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Episode 6: 7 Steps To Decorate On A Budget
Decorating can be fun, but it can also be frustrating. Why? Think about your own experiences. First, maybe your home isn’t perfect – You wish for a bigger apartment or higher ceilings like the rooms you see in some of your favorite magazines. Maybe you crave gleaming hardwood floors or the perfect marble countertops in your kitchen. Holly also dreams of having more or living better. It’s only natural to want to be surrounded by things we love in a home that we truly enjoy.
BUT
We also have to be realistic. Maybe we don’t have the budget to live in our dream apartment or home yet. Perhaps we rent so installing new hardwood floors in someone else’s property would be a bit unwise. And marble countertops in the kitchen? Sure that’s nice but also may not work in our current living situation plus, have you ever priced marble countertops? Definitely not in most people’s budget.
Well In this episode of Hello Holly, Holly won’t tell you how to get the dream home or give you a winning lottery ticket but she will do something that she thinks is even more beneficial to you in the long term. In this episode of HELLO HOLLY Holly is giving you 7 ways to decorate your home on a budget, ideas that can work small miracles and trust me, small changes at home can really add up and make you just as happy as that dream sofa you have your eye on that you can’t afford right now. So let’s get started!
Tip 1: Paint
This time, approach paint a little differently. Create a pinboard on your Pinterest account and do what Holly has done, call it WALLS. That’s right, WALLS. Now she likes you to search Pinterest for creative wall ideas with paint. Wallpaper isn’t considered budget, but PAINT definitely is. She likes you to pin only rooms with walls that you like to this pinboard. Try to find colors you love that you’ve not worked with before. Rooms where the doors are painted interesting colors, or only the moldings are painted a color other than traditional white or cream. Perhaps black moldings would be interesting in your home for drama or painting only the frames of doors could add impact.
You could also pin rooms where paint was only applied ¾ of the way up the wall, leaving the upper space either white or painted in a different color. When it comes to paint, there are also mineral paints on the market and milk paint that both have an interesting look and feel to them and give a wall more character. Some people apply paint with rags and use a few different shades of the same color to make the wall look like it’s from an old Paris or Berlin apartment. When Holly was a little girl, her mother applied paint with rags and sponges and experimented with mineral paints then too in which she made herself. It is a creative and fun experience to see what’s possible with paint.
Get creative, there is not WRONG when it comes to decorating if you like it and it makes you happy. Also pin rooms with creative ideas for the ceiling, for instance Designer and Blogger Sarah Sherman Samuel recently painted her son Archie’s bedroom in a very creative way. The walls are dark which is unusual for a kid’s space, and the ceiling is painted in green and white stripes to mimic almost a circus tent. She showed exactly how to do it on her Instagram Stories and her blog. It made such an impact to the space that you don’t even notice what’s in the room at first glance because the dark walls and her eye-catching striped ceiling provides such an incredible focal point. However, as you look around her son’s bedroom, you will find another great budget idea and it’s the bunk beds designed by her and built together with her family. Which brings up to the second tip.
Tip 2: DIY
Don’t be afraid to make things yourself. It’s actually the best way to get exactly what you want and to not max out your budget. Don’t be afraid to DIY – most of today’s interiors influencers and bloggers have learned to become quite skilled in this area. And you know what? Most of them are not always getting it right the first time, if you’ve never made anything before it can seem daunting but YouTube is your new best friend because there are so many hacks and DIY ideas on YouTube by some incredialy clever people, that it’s worth finding YouTubers with a style you like and to follow them regularly. If you don’t already, create an account on Youtube and start saving your favorite DIY videos and try to find one that you can actually get started on. Also, so many bloggers and authors have books and blog posts on this topic. In each issue of the magazine, called HOLLY, we invite creatives to produce DIY stories for our readers to help everyone learn new ways to level up their home. And DIY doesn’t have to be complicated or hard. You can start off with small projects like adding trim to curtains with double-sided iron on tape or making each drawer pulls out of leather. Also, when you decide to give your next batch of clothes to charity, look at what you could repurpose. Holly had many silk scarves and linen blouses turned into throw pillows. Ok, so maybe you’re saying HOLLY, DIY sounds nice but I have no interest in making things myself. That’s okay, you can try the next tip…
Tip 3: Buy pre-owned pieces
Holly won't be talking about vintage or antiques yet. She's saying to check ebay, Craigslist, and other websites where people are selling newish stuff that they just don’t want anymore. You can find the same thing you’ve had your eye on in a store for a fraction of the cost when you buy used. Try doing general searches using the exact name of the great table you found at Bo Concept or West Elm. See what comes up. It’s also a more sustainable way to shop but definitely can be a lot more affordable than purchasing something brand new. Also check out garage sales, flea markets, junk shops and most of all, keep an open mind – you may end up finding something pre-owned that you like even better than the new table you thought you loved. A little tip when you are out and about shopping for a specific piece. Bring a photo and the measurements of the piece with you either in your bag or on your phone. This can help to remind you of exactly what you are looking for because often when we are out shopping we get overwhelmed and lose focus.
Tip 4: Shop vintage
Find a vintage shop in your city and make friends with the owner. Tell them what you are looking for, what your style is, show them pictures if necessary. These shop owners usually are quite passionate about their shops and work and love a good treasure hunt. Let them work for you to help you find what you need. Keep in mind that a lot of vintage shops have storage rooms filled to the ceiling, since often these types of shops are run by people who are hardcore collectors and have been collecting vintage pieces for years. Mixing in vintage to your modern furnishings can add genuine personality and flair to your home. Plus, a vintage vase (as long as it’s not a collectable or antique) can be very affordable up against a designer vase you’ve had your eye on. Most vintage vases Holly has purchased are between 6-10 Euros.
Tip 5: Plants
Plants are all the rage. Hollys friend Igor Josifvic from Urban Jungle Bloggers, which has amassed nearly 1 million followers on Instagram together with his business partner Judith, know for a fact that people around the world love and decorate with plants no matter what their budget. A plant or small tree can last for years and make a big statement in a room. A ficus fig near a window looks beautiful in a boho style room. Ferns having in the windows work well too, and are great for people who decorate in a more electic style. A monstera is fantastic for filling a space because they can grow wide and tall and have amazingly sculptural leaves. Best of all, plants can be affordable and you can even ask friends for pieces of their plants for free so you can cultivate and grow your own from a plant cutting. Hollys friend brought home one aloe leave from her trip to Greece and today, it’s a huge aloe in Hollys home that has sense turned into 3 more aloes. And she has paid nothing!
Tip 6: Ask for feedback on Social Media
Post the room you have problems with on social media and ask others for help on how to level it up on a budget. You won’t believe how many people love to chime in with their advice and advice is free and often full of helpful tips and ideas that you may not have thought about already.
Tip 7: Learn to live with less
You don’t need to pack a room full with everything you dream of. Often, a room needs space to breath and to really show off those key pieces that you love. Decorating is not a one time process just like shopping for Winter clothes isn’t something you do once every 10 or 20 years. Our style, our budget, our needs are always evolving and it’s the same with decorating – as we evolve, so does our style. Decorating on a budget is easier when you don’t have a “more is more” mentality and discredit living more simply. In fact, minimalism is having a moment right now and Holly believes it’s based on many reasons that have to do with things like environmental concerns, but also people wanting to hold onto their money and also have less around them to find more peace and balance since the world can be super stimulating these days. Decorating on a budget is much easier when you decide to buy less but by better. Save up over time for a well-made table or something else that will last. Once you are able to budget it, Holly guarantees that you will love it even more and that you’ll keep it forever. Plus, often things we have to save up for carry resell value so later on, you can also decide to sell it and earn enough money to purchase a replacement.
We hope these ideas will stay with you for years but also inspire you today too. Holly wants to wrap up this episode of HELLO HOLLY by saying that everyone wants a prettier home and dreams of living better. But be happy with what you have and realize that what you have may be the dream of someone else. And maybe what you have can easily make you happier if you just apply some of these tips and get creative. You can do it!
