The Budget Decorator offers tips on how to save money on home decor and decorate your home, regardless of your budget. They recommend starting with necessities and basics, testing things out, leaving tags on, protecting your identity, and accepting the resources available. Joy Williams, founder of Joyful Designs Studio, shares 40 of the best money-saving décor ideas for everyday life.
To save money on home decor, consider incorporating items you already own, such as arranging crockery and glassware or revamping your entire arrangement. Some savvy budget decorating ideas include display collections, playing with dimensions, and creating fabric hangings.
To save money, consider changing lampshades, bulbs, or positioning of lights to see how different your room can look. Spend on big, timeless pieces and save on trendy and accent pieces. Mix materials and create focal points on pillows, display items in threes, add comfort to chairs, prop up a mirror, hang a thoughtful display, and rearrange.
Embrace a minimalist attitude towards your home by not filling shelves and tables with knick-knacks and little treasures. Instead, paint the color of the room rather than the price and use tester pots.
There are five clever ways to save money on home decor: DIY the way, create and stick to a budget, start small but think big, buy used, and explore. Pay no attention to passing trends and choose a basic scheme that you won’t easily tire of.
📹 Pro Secrets to Save Money On Home Decor and Furniture
In this video, I go over some of my favourite ways save money on home decor, furniture and building supplies for a renovation.
What is the 60 30 20 rule in decorating?
The 60-30-10 Rule is a decorating rule that helps you choose the best color scheme for your home. It suggests covering your room with 60 of a dominant color, 30 of a secondary color, and 10 of an accent shade. The rule aims to maintain a perfect balance of tones by choosing colors that mingle well with each other to create a subtle combo.
The dominant color should be applied to the most visible objects in the room, such as the walls and primary objects like a couch or bed. The secondary color should be chosen for its supporting role in the space, such as linens, curtains, area rugs, side chairs, and cushion sets.
When choosing the secondary color, ensure it blends well with the dominant color to create a blended look. The 60-30-10 Rule encourages choosing colors that will flow together and work in harmony, rather than taking over the entire color palette.
Is it cheaper to use an interior designer?
Most people would choose to work with an interior designer to create their perfect home due to their vast design expertise, resources, and time and stress savings. However, the cost of hiring an interior designer is often a barrier. An interior designer’s experience and expertise can prevent costly mistakes, such as ignoring practical components like dimensions and layout, which DIY renovators and designers often overlook. This can lead to expensive replacements or additional renovations.
An interior designer is trained to take these practical details into account, ensuring that the final product is functional and looks as desired. This prevents the need to buy a new couch or move a kitchen island due to unsuitable dimensions or layouts. Overall, hiring an interior designer can save money on your project and ensure a more enjoyable and functional home.
Why is home decor so expensive?
Heritage brands often have a strong reputation and a legacy of manufacturing skills, making high-end home décor more valuable. Early vintage pieces from these brands are worth more due to their quality and craftsmanship. However, vintage or antique furniture doesn’t necessarily have to be designed by a prominent brand. The quality of materials used in these pieces is a significant factor in their price and popularity.
In the past, solid wood and chemically untreated fabrics were the pinnacles of luxury furniture, but today, these materials are less common due to their higher cost. The cost of inferior materials is also higher, as they can be fabricated into similar-looking pieces at a fraction of the cost, but they won’t last as long or be as comfortable.
Who spends the most on home decor?
A recent study has revealed that Canadians spend the most on decorating annually, with the United States following closely behind at $7The mean expenditure on decorating is $744. 44. Mexico’s figure is $176. 54. Furthermore, South America exhibits a notable discrepancy, with Argentina exhibiting the highest expenditure at $580. The countries with the highest expenditure on home decoration are those of North America, with Canada spending the most at $92 and the United States spending the second-most at $744. 44. In contrast, the countries with the lowest expenditure are those of South America, with Bolivia spending the least at $64. 13.
What is the 2 3 rule in decorating?
A room may be divided into two sections, the larger of which is a 2:3 space and is intended for larger furniture items such as sofas, beds, or dining tables. The smaller of the two sections, which is also a 2:3 space, is designed to accommodate secondary items such as storage or seating. In order to achieve optimal organization, it is recommended that furniture be arranged in accordance with the 2:3 rule.
How do you make decor look expensive on a budget?
This post provides 30 ways to make your house look expensive and intentional on a budget. These include painting doors a contrasting color, adding molding, wall trim, or architectural details, going large with wall art, changing out hardware, decluttering, streamlining gallery walls, adding flowers or plants, and using white bed linens. The author cites TikTok for inspiration and shares a video of their foyer and dining room, which were the only rooms not covered in laundry at the time. These simple yet effective ways to make your home look expensive and intentional can save you money on your home improvement budget.
How can I decorate my room without spending too much money?
This article offers 16 creative ways to upgrade your bedroom without spending money. It discusses various ways to transform your bedroom into a stylish and comfortable oasis. One of the most cost-effective ways to do this is by rearranging your furniture. Experiment with different layouts, considering the flow and functionality of the room. For example, you could place your bed on a different wall or change its angle to create a more inviting atmosphere.
Additionally, focus on lighting, adding a statement wall, rearranging artwork, using textiles, incorporating nature, and decluttering and organizing. By following these tips, you can create a fresh and exciting makeover without breaking the bank.
How do you budget for decorating?
Setting a decorating budget is crucial for a successful home decoration project. It involves creating a wish list of desired improvements, estimating the investment, determining the actual costs of each item, pricing out labor and materials, defining priorities, building a cushion, and creating a detailed decorating plan. Establishing a budget helps set realistic goals and create a comfortable space without overspending.
By following these tips, you can create a space that you’ll love and enjoy the results of your decorating endeavors. Remember, every step in the process has its own magic, so be prepared to make the most of your decorating budget.
What is a realistic budget for interior design?
The cost of a home renovation or furnishings depends on the overall value of the home. A general rule of thumb is to allocate 7-10% of the home’s value for interior design expenses, with a focus on “Mid-Range” products. For “Designer” level finishes, budget around 25% of the home’s overall value. For example, for a $2 million home, a budget of $500, 000+ would be appropriate for decorating and designing the entire house at the “Designer” level.
However, it’s important to note that these prices do not include home renovation expenses, such as construction. Clients often add features or upgrade finishes as the design process progresses, increasing the scope and cost of the budget. To avoid unexpected overages or disappointed expectations, clients should add about 20 to their initial budget estimate. This will leave wiggle room for upgrades and allow for more accurate financial expectations.
Interior designers are professionals who can save homeowners money by providing a professional touch to their home design projects. For example, if a client budgets $500, 000 and adds 20, they’ll end up with an estimated budget of $600K, leaving plenty of room for any changes or upgrades.
What’s a good budget for interior decorating?
The cost of a home renovation or furnishings depends on the overall value of the home. A general rule of thumb is to allocate 7-10% of the home’s value for interior design expenses, with a focus on “Mid-Range” products. For “Designer” level finishes, budget around 25% of the home’s overall value. For example, for a $2 million home, a budget of $500, 000+ would be appropriate for decorating and designing the entire house at the “Designer” level.
However, it’s important to note that these prices do not include home renovation expenses, such as construction. Clients often add features or upgrade finishes as the design process progresses, increasing the scope and cost of the budget. To avoid unexpected overages or disappointed expectations, clients should add about 20 to their initial budget estimate. This will leave wiggle room for upgrades and allow for more accurate financial expectations.
Interior designers are professionals who can save homeowners money by providing a professional touch to their home design projects. For example, if a client budgets $500, 000 and adds 20, they’ll end up with an estimated budget of $600K, leaving plenty of room for any changes or upgrades.
📹 2 HACKS to save $$ on HOME DECOR
Can’t wait to share this one with you! ❤️ Caroline *** LINKS Meujri Rings! https://mejurifinecrew.sjv.io/oe1oJm …
Hey Caroline. I was wondering if I could make a article request? My father passed away this week and my mom’s place has become super cluttered and the space feels really sad. I really want to make it a project and revitalize the space so it feels new and fresh and happy. Would you ever consider doing a article on easy tips to refresh your space when you’re too depressed/low energy to redecorate? Thank you for this article and all the tips ❤
Hey Caroline, I just wanted you to know that you shouldn’t concern yourself about how frequently you post. If the rest of your subscribers are like me we are just glad to see you when we see you. Continue taking care of yourself you look great. Yes I am a 53 Year old black woman from Canada with a twelve-year-old and we both love perusal you.
Caroline, I owe you one. Actually about $75. I finally decided to make my small boring box of beige bathroom into something cool with wallpaper (after being convinced by makeover articles, also thanks to you). Managed to get a 20% off coupon with some slight sneaking, which is good since wallpaper prices are serious business! Who knows if you will see this but I just had to thank you for the inspiration and support in getting my ass out of this decorating rut.
HI Caroline, I LOVE you website, but when you mention getting a Reflexology treatment you are now in my heart forever. I am a licensed Reflexologist in North Dakota and I get asked all the time “What is Reflexology?” So, to have my favorite youtuber tell folks to save your money for a Reflexology Treatment I was over the moon! You’re the best, free session to you if ever in Noth Dakota!!! Thanks Marnie
Hi Caroline, designer here! Love your articles so much! I can weigh in on the second hack- the retailers you shop (west elm etc) do not generally produce their goods. Most are produced by manufacturers who sell to multiple retailers. The retailers then use the manufacturer’s MAP pricing (minimum advertised price) and MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) to price the goods. It’s not a conspiracy! Also, be cautious of who you order from, as some retailers (often ones you haven’t heard of in your search) are selling seconds (flawed items), knockoffs, using sketchy shipping companies, or have terrible (or non-existent) customer service and policies. The best price is not always the lowest one ; ).
I had never heard of this tips! I tend to thrift as much as I can (mostly for sustainability concerns but its also a good way to save money, and I like the randomness of “encounters” finding unique objects that can become statement pieces), but whenever I need to buy something new and on the more expensive side I’ll keep these tricks in mind!
I just came across your articles and I am obsessed! I am an interior enthusiast – I have helped my friends with their houses/staging etc but am not a professional, and I find the way you explain things so user-friendly and easy to adapt. I live in NZ, so our furniture options are much smaller than the US (incl thrifting), so it’s really inspiring to have design principles being shown that isn’t based on being rich or having access to certain shops. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙏
I do this stuff ALL the time!! Also there’s Rakuten (in Canada, maybe you have it in the US?) and if you shop the retailer through their portal, not I ly can you still apply the discount code for the retailer, but Rakuten gives you a % CASH back for your purchase. 2nd tip: I’ve noticed with some clothing retailers, if you buy something they give you a discount code after your purchase, to use within a cerain timeframe so you go back to them and keep shopping there… beat them at their greedy game by not buying multiple things at once. 🤑
Hi, Caroline! I’ve been perusal your articles since August of this year…they bring me joy! Would you ever consider making a article on how to use various tools around our home so we, too, can be as independent as you in painting, hanging art work, cutting wall paper, etc? Tips, tricks, how-to, what to be careful of, that sorta thing. Thanks for being such an inspiration while keeping it real. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! XOXO
Fellow hand fetishizer here 🙋🏼♀️I need to put it out there and say that Your articles give me life.Your authenticity and witt…the realness is unbearable and I am all here for it. I admire your set of balls and I’m always striving to grow my own little tinkerbells . Mad respect 🫡 I will be here,I’m staying, i will be perusal,admiring and cheering you on on your journey to your millions 🙌🏼
If you’ve been to the website once and seen the pop-up, but it does not display the second time you visit, it is likely there is a cookie in place preventing it from displaying again to prevent annoying the user, or it could be a choice to not show because it knows someone is returning to the website and that shows they are interested enough to do that. It’s all interesting (not lascivious). Going incognito isn’t a bad plan sometimes. Love the image search idea. I’m off to save money to burn on something else.
It’s Saturday = Caroline Time!!!!! We got two this week- what a treat! Please don’t ever worry about not posting. I feel fortunate for the time you choose to share with this community you have built. Taking care of yourself requires that you take time off as you need it. We will be here when you return. We ain’t going nowhere!!!! Have a safe week!!!!
@Caroline I don’t know if you’d still consider going into acting, but I totally see you as a Hallmark Movie actor…especially the Christmas ones! 🙂 You just have that wholesome, sweet but spicy way about you and I WISH you could get into that. I have no idea how and where you audition for Hallmark, but I think you’d be a shoo-in!
To people who have a spending problem: Please be aware that a 100 dollar discount still means that you lose 600 dollars for that rug. Please check thrift stores and local hardware/furniture stores (IKEA) first to see if they don’t have something that you would also like. Fancy looking things don’t have to be so expensive! Also remember that it’s always cheapest to NOT buy anything!
You are great! I just discovered you tonight and am trying to catch up on a few of your articles that are up my alley (which is all of them, lol). I usually don’t comment on stranger’s YouTube’s websites but I did want to take a minute to tell you I am glad I found you – you are funny, authentic, charming, and humble all rolled into one. Unique combo! Keep up the organizational and money saving shopping vids! If you haven’t already done any DIY vids I’d love to see those from you as well. Thanks again for sharing yourself with the world! Glad I found you!
Awesome tips! Also Google has baked the function into google search. That little multicolored camera icon in the search input field is google image search. You can just pick up and drag desired image on top of it from your search results or click the camera first. Your choice. You don’t need to screenshot or save the image anymore. Also, hovering over an image from your google search results in Chrome and right clicking (for all you non Mac users) will give you the option to search the image via google lens. This route will give you similar results. Going to use the incognito trick all the time now! Thanks.
I have another tip, for those who shop at places where they could actually pick it up in store. I discovered it through pizza delivery but managed to use that hack at a few stores so far❤ If there is a free delivery code, you punch it in. Then you go back to shopping, and change the option from ‘delivery’ to ‘pick up’. Checkout and go fetch your discounted purchase. Also, if you’re shopping on a website that offers weekly flyer deals, there is a special time slot between the last hours of one promo, and the first of the next. We call it MAGIC HOUR during which promos from both weeks would apply and ‘stack’ as we say in the frugal business❤
I’m not sure if this has been said but for some websites after you’ve added everything to your cart you enter all your information (If you’re comfortable with this) but DO NOT CHECK OUT. After a few hours you’ll get an email reminding you to check out and they usually will throw a discount code in there too. 😉
Great tips from you and the comment section. I’ve used some of them in the past but now I realize I’ve left a lot of money on the table by not using them for all my purchases. Savings that I could use for my ever-changing home decor and picture gallery obsession or up my charity donations. I do like your approach to design and money in general – really enjoyed the kitchen make-over.
I like also to use Honey, which is a coupon extension for my browser that will tell me if it is the best deal on the net or not and then often you can get money added to your Honey account and eventually you can get cash from them for saving money, while also getting coupon codes for your check out. It will go through all the many codes on the net and see which is the best deal. If they are all expired, they won’t use any, but it is really a wonderful tool and I have saved so much money (and gained some) from using it.
I recently learned about white label items, where the manufacturer churns out a ton of a certain item, and then allows other brands to put their name on them and sell the SAME EXACT PRODUCT for different prices. It makes me so mad, but ever since I learned about that – I’ve been deep dive searching the hard way. I cannot wait to do the Google Lens search from now on!!
As an avid online shopper, I do want to share that if something is waaaay cheaper, then it might be too good to be true. You can do a search for the “company name reviews.” I did this the other day for an incredible bookcase i saw on a Pinterest ad. It was 4k on some other sites, and like $100 on sale at this site. The “company,” had 1 star reviews, because it gave people the runaround or delivered a broken product and didn’t give them their money back.
Another tip for giving away your info – in addition to a spare email, you can get a “digital phone number” (VoIP) from various places like Google Voice, Twilio, Ring Central, lots of places. You can make and receive calls, get voicemail, and get texts an everything in case you need to verify the number, but as long as you don’t set it to forward to your real phone you can let the inevitable spam calls from those sites selling phone # lists to 3rd parties go into an abyss and be ignored and not bother you.
Tip #2 just saved me $100 on a product I already purchased 2 days ago. I wanted to test out Google Lens myself and used a photo of a bookshelf that I had just ordered. It pulled up all of the relevant sites just like it was supposed to. Lo and behold, the site I purchased from was running a sale that WASN’T going on during Cyber Monday. Called the store and got the price adjusted, so now I have money back in my wallet!
To anyone who wants the discount code but is not so eager to share information: if you’re in Europe, or if you’re buying on an European website, you are covered by the GDPR which mean you have a right to erasure. This means you can 1) share your info, 2) get the discount and make your purchase and 3) ask the DPO of the company to erase your information from their files. Et voilà 😉
Fantastic. Thank you so much!!! This is going to save me so much freaking time. I am that person who will go to EVERY DAMN site/store and compare to an obsessive degree before I make a purchase and I drive everyone in my life, including myself, bananas because it takes so much time!! I’ll be able to do it in minutes now!!! 😘
Anka D 0 seconds ago Thank you for the hacks!!! Question/potential article idea: would you review/suggest ways to display/store ? I struggle with this because I’m not so into the bookshelf or one dedicated place, but there’s gotta be cool creative ways to display books. (Full disclosure I also asked this question to Paige Wassel, who I discovered you through!)
It’s a special challenge to make me laugh twice on a ‘how to grab discounts’ article. I’ve done some of this, but without the skill and efficiency you have. Another thing I’ve noticed: if you head your cursor to close the window, a discount pops up. The reverse may be true for plane tickets- not sure, but seems if you search and come back, even very soon, the prices are much higher.
These 2 hacks were AMAZING! THANK YOU! Does everyone know about “Snipping Tool” on Windows? That “app” allows you to get an image of PART of the screen, if that’s what you want. It saves it to a buffer area. I usually open a PAINT window and PASTE it there. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, your sponsors are cool, so I don’t mind perusal your ads. Good job, Caroline!
Caroline, I just found you on youtube and have been binging on you, your authentic transparency is a fresh breeze girl. Unrelated question- Can you speak to COZINESS? I am renting a one hundred year old water front cottage and the main space has vaulted ceilings and loads of glass. I can’t figure out how to make the space feel intimate. Also, it is a multi use main room, artist studio/living space. HELP!
In a certain online store I realized the following: the store would give me the pop-up discount of 10% or 15% and I would put the product in my virtual bag without actually completing the purchase. Later that day, I would receive an email “remembering” me about forgotten products waiting for a purchase. After ignoring this, in the following day I would receive another email with an additional discount to finalize the purchase. Bingo! 😅
I realize this is an older article but you can also search for an item by its name. Had to edit here because I remembered that this doesn’t always work. Sometimes it’s called something else on another site. My torture device of a couch was selling between $120 – $350. So I bought it from the site that had it for $120.
I get those discount popup windows even when browsing normally, not incognito/private. I get them whenever I visit a site for the first time – they’re always in exchange for getting on their email mailing list (which is easy to unsubscribe from after purchasing my item, of course). I thought everybody did? 🤷🏼♀️
I feel like I’m going crazy. I’ve been looking for a article where Caroline’s dad plays the cello (I believe) and at the end of the article there’s this BEAUTIFUL montage of family footage with the cello music in the background. It made me weep the first time I watched it and I wanted to watch again, but I can’t find it. Does anyone know what the article was called?
Your here talking about decor (which I love) which might be a bit first world but in reality your just a really great investigator. Can you investigate someone for me? lol jk your awesome!!! Keep up the articles. I cant even decorate as I live out of hotels but perusal you for my future decorating endeavors and because you have a great personality. You are my morning coffee buddy today.
I will enjoy and laugh at your podcast. I think this is a good outlet for you. I like you on utube also. I would like to see you do more interior design, you are good at design. After seeing all your pics as you were growing up, I will say… you get prettier the older you get. I think you will do quite well alone or with your childhood friend. Thanks, you definitely are a great communicator. People who said they didnt understand you, have brain issues!!! Better than medium girl. Mother of 2 age 71/ masters degree
Oh wow about the private window i thought it just concerned travel websites (trains, planes) btw for people who don’t know, it happens indeed that if you keep checking a travel website they start to raise prices just to give you the urge to buy… if so, just check prices on a private window…thank me later 😅
Great tips! My other favourite online money saving tip I feel like not many people know is Google can alert you when an item goes on sale if you ask it to. Search for item > go to shopping tab > click on the the item (not in the very top sponsored panel which takes you straight to the websites but in one the item tiles under that) > there is then an option to track the item price > google will then send you a notification when the price drops anywhere across the web 🤑 I like to have them set for my running shoes, work pants and other things I need to replace semi regularly to I can buy them when they are cheap. Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful for corners of the internet like this where genuineness exists and people are positive and kind✨
Being a thrifty bitch is like a genetic trait in my family… My favourite hack is to go on 1st Dibs, drool over the gorgeous intricate wooden antiques…and then show the images to a local carpenter to recreate / reimagine. Works wonderfully well to get the feel of a piece when you absolutely do not have 10 grand to buy an armoire.
What I also often do is search the EAN code. Every item has their own EAN code and you can just select it and then right-click ‘search Google’s it. I am guessing the big news next week will be Patreon? I absolutely hate Patreon (for several reasons) and have been loosing a lot of my favourite YouTubers to it.. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand them, and good for them, but I just can’t afford It ☹️ especially now so many are jumping on the Patreon bandwagon. But I hope I am be wrong, if so just ignore this comment! Is it just me, or is the audio out of sync? First time I watched it, it started going off around halfway the article (after the first set mid-video-commercials), and the same when I tried perusal it again.