Blog by Beebe Cline, PREC*

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Budget Decorator: Shop Your Home for a New Look

I love switching things up at home and experimenting with decorating styles, but like most of us, my decorating budget does not allow for purchases made on a whim. Instead of spending money (and cluttering up my home with more stuff), when I want a change I first try to use what I have in a fresh way. From new furniture arrangements and easy DIY makeovers to ideas for creative reuse, there are many ways to update your space that do not require cash. If you are ready for a home makeover without spending a dime, it’s time to shop your house.

Also known as “use what you have” decorating, shopping your house entails searching your own home for forgotten treasures and looking at what you already use with fresh eyes. Get started with these three steps:
  1. Do a walk-through of your home, exploring every nook and cranny for forgotten items. Note anything you would like to have repaired.
  2. Take photographs of everything. It is easier and faster to see what will work where if you can hold up a picture, rather than dragging furniture from room to room.
  3. Remember to remove, not just add, items. If a piece of furniture or a decor item has been rubbing you the wrong way, move it out, try it in a different room, paint it or sell it — but don’t let it just sit there.
Here are 12 creative ways to kick off your shop-your-home makeover. Feel free to add your own ideas to the mix in the Comments section.
Need more workspace? Use an old dining table as a desk. If you have an old dining table you no longer use, consider swapping it with your desk for more room to spread out. Also, be honest about how you use (and how you wished you used) your home. If you hardly ever use your formal dining room but seriously need more space to dedicate to your home business, why not give in and make your dining room the office? On the rare occasion you want to host a dinner party, you can always clear away your work materials.

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