In my last blog about my daughter's rental property, the main living room was unfinished, but on its way to becoming a place that she could call home. In the ensuing months she and I have worked to create a homey feel on a very tight budget. The first thing we installed were her bamboo shades. An inexpensive choice for a room with a large window but also an attractive one. With a little help, my daughter found blinds that she liked on sale, saving her about $200. The shades add texture and color while providing much needed privacy from the street.

The next item on the to-do list was a rug.  Rugs can be expensive with custom rugs costing thousands of dollars. An expensive rug was impractical for a young woman starting out and impossible on a budget from a just-out-of-college job. However, the space really needed the warmth and softness that a rug provides. Instead of a ready made rug we purchased a carpet remnant and had it cut and bound to perfectly fit the space.

Our next step was to add curtains to give this small space some height. I love curtains because they are a great way to add color and pattern and can really make a room feel finished.  We worked to find the perfect fabric.  With a little research and time we managed to find her dream fabric discounted by $15 a yard, saving her around $100 in the end. Having a pair of side panels made is not terribly expensive but they make such a difference! We were careful to make her curtains in a size that would work in any space with 8' ceilings. When she moves onto her next home, she will have curtains that she can use again. I purchased the curtain hardware on clearance from one of my suppliers, saving about 50%.

With some time, effort, and a little bit of luck, the space came together to create a modern room for a young woman. The final result is a comfortable, custom-looking space that my daughter is proud to call her first home and we didn't bust the budget!

When people see beautiful pictures of a professionally decorated home they often think that they could never afford to hire a decorator. Many people believe that to afford a decorator you have to be wealthy but a home can be beautifully decorated on a small budget with smart choices and carefully selected pieces. Good decorators work together with their clients and their client's budgets to create a beautiful and functional space.

Recently I had the opportunity of working with a wonderful young couple buying and furnishing their first home. They had a small budget and they wanted to hire a decorator to help with much of the first floor of their house. The wife told me that she had interviewed several decorators that didn't want to work with her because the budget was too small but I was up for the challenge.  I am glad I took the job because they were wonderful clients and we all loved the results!

To furnish the living area, dining area and foyer within our budget, we used readily available pieces from a variety of retail and resale sources, nothing custom. We skipped drapes in the main area, but brought them into the front hall for big impact. These ready made drapes bring in some color and accentuate the height of the two story foyer. A large hanging light fixture also emphasizes the ceiling height while adding a bit of 'wow'.

In the dining space, two host chairs were placed at either end of the dining table for color, and antique store chairs (only $40 each!) were used along the sides of the table allowing seating for up to eight people. The oval table has a soft gray finish which relates to the gray sofas in the living area. Replacing the builder-grade chandelier with something prettier was the finishing touch.

We chose two sofas for the living area, a bit of nailhead trim makes these budget friendly sofas look more high end.  One pricey accent pillow on a sofa is surrounded by more budget friendly finds. An accent chair in a bold floral pattern brings in a bit of fun.  The media console was our biggest splurge and way over budget but we all felt it was the perfect piece for the room.  Finishing touches include a trellis pattern rug, blue-gray lamps and a silver garden stool to bring in a little shine.

 Overall, we came in right on budget.  We were able to offset our media console "splurge" by staying under budget on other pieces. I think this project proves that a space can be functional, pretty, and affordable!

So can you afford a decorator? The answer may be "Yes"! You don't know until you ask. If you have a room that needs decorating, you have to be realistic about what furnishings cost. But, with some savvy shopping, you can work within your budget, and have a better result, thanks to a decorator. Think of a decorator as an investment in your home. You want your investment to look its best, and a decorator helps you to accomplish that, even on a small budget.

Before Painting

When my daughter first moved into her little rental property it had just been entirely renovated by one of our neighbors (her new landlord). Predictably, he painted all the walls in the entire house the same peachy beige color. Now, if you know anything about me you know that I love color, and this preference has rubbed off on my daughter. Luckily, we have a landlord who is very accommodating, and he gave us permission  to paint the walls.

The Primary Wall Color

After: Walls Painted In Living Area

The first room we went to work on was her bedroom.  Often bedrooms are saved for last in a home, but we didn’t want that to happen. So before we did anything we painted her room a soft, green color to match her bedding and style. With that easily completed in an afternoon, we moved on to the living area. Here we decided to go with a light aqua blue. This soft blue can appear to be almost robin’s egg in the daylight, and at night appears sea foam green. Finally, we painted an accent wall in her dining area to create separation from the main living space. Here we got to have a little fun with color. While it’s obvious from my decorating that I love blue and all its variations, it’s safe to say that my daughter loves blues and greens as well. She chose a vibrant teal for the accent wall.

The addition of a mid-century modern dining set (an antique store find) updated with some vintage fabric (also an antique store find) gave her a cute and colorful dining space for her tiny 50s home.

After: Accent Wall