Savvy Tips/Decor Thoughts: How to decorate your home on a budget

I came to a sad and stunning realization when I started decorating my own home: home decor is expensive (and there is a reason why IKEA is SO popular).

But I have also luckily developed a few tips and tricks for decorating my home while not spending half of my bank account on home decor and furniture.  There is a lot of beautiful decor out there and it doesn’t all have to be expensive.

While I have seen and sat on a $45,000 couch (I’m not kidding, I thought the thing should make me a latte and give me a massage at that price), I don’t have to buy furniture in that range and find great pieces at more realistic price points.

Image via horchow.com

Here are my tips for getting home decor for less:

1. Think locally

Does your area specialize in any types of natural resources?  Teak is plentiful in the region where I live so hand carved teak furniture is in abundance.  But it isn’t just about the material, but the stores and craftsmanship in the area.  There are lots of great local and regional furniture makers.  These artisans can specialize in making couches, tables, chairs or smaller pieces of decor like stoneware or porcelain pieces.  One of my favorite finds at a Brooklyn flea market was a set of handmade mugs with the most beautiful indigo glaze.  I should go back and look for coordinating dessert plates!

2. Online Awesomeness

I got into online shopping more than 10 years ago and the gateway goods for me were Le Creuset pots off Amazon.  I started venturing onto bigger items in the last few years as my own tastes and lifestyle changed (home decor basically became as important as fashion choices).  My favorite home decor site is One Kings Lane for its vast, but varied selection and great prices.  I first started buying smaller pieces like holiday decorations from the site, but recently felt more comfortable buying larger pieces like a gorgeous garden stool.  I am looking to the site to buy a new console table or couch as well.  Horchow aka Neiman Marcus’ home living site is also one of my favorite websites and has beautiful furniture and decor.  The selection is also pretty luxurious but they have great sales. The final bonus to buying online is the extra cashback from sites like Ebates or Mr. Rebates.

Seriously this is my dream couch…

…and this console table is both unbelievably feminine and elegant

3. Second-hand Savvy

A tried and true method for getting a luxurious piece for less is to buy it from someone that already owns it but is looking to sell it for some reason.  I most recently bought my daughter’s Stokke high chair for a little less than 20% of its retail price!  It was a few years old and had a few paint chips, but I knew that I could always just repaint it.  I have a friend who has furnished her apartment entirely by browsing moving sales on Craigslist (Gumtree is great too depending on your area).  I am a huge fan of purchasing pieces from local listing sites and have been keeping my eye on online furniture resale sites like Chairish as well.  Brick and mortar consignment stores or flea markets are also wonderful resources full of pre-loved furniture and decor.

4. Big box beauties

I never thought about buying decor or furniture from mass retailers.  But I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the selection and quality of decor at big box companies like Target.  The prices and selection for staples like throw pillows are vast and thankfully easy on the wallet. The bonus is that you can usually apply coupons as well as use any gift cards for these stores (remember again to use cashback sites as well!)

This Red Floral lumbar pillow is so lovely!

How do you decorate on a budget?

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