Inexpensive Home Décor

Paint goes a long way and is cheap. Do not limit yourself to painting walls. Many different things can be painted to give them a whole new life, especially if you use white.

If you like the "'shabby chic" look, you can do wonders with a couple of cans of white paint. Buy an old dresser from a second hand store and give it a new lease on life by painting it white and changing the handles.

Paint your kitchen cabinets instead of getting new ones. If the cabinets are laminated, use a primer first and then paint over the primer using high gloss paint. It may take a few coats to cover the cabinets completely but once they are finished, you will have a brand new kitchen. To complete the transformation, all you need to do is change the drawer and cabinet handles, which are easily available at any hardware store.

Do you have old tile in the bathroom that looks unsightly? Paint it. Yes, you can paint tiles too. You just need to prime it first and then give it a few coats of paint and a sealer. It will look as if you have a whole new floor and it won't cost you more than $50. Make sure you use high gloss paint as well as a sealer.

No need to renovate your entire floor or buy wall to wall carpeting. Area rugs are an affordable way to brighten your floors. Throw them in high traffic areas to save your carpet underneath or use them to hide 'tired' patches of floor. And if you have not looked at rugs for a while, then you are in for a treat. They come in every color, texture and shade imaginable from modern bamboo area rugs to traditional oriental area rugs and everything in between.

Do not be hampered by convention. Years ago, it was antique satin draperies and nothing else. Today, there are a variety of options. Why not use inexpensive blinds for privacy and use a curtain pole for décor? You can drape the pole in any type of fabric to match the colors in your room.

Dress up an old sofa and loveseat with inexpensive slip covers. Gather a bunch of pillows in different colors and it looks as if you have a whole new room. Pillows do not necessarily have to match. Choose two colors that you like and pick pillows in that shade to pull the room together.

So you're no Van Gogh and that's okay. You can still have original art that can decorate your home without having to resort to cheap reproductions of reproductions.

Make a photo collage. All you need to do is cut out various photos of momentous occasions; photographs of yourself as well as your family and friends. Then stick these photos onto a large board. Finish off your work of art with backing and a frame that is easily available in any craft store. You are now the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind original masterpiece that is priceless. There is no law that says all artwork has to come from a store.

You can make $100 go a long way by using your imagination and thinking outside of the box.