I love your picks and that first photo with the hydrangeas in the box is brilliant!
    xo
    Sharon

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  3. I moving downtown Chicago this summer and will definitely be looking at this for design inspiration (since I have no idea what I'm doing). Beautiful post love!

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  4. Such a great post! I needed to hear (read) all these tips and now I can apply myself and start treasure hunting ;)

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  5. Great post, Sam. Right up our alley! Good taste goes a loooooooonnnnnggggg way!

    Nancy
    http://www.powellbrower.com/2012/02/powell-brower-home-maiden-giveaway.html

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  6. such great ideas! I finally split our very large dining room into three sections: office, dining area, and play area because we seriously NEVER sit at the table and needed a more family friendly first floor! It's so hard to stay on track when decorating and really make your house livable and not just pretty!

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  7. I'm actually moving out of my parent's house soon and into an apartment with my very, very minimal older sister. I've been trying to convince her spruce it up a bit and she just won't give in! I love the carpet you posted in the "under 50" photo, I will definitely show her something similar in hopes of a yes!

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  8. The lamps look great! I desperately need some for our living room. I just can't decide on floor or table lamps. I liked what you put together!

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  9. Great finds and wonderful tips! I learned the hard way by spending a lot of money only to realize I didn't have a clear picture of the space in my head before I started shopping. Now I make sure I have a crystal clear image of the space and know where everything is going to go and how its all going to work together before I shop.

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  10. what great advice and fab finds!! we're in the process of that right now, but thankfully our wedding gifts will help a LOT with that ;)

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  11. Loved the post! While decorating our first home, I have had to remind myself time and time again not to buy something because it will work, but to wait for something that I love! Patience is not my best virtue! Thanks for the tips and wonderful pictures!

    Raegan
    www.frillylittledetails.blogspot.com

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  12. I have that chevron pillow in gold, love it! Great tips, Sam

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  13. Love your roundup of chic decor deals. The pillows are perfect.

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  14. There are some great suggestions and wise words here! I was once told not to rush into redecorating as soon as you move in - see how light or dark a room is before choosing colours and the room may also be completely different at a different time of year too. You need to get a feel for the house first before turning into a home.
    http://missbbobochic.blogspot.com/

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  15. You have the best advice! I'm going to start emailing you every time I have a decorating question! lol

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  16. what great advice. I worked so hard when i first moved in and now i feel overwhelmed to go on. This really helped me relax and focus. Thanks!

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  17. I love your board! Especially the chevron pillow and the antique books.

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  18. nice finds for under $50!! perfect way to beautify the home without breaking the bank ;)

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  19. Great advice, dahling. People tend to get impatient and end up spending more on mistake furniture.

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  20. What amazing finds for under $50. I have been wanting to redo some aspects of my home and you have given me some wonderful ideas without breaking the bank! xo

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  21. All great ideas and wonderful advice!! Love this blog!!

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  22. Very cute lamps my dear, don't you just love Hobby Lobby???
    Great advice, looks like you are on your way to becoming a very successful interior designer!

    XO~JD

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  23. This is just the post I needed to read! I've been struggling with making our apartment seem more "us" and more "cozy" and lived-in. Love the advice!

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  25. i love checking out vintage or resale shops they seriously have some of the best stuff!! you can get amazing finds there and then hobby lobby to accessorize the rest of the living room. beautiful photos!

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  26. Seriously, your blog is like a guide for my life lately. It's like you're my fairy godmother popping out solutions to all these questions in my head. Amazing. Keep them coming, Sam, keep them coming!

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  27. You are taking the blog world by storm, budget friendly redos, you are speaking to my heart!! I'm saving for my company but all I want to do is shop for my home/office. Thanks for the tips! xo

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  28. SO true! Buying loads of little stuff is the worst mistake people can make. I always start establishing needs, choosing bigger pieces and THEN accessorize. Otherwise it becomes too easy to only spend your money on little stuff and you end up having to cut corners with the bigger more important stuff!

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  29. Now this is a fabulous post my dear-you did such a great job putting this together love! I love the budget friendly finds. I'm a big fan of finding images I love and thinking of ways to make them DIY projects. I have a lot of canvas paintings in mind. xo

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  30. Great tips Sam! I agree, a little time planning will save money in the long run :)

    Abbey x

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  31. Love your lamps, Sam, and so many wonderful items under $50.00 items...the leopard rug is fabulous!! Hope you have a great weekend ~

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  32. what a fabulous post, seriously! I'm loving the items featured under $50 and your lamps turned out great. Love the color! xo.

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  33. Great post!! Thanks for sharing your tips! They are great reminders for all of us!

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  34. love this post... it is really overwhelming for people with a small budget to know where to start, so this is very helpful!

    www.styledesignlife.blogspot.com

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  35. This is such a great idea to discuss...seriously, it's hard enough to find stuff you like, but stuff that's *ALSO* in the budget??? Forget about it! (c: Love your finds, too...

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  36. Your lamp is perfect! Love the color. And so true...there are many ways to update a space without breakin that bank!

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  37. Not sure where to begin... this post is AMAZING. I need this! I seriously love everything so I always try to form a plan w/ my decorating. Thanks for the insight and inspiration!

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  38. Thank you for sharing! Love all the items you pick, lovely color~ and they are just $50
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  39. Very interesting blog. Alot of blogs I see these days don't really provide anything that I'm interested in, but I'm most definately interested in this one. Just thought that I would post and let you know.

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  40. İnteresting.. Good post. Thanks for sharing.
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