The first thing your new home decoration needs is good furnishing. The smart, chic furniture stores are alluring but expensive. So look for ways to furnish the house as attractively, at may be half the cost! It needs some effort and time, but the money saved will be worth it. Given below are some tips for budget home decoration.
Where to look for the bargains
Classified Ads: People keep changing houses and selling furniture. The classified ads in newspapers and the Internet will provide a lot of information on them. Be ready to pay in cash.
Consignment stores: These are stores where people come to sell their furniture. These can yield some good buys.
Closeout stores: Houseware manufacturers often sell surpluses to these stores that sell at much less prices than the malls. Some large closeout stores include Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Ross. These stores are good buys for linens, and decorative items.
Online auctions and merchants: These are good places to buy kitchen accessories but not bulky items since you have to pay for the shipping. Read well the fine print on description, payment methods and shipping costs.
Garage sales: This is where the saying “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”, is likely to come true in your case. Here you can get inexpensive shelves, chairs and tables. After refinishing them, no one will know whether they are old or new. But be prepared for garage hopping and cash payment.
Tips from shopping experts: There are shopping experts who sometimes give information about local sales bargains through the radio, television and the Internet.
Hotel surplus stores: These stores sell the furniture that hotels sell when they are redecorating. You can strike a good bargain here.
Re-upholstering
Don’t discard your old furniture. With imaginative upholstering you can work wonders with them at little cost.
Artist’s canvas or floor cloths are cheap upholstery materials. You can use colors and design of your choosing to either complement the existing furniture or do something new.
Old tablecloths can make excellent dining room chairs upholstery. It is also one way to use tablecloths with stains, which won’t go. Use the good part and discard the rest.
Sheets can be used to upholster casual furniture but they should have a tight weave for more durability.
Curtains can be made from old silk, jacquard or velvet drapes bought from thrift shops. A little cleaning makes them usable. Work around the faded areas and get a rich and elegant fabric for very little money.
Bedspreads can be used to make covers for chairs or sofas. As a bonus, the fabric is almost always washable.
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