Beauty on a Budget

It's not always easy to decorate on a small budget, but it is possible!  Our budget for the entire guest bedroom/nursery makeover was $500, including furniture.  To accomplish this, I used six different tactics. 

1.  Start out by browsing designer rooms to get inspiration and ideas.  Familiarizing yourself with high-end looks will enable you to spot budget look-a-likes.

2.  Reuse as many items as possible from the previous room and the rest of the house. 

3.  Frequently scour thrift stores and consignment shops.

4.  Shop yard sales, Craigslist, Ebay, etc.

5.  Check out home decor discount stores such as T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, etc.

6.  Don't be afraid to use spray paint! ;)

Here's a breakdown of the budget for the guest bedroom side.  We already had the headboard, which was a DIY project from a few years ago, I just recovered it.  The chandelier and navy blanket were also items we already had.  The side tables were handed down from my mom and painted pink. :)

Mirror - Martha Stewart Home for Home Depot

Curtains - Target, 95" for $12.99 a panel

Fabric for headboard - Waverly curtain panel from Lowe's

Pink pillows - Ross

Trellis pillows - Target

Coverlet - T.J. Maxx

Lampshade - Lowe's

Lamp base - Goodwill (spray painted white)

And here's a before and after picture that shows the complete transformation:

All for under $200!  With a little creative thinking, a little DIY craftiness, and a lot of budget brainstorming, it is possible to design on a dime!  Or in our case, a penny! ;)

Before and After: Guest Bedroom Update

So, we are finally nearing completion on the guest bedroom!  There's only one small DIY project that I'm still considering! :)  And we're under budget, too!  Here are some before and after pictures of the various transitions the guest room has gone through.  The first picture is from the builder, so it's not our exact room.  The only difference is that we have a double window.  The after picture is how it looked after we first moved in and decorated.  The third picture is how the room stayed for about two years, and the last picture is how it looks now! :)

And stay tuned for the nursery reveal that will be coming soon! :)

Bag Lady

I've seen some great organization tips on Pinterest that really get my OCD blood pumping!  There are so many inexpensive ways to organize every aspect of your house, and that is just so exciting to me! :)  Oh, the things that bring joy to a neat freak! ;)  I just recently saw a tip for using a shower curtain rod and rings for purse storage, and this is something I did almost three years ago when we moved into our new home and I found myself with an empty closet.  Here's the picture from Pinterest:

and here's my version :)

My next project is to find a good system for my jewelry.  I have a jewelry armoire that I use for my rings, earrings, bracelets, and more delicate necklaces.  My problem is the multitude of fashion jewelry that has now taken over four shelves in our linen closet. :)  It is organized by color, but it's just taking up too much space right now!  Have any of you found a good system for storing big, chunky jewelry? :)

Sneak Peek

Ok, let me preface this post by saying that we are definitely not done yet!  We still have work to do, but we have made some progress, thank goodness!  We're down to two weeks until my due date, so we don't have much time left! :)  Here's a glimpse of the guest bedroom:

and here's the bookshelf on Cole's side:

Well, that's all for now, folks! ;)  Hopefully there will be more to come soon! :)