A Champagne Taste Home on a Soda Pop Budget

Article by: Kathryn Bechen

Champagne taste on a soda pop budget? Making your home, , 8 Great Ideas for Your Bedroom Design whether cottage or castle, a comfortable and nurturing space for you and your family doesn't have to cost a bundle. With some ingenuity, creative flair, and a little elbow grease, you can make your home , Everything You Need to Know About Futon Covers a haven from the stresses of the outside , What to Look for in Bathroom Vanity Tops world and do it both affordably and beautifully.

10 tips to get you started:

1. Forget Tacky. Decorating , Wabi Sabi, Shabby Chic, and Design Psychology: Home Interior Design Styles inexpensively doesn't mean your home , Decorating Your Older for Comfortable Living will look tacky or cheap. Remember, you have champagne taste! It's time to learn to train your eye and discern what is truly a "bargain."Â

2. Plan First. Don't buy a thing until you've done your homework! Light , 8 Great Ideas for Your Bedroom Design a candle, sit down in your most comfortable chair , Decorating with Coat Racks and Vintage Clothing for a Unique Accent to Your Home with a notebook, now called your "Decorating Dreams Journal,"Â and write down and/or draw what your home , Contemporary Rugs Can Transform a Room would look like if it were your dream home. , Biometric Fingerprint Time Clocks Cut some pictures out of decorating , What to Look for in Bathroom Vanity Tops magazines of rooms , Biometric Fingerprint Time Clocks you love and paste them in your journal. Your creativity and style will start to flow. Don't worry about implementing your dreams at this stage. It costs $0 to dream it out.

3. Have a Look. Look around your existing home. , Jewelry Display Cases Determine what furniture , Lamps and accessories , Decorating your kids rooms with colors you already have that you love. Make a list in your journal of what you want to keep, reupholster, paint, , What Is The Best Time Of The Year To Buy Furniture? and what you want to sell or donate to charity. Pieces you sell will net you money you can use for new items.

4. Make a List. In one section of your journal, start a shopping list by room. , What Is The Best Time Of The Year To Buy Furniture? What do you need? What do you want? Prioritize what you'd like to buy first. Starting with major pieces such as sofa, bed, , Bathroom Vanities - The Finishing Touch For Your Bathroom Makeover! and a dining room , The English Grandfather Clock Tradition table and chairs , The Importance of Bunk Bed Mattresses is a good plan. , Everything You Need to Know About Futon Covers As you're out and about window , Style Ideas to Add Glamour to Your Home shopping, you can carry your journal with you for notes, inspiration, paint , Bathroom Vanities - The Finishing Touch For Your Bathroom Makeover! swatches etc.

5. Favorite Colors. , Cozyin' Up to Winter What color(s) do you absolutely love? Think of a favorite outfit or an accessory in your home , Wabi Sabi, Shabby Chic, and Design Psychology: Interior Design Styles such as a favorite dish or painting , Acrylic Paints are Different from Oil etc. Create a color , Office Operandi – Top 10 Tips For The Ultimate Office Layout scheme for your home , Lamps of 2-3 complimentary colors. , Jewelry Display Cases Take digital photos of items in the colors , Elements of Interior Design you love and put them in your journal. Using the same 2-3 colors , How to Buy Your Next Dining Table in all your rooms , Kids Bed Furniture Ideas to Help You Decorate will help it flow. It costs $0 to choose your favorite colors. , Acrylic Paints are Different from Oil Painting

6. Think Creatively. Brainstorm as to how you can do what you want to do for less. Painting , Patchouli Candles – Setting The Standard For Scented Candles your kitchen , Decorating your kids rooms with colors chairs costs little, draping a colorful new throw on your sofa costs little, as does a new slipcover for a worn chair. , How to Buy Your Next Dining Table Look at new ways to use things you already have, like containers, throws, pillows etc.

7. Clear the Clutter. Okay, it's time to actually get rid of those college dorm chairs , Ideas and Tips for Small Kitchen Remodeling and the "early mother-in-law"Â bed. , Elements of Interior Design Hold a garage , How to Deal With an Oriental Rug Addiction sale, donate, or consign what you no longer want. It will make space for the new and improved to enter.

8. Upscale Stores. Yes, you read right! Now it's time to go "window shopping"Â and the first place , Contemporary Rugs Can Transform a Room you should head is to those high end furniture , Decorating a Nursery For a Newborn and dÃƒÂ©cor stores for ideas. Take your notebook and write down what you observe. Open your eyes and enjoy!! Later, you can use your imagination to find out how you can get "your look"Â for less.

9. Discount Shop. The fun is about to begin! Make a list in your journal of places , Wallpaper Guide for Your New Baby you can shop at to fund your dream. Ask friends and relatives for their favorite discount stores that carry top brand names. Don't overlook flea markets, garage , Ideas and Tips for Small Kitchen Remodeling sales, consignment shops, and catalogs. Consider used pieces. In expensive neighborhoods, people often sell seldom-used furniture , Welcome Summer in Style with These 8 Ideas! for great prices. Never pay full price unless it's something you absolutely HAVE to have (or desperately want!) Start hunting, slowly but surely.

10. Quality First. Even though you're buying discount or used items, make sure what you purchase is of good quality and style. Avoid fads or trendy pieces. All items should be immaculate and have no scratches or tears. Make sure you know how to , Carpet Cleaning Supplies refinish wood , Different Types of Contemporary Chandeliers or can afford to hire someone to do it before you take on that old dresser. And remember, hiring someone else to do it can greatly increase the cost. The object is to have your dÃƒÂ©cor "look rich"Â and "be centsible."Â

And remember, above all, decorating , Kids Bedroom Furniture Ideas to Help You Decorate your home , Everything You Need to Know About Futon Covers should be fun. So, get out your new Dream Journal and have a wonderful time creating your new "champagne home"Â on a "soda pop budget."Â

c2005 Kathryn Bechen.

Kathryn Bechen - EzineArticles Expert Author

Visit http://www.kathrynbechendesigns.com for more free ideas and tips , Decorating Your Older Home for Comfortable Living for decorating , Elements of Interior Design your cottage style home , Acrylic Paints are Different from Oil Painting on a dollarwise budget and to sign up for Kathryn's free e-newsletter of decorating tips , Decorating Your Older Home for Comfortable Living and resources. Kathryn is an interior decorating , Easy Dining Room Makeover consultant and author who specializes in Cottage Style, Non-Toxic, and Dollarwise decorating. , Eiderdown, For a Princely Sum You Can Sleep Like Royalty

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