How much does it cost to decorate a room?

The age old question….how much does it cost to decorate a room? While we all long for a cut and dry answer, there are many variables that go into decorating a room. The design decisions you make will determine how much you’ll end up spending on furnishing and decorating the space.

Rewind to 2014…Cully and I just closed on our first real grown up home. The ink wasn’t even dry on the loans papers yet and I was ripping up the carpet in the basement.

Coming from a 700 (ish) square foot condo, we had a lot of empty space in our new 2,400 square foot, 1950’s ranch style home.

After using the proceeds from selling our condo and nearly draining our savings for the down payment of our new home, we found ourselves on a super tight decorating budget.

Oh, and let’s not forget the money we need to renovate the house…yeah, needless to say, the décor budget was slimmer than Shady himself.

Related Reading: 12 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Home Renovation

You are reading the blog of a frugal gal and after tons of research, planning and approaching design differently, I managed to decorate our entire house for under $1,000 per room.

With 3 additional empty rooms to decorate (family room and two bedrooms), the grand total came in around $2,700. That includes furniture, rug(s), drapes, accessories….you name it, the room had it. I didn’t skimp on all things interior design.

Fast forwarded over 7 years later and I’m still using the same techniques and strategies to decorate my home.

Below are the top 3 things I do every time to stay within budget when decorating a room:

TIP No. 1: Identify the Purpose for the Space

Determining how you want to use the space will set you up for success when it comes time to shop for the furniture and decode that will go in it.

For example, if you are designing your living room and you know that it will also function as a place for you kids to do homework, you will want to plan out what pieces of furniture would work best in the space and that will serve as a place to watch TV and concentrate on homework.

Once you’ve identified the rooms purpose, you can start a list of desired furniture and accessories. This is also the time to think through what you can reuse/repurpose from your home (versus buying everything new).

TIP No. 2: Draw Out & Plan Your Room, Before You Start Shopping

Once you know how the space will be used, design your space virtually and include as many real life items as you can in the virtual design.

A virtual mood board helps put together your concepts and visual ideas.

The more well thought out and detailed it is, the more you will find yourself being able to set a realistic budget that you will stay within.

How to Furnish Your Home on a Budget

Commonly, the largest expense of decorating a room is the furniture.  This can quickly rack up how much it will cost to decorate a room.

This brings me to tip number three:

TIP No. 3: Learn How to Repurpose/Paint Furniture

Learning how to paint and repurpose furniture has been the number one way that I’ve saved thousands of dollars decorating my home.

Furniture that can be painted includes: coffee tables, side tables, bed frames, nightstands, desks, etc…. All of these pieces can be easily transformed with some paint and a little elbow grease.

I’ve even gone as far as reupholstering side chairs and sofas. If you’re a beginner to the DIY world, that may be a bit intimidating. I recommend starting with learning how to repurpose/paint furniture first, then add in reupholstering down the road, if you’d like.

Creative Ideas to Decorate a Wall and Accessorize

I change my wall décor and room accessories as often as I change my clothes (ok, not really, but it sometimes feels that way).

To save on wall décor and accessories, follow the same method as mentioned above. Painting an outdated mirror, picture frames, candlesticks, trays (to name a few), breathes new life into the piece and are common things found at second hand stores, garage sales and consignment shops.

Our bedroom wall features a wicker basket wall that cost less than $15:

Our living room wall features a collection of second-hand/vintage oars that cost less than $40:

Where to Begin Decorating Your Home

If you’re just starting out in the world of DIY decorating on a budget, you may be wondering how to tackle a design project successfully.

You don’t have to go at it alone and wonder if what you’re doing is right. Ditch the never ending Pinterest searches and try Designifino.

Designifino is my fool-proof 6 step decorating system that walks you through each step of the design and decorating process.

This interior decorating system is what I’ve used for nearly a decade and has only been made available to the public recently.

In Designifino, you will learn how to determine your interior design style, the best way to choose colors for your space, how to create a virtual mood board (with a step-by-step video tutorial) and more.

I’ve even included The Ultimate Guide to Chalky Finish Paint, my comprehensive e-book that details everything you need to know to get started painting outdated furniture and décor.

By the end of this workshop, you will be enjoying a beautifully designed space you love, without breaking the bank.

Check out Designifino here

Here’s to beautifully designed spaces on a budget!

Xoxo,
Krista

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