Top Tips for Decorating on a Budget

Jan 13

How to Elevate your Interior Design without Breaking the Bank

I’m Courtney Wood. I’m an Architect by trade, who has gravitated towards interior design and the business side of this industry. My main role is being a commercial Architectural & Design representative at Dwyer Marble & Stone. I help architects and designers achieve their design vision and specify the right material. I’m so grateful for this role and it has taught me so much about the business side of design and helped me expand my network in the industry. I have always loved design, and graduated with a Bachelors of Architecture and Design in 2016. I’ve had a variety of internships and full-time jobs since graduating in many different niches from high-end residential, to commercial office spaces, hospitality, and civil engineering.

I’ve gained so much experience over the years, but designing residential homes has a special place in my heart. I launched my own business at the end of 2020. Family and friends kept hiring me to help them with their homes, making it official with a brand became inevitable! My company is called Vintage (Design Studio) and it is a full-service design firm. Designing homes is a skill I’ve developed over time, and I would like to share what I’ve learned with you all! My generation is starting to become first time home buyers so I believe these guidelines on how to furnish a home on a budget will be especially useful.

Tell A Story

Use this blog as a tool, companion, and practical guide to empower and inspire you to create a home that expresses the personality of the people who live within in an affordable way.

Your home should tell your story. Just like the fashion choices you choose when you get up in the morning say something about you, so does the personal style expressed in your home. Truly well-designed spaces don’t just look good, it’s a room where everything has a story and deeper meaning.

A focal point art piece probably wasn’t merrily chosen at random, ask the owner and chances are it means something unique to them. Have you ever watched an Architectural Digest home tour with a designer or celebrity? These high-end immaculately designed home tours are so interesting because the host or hostess has an explanation for every special detail. The great part of designing with sentimental objects is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Home Is A Sanctuary

Always remember that your home should be a calm place to retreat. Personally, I am careful about who I invite over and allow into my home because I don’t want the negativity energy interfering with my space. Consider your safe place an investment. Design affects the way we feel. Thoughtful design can elevate our mood and well-being. Have you ever been in a poorly designed space? Chances are you felt claustrophobic and couldn’t wait to get out of there. I encourage you to create a home you love to be in, filled with light and rid of clutter. Watch your mental health and life improve.

Identify your style

Experiment

When decorating your home don’t be afraid to experiment, you can always change things later. I’m the type of person who changes my mind every day and gets sick of things really fast (needless to say, I’ll never get a tattoo). I find myself keeping the more permanent items like flooring and large furniture pieces neutral, and having fun with more temporary décor like throw pillows, rugs, etc. I promise, you don’t have to paint your bedroom the Sherwin Williams color of the year. Paint it something that means something to you, and you’ll smile every evening when you return to go to bed.

Since buying my first home in 2018, I’ve learned a lot about the temporary vs. permanent mindset. When I was handed an empty home and a clean slate, I was almost paralyzed trying to choose a direction. I was so worried about being too trendy, that I would get sick of it, that everyone else would hate it, etc. Eventually, I let the architecture of the home inspire me. Now that I have been there almost two years, I’ve realized you can change things as your lifestyle grows and your style evolves. You can rearrange your furniture as much as you want, you can return a chair that you decide is wrong for the space. Don’t take it so seriously!

Pinterest Plagiarism

People often become so bogged down with design rules and comparison that they lose the simplicity of just selecting things they love for their homes. It’s really not about projecting a prescribed style. The ‘farmhouse’ trend is everywhere on Pinterest, but that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for you! Sure, you can appreciate it and enjoy looking at the endless source of “Joanna Gaines-esque” kitchens, just don’t try to mimic it. Unless farmhouse really is your personal style and the architectural style of the home. The “Pinterest Plagiarism” doesn’t take skill to replicate and it’s not custom designed for your space. Channel inspiration properly, don’t try to copy.

Here is a personal example, the architecture of my home is Mid-Century Modern, so I referenced architects from this time period. I read books on John Lautner and studied Knoll furniture designed by Eero Saarinen and Herman Miller furniture design by Charles Eames (google the Eames Lounge, you’ll recognize it instantly). I find that investing in a hard copy book is still very valuable. It’s really important to find legitimate resources when educating yourself and sourcing inspiration (we’ll talk about that more later when it comes time to specify furniture). My home is filled with natural woods, clean lines, and masculine forms. This does somewhat reflect my personal style; however, I have added a contemporary and minimal flair to the Mid-Century style. It’s okay to combine two styles! This is where knowing your style comes into play.

Foundational Genres

There are six core design styles to use as a starting point to identify your personal style. They are, Farmhouse, Modern, Rustic, Industrial, Traditional, and Boho. Every style has different characteristics and qualities. I won’t go through them all in this blog, but do some research, and identify which ones resonate with you. Begin asking yourself, when you enter a space, what are you drawn to? When I’m beginning a project with a new client, I send them a questionnaire that asks them specific questions that que me in about their style preferences. You can google quizzes online if you’re not sure what your style is. Once you define your taste, you’ll be able to navigate through all of the choices out there! As you study architecture and design, you’ll be more thoughtful of design choices and influences in public places and other people’s homes.

Study Basic Design Principles

Understanding the basic principles driving good design is a great way to elevate the look of your home, without spending more money. It really doesn’t take long to learn the design principles and begin to develop your eye for design. Studying quality materials and gathering a sense of taste will help you in selecting items that look expensive from the thousands of options on Wayfair. It’s not easy to explain, but once you know what to look for, you’ll be able to spot it. I could see 10 similar sofas at the same price point but I’ll still know exactly which one looks expensive because of the details. It will take a little studying, but it’s a skill worth learning. After all, your home is your biggest investment. Picture yourself in 10 years, in a position to sell your home fully furnished for an additional profit. Not only will you have gotten to enjoy living in a semi-professionally designed space, but you will get an ROI.

Here are some basic design principles:

Symmetry & Balance- I’m OCD about this. Once you learn it, you will be too. If a room is off-balance, does anything else matter?

“Form Follows Function” - Louis H. Sullivan. You could have the most beautiful kitchen, but if it doesn’t WORK… it’s useless. Take time to really consider how you want to use a space. That should drive the most important aspects, the décor and finishes are just a layer on top of that. A home that is designed to function well is a home that will stay organized, keep its inhabitants happy, and thus, be beautiful.

Simplicity- Less is more. And a great way to save.

Materiality- Choose materials with natural fibers if you can, they look more expensive.

Proportion or Scale- Geometry and the Golden Ratio (1.618). This number is the key behind aesthetics. In architecture school, we visited The Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This structure is basically the symbol of the strength of the Ancient Greek Empire and one of the earliest constructed buildings. Want to know the proportions of this rectangular structure? 1.0 x 1.618. Google the golden ratio for more examples. Nurse Injectors even use this when injecting faces with filler to find balance. Trust me, it’s everywhere. Keep this in mind when filling a space.

Repetition- Groups of three are always aesthetically pleasing.

Have A Plan

Visualize

Whether you just purchased a home and have 10 empty rooms, or you are already settled and want to begin a few tweaks, here’s how to begin. Start by just sitting in the room. How does the room make you feel? Really think about how you wish the room made you feel. Begin sketching and jotting down notes to get out the ideas in your head. Consider the architecture of the home and the overall cohesiveness. Begin saving inspirational images and finding books about the style you’re going for. Print out images of the furniture you like. Then, get more technical. Measure the room and get more detailed about how the furniture will fit, etc. After a while, you will feel confident in the direction of the space and main design elements you want to achieve in the room will be clear.

Budget Determines Priorities

Having priority will give you the clarity and direction you need to move towards your vision. Consider which pieces will make the biggest impact. Start with large furniture pieces that are necessities, then you can add décor and accessories later when the budget permits. Keep in mind that the details don’t always have to be expensive, either. You can fill a shelf with sentimental, seemingly random objects in a very chic way. Make a list of needs and wants. Have a list of everything you want to do in your home and order it by importance.

Are these DIY projects or will you have to pay a professional? It’s really important to consider the total cost of a project before you begin. Usually, it ends up being even more than what you budgeted for so be sure to save and then some! You can find templates for furnishing budget worksheets online which are great for estimating costs before you start buying. I downloaded a template, tweaked it and use it for all of my projects. If it’s more than just furniture pieces you will be buying, there are also renovation estimating software services online. I use Kukun Home Intelligence to plug in data about the home and it calculates the total cost for you.

Troubleshooting gives us a starting point and priority in the space. Consider where to eliminate and where to invest. Perhaps you only splurge on classic pieces and save on the trendy pieces. If you’re in a home already, take stock of what you have. Is there something you’re not satisfied with? Is there a piece of furniture that was given to you from a relative but really throws off the whole vibe of the room? Get rid of it! If it doesn’t make you happy, it shouldn’t be in your home. Remember, we are trying to create IDENTITY here people! Really inspect the furnishes and decor for anything worn out and outdated.

Observing your space is important in the beginning of furnishing your home, and as time goes on. I recently realized after taking down my Christmas tree, that my living room has inadequate furnishings. In that corner where the tree was, I’ve determined that a cozy reading armchair would fill the void. This is how your space evolves throughout time. You don’t have to rush to do everything at once, live in your home, assess how you use the space, and fill it with what you crave. It might feel uncomfortable to have incomplete furnishings, but it’s worth it to take ownership of each piece you bring into your home.

Phases Are Your Friend

It can become very overwhelming and confusing if you try to furnish and decorate your whole house immediately. It’s a process, have a plan that breaks it down into manageable pieces. I usually have collections by the room. When I’m ready to start picking furniture I refer back to my inspirational images. As I mentioned before about quality sources, I usually go through magazines from top-tier designers and furniture companies like Restoration Hardware and begin tagging pages of products I like. Very rarely does a client have the budget for this, but when seeking inspiration, don’t start with mediocre, start with excellent and then tailor it to the scope’s capabilities.

Seeing the install photos on websites like West Elm, Pottery Barn, Arhaus, etc. helps me narrow down exactly what I’m looking for. Then I look at more affordable manufacturers for similar pieces. Just like fashion, you usually see more detail in the designer pieces, but oftentimes you can find close economical alternates. Majority of the furniture in my house is from Target, but you’d never know. I actually love their brands like, Project 62. There are even amazing collections at Target by Joanna Gaines and Studio McGee, which I admit... I love! The value is really there. I will use some other affordable stores too, like IKEA. I only use sources like Joss & Main, Wayfair, and ALL MODERN if the product has plenty of good reviews with review photos. Otherwise, it just cannot be trusted and isn’t worth the trouble!

Once you have an idea of what you want to do, find pieces you love and start saving them. I have a Pinterest plug-in that I use to save images to my collections, you can pin a photo from any website. Figure out a system that works for you so that you will be able to keep track of everything. It sounds cliché, but organization is key. If I’m looking for a certain furniture piece, I usually search for it from a number of my favorite sources (I have them bookmarked) and save about five of the best options before I can make a decision. It’s important to be thorough and do your research when buying furniture. I’ve actually found a desk that I loved at Target from a third-party manufacturer. I googled the name of the desk and found it distributed through Walmart for $100 less! When you invest in something for your home it requires time to save, plan, research, and acquire.

Action Steps

In summary, begin by finding inspiration, troubleshooting, determining how to invest, and then concoct a plan. My hope is that you have gained some confidence to translate what you have learned into the design of your own home. If you try and still decide that you want to bring in a professional, well, you know who to call…