Making the most with what you have
There were quite a few design bloggers who watched and wrote about the show ‘Million Dollar Decorators’. I watched one episode but never got around to watching the entire season. The reason I am bringing this show up is because I really wonder how well “million dollar decorators” would do when forced to use a very tight budget and some not-so-high-end pieces. Truth is, most of us aren’t millionaires and we don’t have the ability to go buy all new beautiful high end pieces to curate our home with. In most cases we just have to work with what we have. This is even usually the case with decorators!
My husband and I recently moved into our home (May of last year). We are your typical twenty-something couple early in our careers and we don’t have a huge disposable income. I’ve been decorating our home slowly but surely, doing what I can when I can. Even though I believe your home should be amazing and make you happy, I don’t believe going into debt just to buy a piece of furniture.
Here is an example – my husband and I bought our sleigh bed back in 2006. In fact, we bought the entire bedroom suite. However, as my tastes evolved and changed over the years, I no longer liked the furniture. As I recently decorated our current master bedroom, I sold the nightstands and dresser, but the sleigh bed had to stay. A new bed is expensive, especially one of quality. So I’m working with what I have – the sleigh bed.
I worked the old bed into the new room, using cool colors to offset the warm bed. I replace the previous nightstands with softer skirted tables, and added some color with a new painted dresser. Even though I don’t LOVE our old bed, I do love our new bedroom. And someday, when the budget allows, I can get a new bed.
Another example is our TV stand. Sure, I would love this beautiful bamboo TV console from Noir, but the cost is $1,875.
So instead, I purchased this vintage piece at an auction for $60. Is that a price difference or what?
Someday I hope to get a new sofa for our family room. This one would be wonderful:
It’s by Lee Industries; they really make the best sofas. BUT they are priced in the thousands. Until we can afford the sofa we desire, we use this hand-me-down sofa that was FREE!
Sure, there will always be bigger and better things that we all want to fill our homes (and lives) with. But that’s why you must create your home with intention. Be intentional about what you bring into your home. Make sure you can afford it (with CASH. No credit.) If you cannot afford it, work with what you have until you can (like I did with my sleigh bed). Find pieces you love even if they aren’t what you dream of (i.e. I really love our $60 TV stand, even though it’s not the Noir piece).
When you start living this way, you’ll really start to love your home!
August 25th, 2011 at 7:11 am
bryn–i always love your stuff! and your bedroom now is so great. good job working within your limitations…i think that makes us all the more creative.
August 25th, 2011 at 7:46 am
This is a fantastic post. It’s always so tempting to get caught up in what we WANT rather than being honest about our (financial) limits and not living above our means. I love Bryn’s real-life examples from her home & her honesty. Very refreshing!
August 25th, 2011 at 8:41 am
I agree- I really needed to hear this. I’ve been in nesting mania as we’re expecting our second child and what I really need is a dose of perspective, not more stuff! Thanks for this reminder, Bryn!
August 25th, 2011 at 8:46 am
I love this post, this has been on my mind a lot lately because I am studying interior decorating, but have a very low budget at the moment. Thanks for sharing these examples, Bryn, it was great to see how your worked your bed into your beautiful bedroom in a way that made you love your room even if you don’t love the bed.
August 25th, 2011 at 10:29 am
I agree with Bryn – making the most out of what you have allows you to view your resources differently and forces you to be creative. Buying new is easy, rethinking your current furniture….well that takes imagination
August 25th, 2011 at 10:55 am
I love this kind of decorating because it is so much more realistic for the majority of us home decorators. I’m on a very tight budget and have found very creative ways to work with what we have, and adding new pieces when we can afford them.
August 25th, 2011 at 11:04 am
What a great post! I really like the small sofa in the bedroom – where did you find that? Also a secondhand find?? Looking forward to your next post!
August 25th, 2011 at 11:13 am
Such great advice. And it really applies no matter how much disposable income you have. Even though we are doing better now than when we were first starting out, I still bargain hunt for our home. And we still have hand me down pieces that we use.
Love your bedroom!
August 25th, 2011 at 11:57 am
Love this post. I feel there is such a culture of spend, spend, spend and live outside of your means that it’s great when you hear someone appreciating what they have and making it fabulous. Creativity and ingenuity doesn’t cost a thing, but gives you great satisfaction when you create something out fabulous out of nothing. Great job, Bryn.
August 25th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Anna,
Yes the little settee was a thrifting find! I just painted it white and had it reupholstered for around $250.
Thank you all for the kind words!
August 25th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
I really enjoyed reading this allot!
My fiancée and I just moved into a new apartment and I have been struggling with decorating on a budget. Honestly, I have to be reminded on a regular basis (by my fiancée) that we should be conscious of the money I/we spend on items to furnish our new apartment… which I kind of find humorous because from an outsiders perspective it would appear that she would be more inclined to buy the more expensive items… Needless to say, I’ve learned to navigate both craigslist and thrift stores to find deals that won’t hurt our pocket as much. In addition, when painting items like a desk, dresser, or coffee table I have found comfort in personalizing it and making “new.” It is pretty amazing what color can do if you let you imagination take the wheel (as everyone can see by your bedroom “facelift,” which looks amazing BTW).
Bryn, I have to applaud you on that T.V. stand! It looks amazing and better than the more expensive one in my opinion.
I’ve never posted any comments on this site… I usually just enjoy reading them but I couldn’t resist.
Thanks for listening to my gibber gabber!
Also, are you going to tell us the auction site where you purchased your vintage T.V. Stand?
Secrets don’t make friends…
August 26th, 2011 at 8:51 am
Bryn… I LOVE your bedroom makeover! It looks beautiful…so different than the before. The before looks like it’s out of a furniture catalog. The AFTER picture looks like home, it’s cozy and warm and inviting. I love the night tables with that Fabric!!! So lovely. What kind of tables did you use under there? I even like the bed in the AFTER picture somehow… see how good you are!!!
I also love the painted dresser and settee at the end of the bed.
It’s an eclectic mix of perfection!
Jennifer
August 28th, 2011 at 8:28 am
We have the same bed!!! But mine came with my boyfriend and he has let it be known its not going anywhere soon. I LOVE how you changed the other elements in the room, making the bed look new and intentional. Beautifully done!
August 30th, 2011 at 11:31 am
I have the same dresser you bought at auction for $60 and love it. Mine was my grandparents that has been passed down and judging for the weight of it (boy is it heavy), it will be here long after we are all gone.