Last Monday we moved into our new house and since then I’ve been busy decorating it while also flooding my Instagram feed with photos of my new purchases. Because, you know, multi-tasking is something I’m quite good at!
Now while I adore pretty things, I’m notoriously tight when it comes to buying new furniture. Mostly because we move houses more often than a grey nomad hooks up his Jayco and each new house seems to require an entirely different colour scheme.
Our last place for example, was very much suited to a black and white decor, while this new place lends itself well to a more relaxed neutral style. Think hamptons chic…but without the price tag!
And after sharing this image on the blog’s Facebook page yesterday of a side table I picked up from Fantastic Furniture for the bargain price of $65, it seems a lot of you would like to know my tips for how to decorate on a budget. So here they are!
How To Decorate On A Budget:
1. Don’t be a furniture snob! I mean who cares what sort of shop your furniture comes from? Not me, that’s for sure! If it looks good and the price is right, then buy it. Don’t be fooled into thinking that if you purchase your furniture from some swanky high end designer shop that creates bespoke one off pieces, it will somehow make you a better person with a better house than the person living next door to you. It won’t.
‘Rocket’ stools: $25 each from Super AMart
blue rug: $29 from Kmart (yes, I should’ve given it a good yank at the end before I took the photo. Soz about that!)
‘Clouds’ Coffee Table: $399 from Super AMart (although I got them down to $349…not much of a saving, but better than paying full price) Also, I should mention that this very same coffee table is currently in stock at another much more expensive store for a couple of hundred dollars more!
All other items seen in the photo were already ours, which brings me to my second point:
2. Don’t be afraid to mix old purchases with new purchases! I already had cushions, so what’s the point in buying new ones? And while I’d love a new couch in a lighter colour, there’s nothing wrong with the one we’ve got, so it will do for now!
3. Flat packs are the devils work, but they’re cheaper than buying ready made!
Scott has been working like a flat pack machine this week, putting together all the new things I’ve bought. I know you pretty much require a double degree in origami, carpentry AND map reading to put the damn things together, but doing so will definitely save you a few bucks.
Here’s what flat pack items I’ve tortured Scott with I’ve purchased so far:
Single Trundle Bed: $499 from Super AMart (got them to knock 50 bucks off this one too) From memory, it only took Scott and his assistant, Bailey, 1.5 hours and 3 swear words (Scott, not Bailey) to put together.
Borderline retina burning quilt set, $14 from Kmart
Pineapple cushion, $30 from The Brown Trading Co.
Styling and bed making is all Sophie’s own work.
MICKE Desk: $99 from IKEA
Shadow boxes and canvas purchased from Kmart ($12 and $9 respectively)
Love Heart Light: a gift from Pam, purchased from Typo
Chair: purchased from Freedom a couple of years ago
‘Noosa’ console: $65 from Fantastic Furniture (available in white or brown)
Sorrento Serving Bowl in Duck Egg Blue Bowl: $5.29 from Freedom Furniture
All other accessories were previous purchases. Flowers were a housewarming gift from a friend.
4. Don’t pay for delivery! If you can, shove those flat packs in the boot of your car. It’ll save you at least 80 bucks in delivery and you won’t be stuck at home waiting for the delivery which usually happens anytime during the very convenient window of 7am and 6pm.
5. Small accessories make a big difference! I picked up this cute bamboo tray from Spotlight for $8, added a set of fancy hand wash I picked up in the Christmas stocktake sales and a candle given to us by our real estate agent and BAM! I’ve got myself a lovely little bathroom vignette. Not that I actually know what that word means or how to pronounce it, but it sounds about as fancy as that little tray now looks!
Meanwhile, in the kid’s bathroom, Sophie chose this gorgeous little aqua mason jar bathroom set from Kmart for the bargain price of $7! It adds a pop of colour and has everybody asking, “Where did you get that?!”
If that brand spanking new look isn’t quite your thing when it comes to decorating on a budget, you might like to try up-cycling old furniture pieces by giving them a lick of paint, trawling through local op shop stores for furniture at bargain prices, checking out sites like Gum Tree or Ebay or having a look at garage sales in your area. I’ve done all of those things over the years and have found some great bits and pieces along the way!
So there you have it. My Top Tips for How To Decorate On A Budget. If there’s anything in this post that you like the look of and end up buying, I’d love to know! If you’re on Instagram, you can even use the hashtag #shoppingwithkirstenandco so I can see your purchases straight away.
In the meantime, do you have any other tips to add? I’d love to read them!
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