Shop the clearance rack at Target!! They usually put their marked-down stuff on the back side of the Home department end-caps, and I have gotten some really, really great deals there. Like, silk throw pillows for $5, and bath mats for $1.25, and best of all, Shabby Chic curtain panels (PAIRS) for $10 or less!!

I also just like to check other mid-priced home decor stores every so often and see what they've got on their clearance racks. I found crimson silk tone-on-tone printed houndstooth throw pillows at Pier1 for $7.50 each. Sure, they sat in a closet in my parents' house for 2 years, but I finally moved out again and you can bet your bottom they are on the couch in my new living room!!

I also always check out bargain places like Ross. They are a hassle to dig through and I always bring some trail mix to stay motivated out there in the wild, but I've come across some really awesome finds, including cute little serving trays and ceramic vases my friends swore came straight from Jonathan Adler. Just make sure to stick with basics -- leopard print bedspreads, even at $9.99, usually aren't quite the steal you thought they'd be.

And to echo homedotmade, concentrate on comfort! There's nothing worse than going to an apartment where the only place to sit is a brand new white sofa you're afraid to spill on.

It's just one room but I love to change the entire feel of my diningroom by switching out the table cloth and the tie backs on the curtains. Depending on whether the color contrasts or closely coordinates with the wall color, the room can be calm and peaceful or lively. I keep an eye out for table cloths at Goodwill and a local 'indoor flea market'. By having several inexpensive table cloths in several shades, when I'm ready for a change, it's as simple as just switching things out!

I lived in a studio apt once and my bed was also my couch. Switching the sheets really changed up the room! It sounds so obvious, but it worked for me. I had neutral sheers that went with everything, so whatever colors the sheets were in, well I just pulled stuff that color to the front of my open storage and let the similar colors tie the space together.

This is going to sound silly, but it's sort of personal philosophy now: I get the smallest possible furniture, so I can move around easily for different activities, time of the year, of simply for a change on budget zero. Not to mention that cleaning becomes a task I could do with eyes closed, and usually (but not always) smaller furniture is also cheaper.

I've always lived in small flats, one bedroom and kitchenette, so it's really a bad idea to have big statement things. The dining table doubles as studio table, the armchairs are usually next to the TV but pulled to the center of the room if we feel like watching something, and back there once we're done. If we have friends coming for dinner, we pull the table to the center of the room and we have 2 extra foldable chairs. Task lamps are a must have so we can move around with us and not to worry about light design. We have cushions and sit on the floor if we're entertaining and don't have enough sitting for everyone, that's cheaper and simplifies our everyday life. And it's sort of cool too, because people tend to talk with people at their height, so, you can afford several conversations in one room!

There are only three remarkable (if so) small budget tricks I can endorse with full knowledge. The first one is paint disparate furniture so it matches. I have an Ikea Dalselv bed, which is cute the way it is, but when I got a battered and ugly hand-me-down dresser in unforgivable plastic plywood, I painted both in red (I painted the front of the drawers in chestnut, and left the black parts of the bed untouched). Now the ugliness of the dresser is placated, and it doesn't punch you int the eye when you enter the room.

The other trick is even cheaper and simpler: dress the lamps and the windows. I have quite a few white paper lamps and a couple of glass lamps (all of them from Ikea), and each has a different treatment. One has a sample of colorful fabric I got for free at Marimekko hanging on it (that's so stupid I'm almost ashamed to confess it, but the effect is amazing). Another paper lamp has nickelbrads: I bought them from Paper Source, and they are just cute. Some are big, with flower shapes and you can see them from across the room and when the lights are on; others are tiny and have square or round shapes and prints, and you can see them clearly only if you're close and watching. The glass lamps are a couple of Ikea Grönö we use on the bedsides, and I used Ikea Syntess Skis paper napkins... a bit of decoupage, and voilá, there's something new (and completely personal) out of a mass produced thing. Lamps can be moved around, so you can have a different mood if you put your bedside lamp on the floor, or if one wants to read and the other is watching tv, armchairs and lighting can be moved so there's room for everything. The windowsills allow for small plants, or seasonal decoration. I'm not afraid of being corny, I just stick things there or on the glass and a week later I put them down.

Finally, what about walls? People keep saying that painting is the best solution, but I don't think so. I live in a rental and the contract specifies I can't, and besides, when I lived in my own thing, it took a lot of hard work and, gosh, what when I moved the furniture? So I suggest hanging things instead. Maybe a big print textile intended to be a tablecloth, but with a cool design, or movies or exhibitions adds. You can have them for free if you talk a little with someone from the organization, or why not, take them from walls around the city. Isn't that exciting, have something you can't buy, only have it because you stole it from some wall on the street (and you're skilled enough to have it untorn)?

As small bathrooms are the norm these days, I always try to color match everything. Not in a neurotic sort of way, but I try to stick to blue and white scheme... mats, curtain and accesories are not in those colors, but whenever I find something that might match better and it's 100% affordable, I bring it in.

I believe homes are living things, and I love to introduce changes all the time. Maybe have the refrigerator full of magnets one day, maybe only one big picture glued or taped to the big door, maybe nothing.

My husband and I have laptops, which accounts for part of the flexibility. Portable offices, they also portable media centers: we may take one with us to the bedroom and listen to music, or put it next to the tv and plug it to watch DVDs.

One thing I learned long ago is that friends and family are very forgiving relating to standard comfort: they appreciate the moment rather than appraising our ability to have a full set of matching chairs or full china service. No joke, that was the most beautiful thing about my wedding party: we went on the cheapest side and our guests had lots of fun and 5 years later still mention it from time to time. (Later I discovered that it was the stress free attitude most of them had loved and went on with it).

Gee, my previous comment was way too long! Thank you readers, if you made it to the end of it!

these comments are so helpful... and julia you can say as much as you'd like, there is no wordcount limit! :)

Fabulous topic Holly! I often suggest to my clients a quick coat of paint will do wonders along with taking wall decor, accents and even window treatments from one room and using them in another. You can often create an entirely new color scheme without purchasing anything. Also rearranging the furniture that you currently have helps in getting that "new feeling". I love sites like Etsy, Craigslist and when I see an item I LOVE I save it to stylefeeder.com and watch until it goes on sale....afterall it all goes on sale at one point!

1. Clean your windows (it's amazing how much better a room looks when light can enter it.)
2. Paint your lampshades (black lampshades are chic and give off a nice light)
3. embrace a Zen decorating style - sometimes a room looks much better by simply taking stuff out of it!

To make our family room feel like home I've started filling it with sentimental items that were scattered all over the house, like favorite books, a wooden box someone made for us, trinkets and photo's that have been passed down through the family. Some of these things were just in storage so now they're out of boxes, being enjoyed, and not taking up storage space. We also created a collage wall with art work that really speaks to us and reflects who we are, again most of it was stacked in a corner in storage. These things have really made the heart of our house feel like home, but I also have to share my favorite budget friendly design trick. When we first moved into our home I wanted silk curtains to hang as close to the ceiling as possible. Getting the length was the hardest part, everything I found was SO expensive, it would have cost close to $1000 to do all the windows. I almost bit the bullet and ordered them, then I found a great deal on the Company Store website for silk window scarves. They were 44 inches wide and long enough to make two panels from each scarf. It was simple to cut them in half and hem them, then I lined them with cheap Ikea flat sheets. I was able to do all the windows for under $100!

10 a. Be infinitely patient. The thing you want will come along eventually. In the meantime, dreaming is almost as good as owning.

10 b. Aim high. Copy from the very best (great artists, great designers.) Most good ideas are free, even for the artistically challenged (like myself.) A very simple example below:

http://bromeliadliving.blogspot.com/2008/12/rock-me-amedeo.html

Excellent article, and I can totally relate. My craft room/studio is undergoing a budget makeover and I spent the afternoon at Ikea yesterday and came out with some amazing finds! I have also been addicted to Craig's List lately, buying and selling! My favorite store is HomeGoods (owned by Marshalls/TJ Maxx). I find unique, inexpensive decor items there constantly. I am also all for moving around furniture/decor from room to room to create a fresh look!

homedotmade - I totally agree. What's the point of decorating if you don't create a comfortable place for all your friends to hang out at? I love hosting, even if it's thrown together last minute!

I am a BIG fan of IKEA - and I agree with Sarah - a big de-cluttering of a room goes a long way! I have butcher block countertops in my IKEA kitchen and every 6 months I clear everything off and do a light sand and re-oil them. And then I carefully put some items back. Taking the clutter out makes such a quick and inexpensive difference!

10.- think your purchases through and buy what you really love. I'm so obsessive in this area that I much rather have a blank wall or empty space than invest on something that is not what I really want/like.

I love #9!

Unfortunately I don't really have an answer to #10... besides just rearranging, hahaha. I compulsively rearrange when things don't "feel right" (i.e., when I'm stressed), and the physical activity combined with the change in environment is often enough to make me feel better.

Everything about this post works except for that IKEA plug. IKEA merchandise is all cheaply made and mass-produced and completely un-unique (if that's a word). Any type of furniture found at IKEA can be found with a little effort at yard sales, craigslist, etc. and will not cause more crap to be manufacutured (stuff that won't last 10 years) when you could have something more original and sturdy with just a bit more patience.

As samantha said, "be infinitely patient. the thing you want will come along eventually". Don't be quick to purchase crap. You'll savor the rewards of your discriminating tastes more than your hasty frugality.

I have to put in another vote for IKEA. Personally, I like the aesthetic, as long as every item in the room doesn't have some quirky Swedish name. I don't really see it as simply interim "I'll have this until I can have something better" --but I also think that one must have a bed. And a couch. And a number of other storage-y things. And seeing as how I am not in a place to buy "splurge" items, I can't feel so badly about buying some of these essentials at Target or IKEA or wherever--I'll sell them on Craigslist eventually.

Hi Holly,
This is a great post which actually describes a redesigner. Redesign makes the most of what you already own perhaps arranged in different ways or in different rooms. We all get stuck in a decorating rut. My answer to #10 is....drum roll... think outside the box. Use books to elevate, use trays as part of the display, use a silver platter to hold mail, hang colorful plates on the wall. The list goes on and on. Thanks for reminding people that you can have an awesome home for a fraction of the cost by reusing existing furnishings, artwork, and accessories. M

I took the decorations out of our bedroom and moved them to the dining room. Out bedroom was a beach theme and it fit great in the dining room. It gave everything a new look.

I love this topic and Decor8 in general! I am a 5th year grad student and my husband has just started his own business and we have almost zero cash but LOVE good design.
For number 10, I'd say really think through your goals, and if you have a partner who cares about decorating, do it with them. My husband and I recently had our 100+ year old 8 room row house cosmetically remodeled because we had a fire. It took five months, and although the insurance covered the lion's share of it, we chose to pay for some upgrades (replacing all the windows, putting in carpet) and consequently, we're really doing the decorating on a shoestring.
Before the fire our house was decorated in the typical grad student style (if it's free and works we'll take it) with a few pieces we each liked. We really didn't want to go back to that as we have "good" taste and are adults and wanted to show it. So, we chose to concentrate most of our money and energy on getting the living room, guest room, and the bathroom to look great so we can share the fabulousness of our "new" house with our friends and family. We also spent a decent amount of time communicating and trying to create a shared aesthetic BEFORE we shopped, so once we finally started seriously looking it was very easy to choose pieces we both loved.
Our bedroom and my office are going to be pretty spare/bland for awhile, but it's ok because we are really excited about hosting our friends and inspired by the fact that the rooms that are together really look great. In the past, without a clear consensus and goal, we might have diffused our energy throughout the various rooms of the house, ending up out of money and without any particular room feeling "finished". Also, without the persistent communication ahead of time we have had trouble with blending our styles in the past and have ended up with a lot of compromise that neither one of us has liked--no matter how much money we spent.

Teresa: First of all, thanks for commenting. I really appreciate a difference in opinion as it makes for a more lively discussion. Let me reassure you what I said is by no means a "plug" for IKEA, I don't even have a PR contact there and I doubt anyone at IKEA knows I'm alive, never mind cares about what I have to say either for or against them.

You're right -- many things aren't made that great at IKEA (a desk I purchased "warped" from a simple water ring and left a huge bump) but I have to say that some of their products are pretty good -- some lighting, rugs, textiles, curtains, even some furniture like their sofas, are actually above good, they are VERY good. I have an IKEA kitchen and I love it.

I tell people this when it comes to stores like IKEA. You have to go in with a lot of time, on a quiet afternoon, and "test" stuff. I open and close containers 30 times before it goes into the cart. I've broken things at IKEA doing this but no one cares because if it broke because I opened it then that's their fault. :)

Have I purchased low grade products there? Oh yes! I found some frames that were HORRIBLE and broke so fast but then I found other frames that were wonderful and priced far less than if I had gone to an art store. I have also purchased pretty bad stuff and paid $2,000 for it (like my current sofa which I hate).

The last comment cut me off, but I was saying I also have purchased pretty expensive things are stores with some of the best ratings that so many people claim to love and my $2,000 sofa is one of those things: I hate it. I can't wait to get rid of it. Nowadays I don't think price always equals quality.

Visit your grandparents' house. I am lucky; my grandmother keeps everything...circa 1940s. I mean everything, from clothing, to toasters and from bongos, to fridges. She also loves every item dearly, and would much rather give them away to family than sell it to a stranger, or even, (gasp!) throw it out. I love that she can tell me the story behind a certain piece (like the desk I want is the one my mom used from grade 2-8) and we get to spend time discussing what I might do with it... There are certain lines that I will never cross (I can't seem to convince my grandma that painting her china cabinet white is a good idea!) but for the most part I am impressed by how forward thinking she is about refurbishing the items. The ultimate plus is that it gives you another reason to spend some more time with your grandparents!

Mine is to purchase dishes/kitchenware that is white or glass. Crate & Barrel has some really affordable items, along with Crate and Barrel outlet. It sounds silly, but no matter where you move, what event you are hosting, or just for daily life, this is an awesome way to accommodate just about all those needs. You can find always find white/glass dishes and you never have to worry about matching. I never buy paper plates any more for events like parties and such because the white goes with everything. Plus, my cabinets always look more organized and cohesive.