Everyone is looking to save a little or maybe a lot.  We hear the news on our economy and things aren’t great.  Here are my ways for the decorating junkie to get a fix and save a penny at the same time. 

GOODWILL HUNTING- The best buys can be found at your area Goodwill.  Always shop at the better part of town and you can pick up pieces that cost pennies is comparison to their retail price.  For example, I wanted the dark chocolate bookcase that Target sells for $139 and has to be assembled once I managed to get it home.  I went in early one Tuesday morning and there it sat, the same shelves for $35.00 and already assembled.  No act of Congress would have let me leave those shelves behind.  Furniture that needs a coat of paint, mix and match plates for the wall, window treatments, blinds all for half or more of their original cost can be yours. Target is just one of the big box stores that contribute to Goodwill when they mark down and donate. 

RETHINK YOUR SPACE- We are comfortable looking at the same chair in the same place and nothing gets moved around.  Take the chair from your master bedroom and bring it into another room.  Add a cute end table and lamp and you have a new reading nook.  Start with something simple like the foyer.  Move in a bench that was used in the kids room and add some pillows.  Hang a mirror or a new piece of art.  Mix it up and rethink what you have and you haven’t spent a dime.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

CHANGE OUT THE CHEAP STUFF- A lot of the accessories like pillows, throws, lampshades and sometimes artwork are inexpensive, easy to find and make a powerful punch.  If your basic palette is neutral, changing the accessories is a quick trip to the store and one hour of setting the stage for a completely new look.  The window treatment market has expanded to allow anyones budget a fast fix on covering those windows.  I love the look of bamboo shades and panels hung on either side.  The shades are readymade in many sizes and can be found for as low as $25.00.  The panels are in beautiful fabrics and your biggest problem would be deciding on a color or style.  Check out Home Depot or Target for the best deals on both.

PLANTS- Now that we are spending so much time indoors, bring some green into your life with houseplants.  There are plants for everyone and some would take a bolt of electricity to kill them.  Go to a quality greenhouse and ask questions.  Tell them your lighting in the room, how much time you can spend on maintence and they will guide you in the right direction.

POTTERY BARN WANNABE?- Does every new issue of Pottery Barn make you have “visions of monogramming dancing in your head”?  If so, don’t despair, there is a solution.  There are 3 big items that Pottery Barn grabs us in every issue and I have the cheap fix for your addiction. 
  * The largest horizontal and vertical space is what grabs your attention first.  Paint that Pottery Barn covers on their walls are Benjamin Moore paints and they have special displays in the stores to promote that.  Remember that the color will look different on your wall than it does in the catalog so take home a chip and try it.  The horizontal space is the floor and even if you hate what you have, an area rug will change the look for the better.  Their rugs may start around $800 but you can find area rugs for $200 that make the same impact but will not be 100% wool or cost $65 to ship it.  Again check Home Depot for great selection and prices.
  * Artwork and accessories- Use what you have but rethink the matting and possibly the frames.  Large, all white mats are the majority of what you see in the catalog and black or chocolate colored wood frames and brushed nickle are very hot for picture frames.  Take them to an area frame shop or use the ready made mats that Michael’s and Ben Franklin sell and you will have a new look in no time.  Think BIG mats for the impact.
    * Beautiful linens- Pottery Barn’s style is classic and if you want a hotel feel to your bedroom think white sheets(the best you can afford),a soft blanket and a fat, fluffy comforter.  Clean lined, crisp and to add the details think monogramming.  It isn’t as expensive as you think.  My embroider charges about $10.00 for 3 initials and I do them for the pillows for a custom, tailored look.
   
If this doesn’t get your creative juices flowing, call me and we can set up a time for a hour consultation that will leave you with a list of things to work on during the long, cold winter. 
Happy Decorating-
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