Hi, my honeys! I get a ton of comments on Facebook and Instagram that say "I wish I could afford to decorate my house like you are right now", or "I live in an apartment, and I don't think I can really update my space". Well, I'm here to tell you, you can, and affordably at that. Y'all, when I say I had to get really creative over the years to decorate our space without breaking the bank, I mean it. We lived in four rental apartments before buying our small, cozy home in 2015. We also bought our home the month we got married, so you can imagine our budget was really tight when it came to decorating our home. Here are a few tips and tricks I've found along the way to update your space or add design elements without breaking the bank!
1. SWAP OUT OR ADD LIGHT FIXTURES
I don't know why, but I think this is often overlooked when decorating a space. It's probably the most cost effective, easy way to update your space. It helps if you know an electrician or have a handy significant other, but you can also use apps like Task Rabbit to hire local handymen to swap out the light fixture for you. Look for an electrician or handyman with electrical experience who charges by the hour, because most light fixtures will only take an hour to swap out! When we moved into our home, we swapped out almost every light fixture, one at a time when we could afford it.
The best part about switching out light fixtures is, you can take them back down when your lease is up if you live in a rental, and take them with you to your next place. We left a couple of ours in our last rental because our landlord loved the swap we made so much, he paid us for them. You don't realize how much of a difference a light fixture makes in a room until you put a new one up, and it totally updates and adds interest to the space. I like Poly & Bark for light fixtures because they have stylish lights at really affordable prices. You can use my affiliate code "Erika10" to save 10% off your total purchase at checkout, too! We have some of their pendants and have plans to purchase more. Here's what we have:
Poly & Bark Montreal Clear Glass Pendants in our Kitchen
($34.20 each with my code "Erika10" at checkout:
Here are some more options from Poly & Bark:
2. REMOVABLE WALLPAPER
Adding removable wallpaper is a great way to temporarily add interest to and personalize your space. You can do an entire room, or simply choose one wall to cover as an accent wall. It's also your chance to go bold in a space without it being permanent, so if you are a renter this is a great option! We had a couple of landlords who would not let us change the wall color--super annoying--but we came up with the idea to put up removable wallpaper! Funny, he ended up liking our wallpaper so much, he asked us to keep it up when we were moving out. I drive by the old rental house every so often, and the wallpaper is still up! LOL! With removable wallpaper you just want to make sure you read all application instructions, and make sure to have a little squeegee on hand to smoothe out any air bubbles. It's a two person job, too, so make sure you have a friend willing and able to help nearby. This is typically a pretty affordable option, especially if you're covering a small space or an accent wall. There are a ton of great options out there for wall decals and removable wallpaper so I'll give you a few from a couple different places to check out:
Target Divine Color Removable Wallpaper:
Walls Need Love Removable Wallpaper:
3. AREA RUGS
One of these days, I'll do a full rug round-up for you because there are so many good rugs out there to not share! If you know anything about me, you know that my obsession with rugs knows no bounds! Changing out a rug in a space can completely transform it. If you have ugly carpeting in your home that you can't afford to replace right now or if you are a renter with a floor you're not too keen on, area rugs are your best friends! Lots of people debate whether or not you should put an area rug over carpet, but I love the look!
I think an area rug truly can set the tone for a space and define a space as well. We have an open concept floor layout in our main level living space, so it helps to have area rugs to define the living room area vs. the kitchen. Hands down, RUGS USA is my favorite place to shop for rugs because they're super affordable and high quality, but I have found a couple other places as well like Amazon and Wayfair! Here are a few rugs that I have in my home:
Our Living Room Rug #1:
I love my Jute Fringe rug from Amazon! It's great to use as a bottom layer for a layered rug look! I got the 9 x 12 size for my living room, and then layered an 8 x 10 rug on top! It's super affordable, especially for its size!
Our Living Room Rug #2:
Here is the white vintage style rug I have layered on top of my jute fringe rug! This one is from Wayfair and it has held up so well for over a year now! I can't believe how easily stains are removed from it. Everything from wine spills to cat hairballs, it all comes out of this rug with a little carpet cleaner! Amen for durability! It's also really affordable, too, and always goes on sale!
Family Room Rug:
We also have this plaid rug in our family room, which is also from Amazon and is extremely affordable! Our 8 x 10 rug is less than $200, and it is is the softest, most stylish shag I think I've ever seen! Stains remove pretty easily from it as well, which I really appreciate!
Our Kitchen Rug:
I love this little round jute rug from Amazon for our kitchen! I'll slide it over by the sink when I'm doing dishes for some cushion under my feet, too! It's actually surprisingly soft under the foot for a jute rug, and to me it looks like a big doily--obsessed! It's very affordable, and I think it could be used in a variety of places in your home. It also comes in 4, 6, and 8 foot round sizes--I have the 4ft.
Our Master Bedroom Rug:
I love this diamond pattern tassel rug we have in our bedroom! It's super soft shag, and I just love how it can lend itself to different design styles! This is from RUGS USA and has held up for three years! It doesn't shed either, which I know is a concern for people buying shag rugs.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and these ideas are helpful to you! Some of the links provided are affiliate links which means I make a small commission on items you purchase. By purchasing something using my links, you are supporting me and this blog and helping me keep this blog running with fresh, quality, content every week! Thanks in advance for your support! It truly means alot to me!