10 Best Budget Decorating Ideas for Newlyweds

You’ve just tied the knot, paid for the honeymoon and purchased the house of your dreams. You’ve also smartly invested in a home warranty to cover breakdowns of major home systems and appliances. So right now may not seem like the best time to tackle an extensive home decorating project. Or is it? With these easy and inexpensive decorating tricks from the pros, you can create a beautiful and comfortable living space as you begin your lives together.

1. Spruce Up the Front Door

Your front door is the first impression guests have of your new house, and you want to make the most of it. Paint the door in eye-catching high gloss paint. Classic color choices include bright red, black or blue. If you want your door to be distinctive and make a big welcoming statement, use orange or yellow. These vibrant colors symbolize happiness and hospitality.

2. Buy Secondhand

Purchasing furniture pieces and accessories from flea markets, yard sales and thrift stores isn’t entirely about saving money. Buying inexpensive secondhand pieces gives you the latitude to follow the latest trends. It is also an excellent way to deal with your evolving design preferences. Your taste as a couple will likely go through a number of changes before you settle into your personal style.

3. Create a Gallery Wall

Purchase an assortment of cheap picture frames from the flea market or local discount store to create a focal point. Select a variety of sizes, shapes and styles to cover the entire wall behind your sofa. Make your gallery even more impressive by painting the frames a consistent color such as all black, white, gray or gold. Remove the existing art and replace with black and white photos, botanical images from a calendar, or your own creations.

4. Update Outdated Finishes

Update finishes around the house with a fresh coat of paint and a few easy tweaks. Take that ugly brass chandelier in the dining room and spray it with satin nickel paint. Revive kitchen cabinets from the 1960s by painting them white, adding new hardware and installing glass doors. Cut out the center panel of the cabinet door and replace it with clear or seeded glass inserts. Refresh switch plates and outlet covers. It’s easy to change damaged or dirty ones with clean, new replacements.

5. Bring in Fabric

You don’t need to undertake a major redesign to add style to your home. A little bit of fabric will breathe life into any space. Fabrics are a great way to bring color and texture into your home. Inexpensive throw pillows on the sofa or new dining chair pads add instant pops of color. Fabric store remnants, clearance bed sheets or tablecloths can be fashioned into placemats, shower curtains, window treatments and dinner napkins. If you have an upholstered chair with good bones but tired fabric, consider making a slipcover to highlight its beauty and extend its life.

6. Keep Walls Neutral

If you are choosing colors and painting walls for the first time, stick with neutrals like gray, beige or taupe to maintain a comfortable flow throughout the house. Light, neutral colors allow for flexibility when choosing furniture and accessories. If neither of you is comfortable picking paint colors try this trick: select a paint strip in a color family you like. Go with one of the lighter tones then move up and down a shade or two to create subtle variation from room to room.

7. Embrace the Minimal Look

When you’re starting out, it’s tempting to buy everything you want at one time to fill up space. You may be home décor fanatics, but resist the urge to fall into a clutter trap. Keep things clean and simple. Take your time and purchase items that you love. This way your furnishings will look like a natural extension of your personalities.

8. Add Plants to Your Design

Including plants in your interior design adds visual interest to your rooms. Potted plants, floral arrangements or a simple herb garden will add life and fragrance to your home. Indoor plants are also beneficial to your health. They release oxygen, increase humidity levels and purify the air.

9. Create Inexpensive Architectural Details

Create architecture where none exists. Use painter’s tape to make painted crown molding or a classic chair rail effect. Employ the same technique to create the illusion of picture frame molding on expansive walls. With faux molding you add dimension and traditional appeal for very little money.

10. Brighten Rooms With Mirrors

Mirrors make a space brighter by reflecting light. Interior designers suggest hanging mirrors on walls adjacent to windows rather than directly across from them. Mirrors can also make a cramped room appear larger by doubling what the eye perceives to be additional space.