Decorating On a Budget

After all the cash you had to shell out for deposits, cable installation, moving trucks and late-night “I’m-too-tired-to-cook” pizzas, your decorating budget might be depleted to close to nothing. RentalHomesPlus refuses to let you live in an unfinished rental home for months, here’s a few ideas that will help spice up your place for less than you imagine.
Design Basics

Make retail décor a last resort. Go to rummage sales, antique malls, flea markets and resale shops and look for shabby chic pieces (soft florals, pastels, slightly chipped paint, old-fashioned lace) or classic details (wrought iron, vintage prints, antiqued furniture).

• Paint produces the most dramatic change for the least amount of money. Check with the home owner first, though, to make sure it’s okay to paint. The home owner may request to see what color you’re planning to paint as well.

Main Living Space

• Choose pieces for function versus form. A cluttered room never looks good, so keep it simple. Look for a table with drawers and foot rests or side tables that open up for storage. Consider purchasing a sofa sleeper for guests.
• Pick a central focal point; it should not be the television. Don’t feel obligated to push furniture against the walls as you can create extra space and a cozier seating area if you create a smaller central area.
• Make your own window coverings or slip covers by purchasing fabric that you like and then looking online for instructions on how to fashion it. You can also ask for help at a fabric store.
• Pick out a few simple pieces that you really enjoy to add personality to the room. A simple coffee table centerpiece or a fireplace mantle decoration can add much more sophistication than a dozen cluttered pieces.
• Use three-way bulbs to create pools of warm light around the room. You’ll have bright light when you need it and a softer light for a cozy ambiance.

Kitchen

• Update appliances like the coffee maker and toaster. Choose a similar style and color.
• Store bread, fruit and other foods you normally leave on the counter in attractive baskets or bins.
• Remove clutter. Simplify your kitchen so that only the things you use often are taking up space.
• Pick up matching soap dispensers, towels and pot holders. This is a very inexpensive way to personalize your kitchen.
• Place a small table lamp on the counter to add a soft glow to the room.
• Use decorative oil or vinegar bottles to add color and accent to your kitchen. You can easily make these. Try www.saveoncrafts.com for great deals on supplies. Find a bottle you like and add oil and herbs to your taste!
• If your kitchen has a window, put up a billowy curtain to add a soft touch.

Bedroom

• Dress up your bed by adding a headboard and/or a bed skirt. You can create a bargain headboard by buying a section of a wrought iron or a picket fence at a flea market. A bed skirt can be handmade from a sheet by cutting it using your box spring as a guide.
• Hang plant or bicycle hooks from the ceiling and use these to hang window coverings. Add a garland or string of lights to the top of the window frame or along the curtain length.
• Group candles in odd numbers and in a variety of sizes and heights on your dresser top or side table.
• Mirrors, in any room, will make the room look larger.
• Avoid cluttering your shelves with tons of tiny knick-knacks. Choose just your favorites and arrange them around the room.

Bathroom

• Add fabric to the room by dressing up a plain white shower curtain and windows. Also cover tissue boxes and trash cans.
• If you don’t have a cupboard under the sink, glue Velcro to the bottom of the sink and attach fabric to it to create a pretty storage area.
• Hang ivy or floral accents around your mirror.
• Live plants can turn a dull bathroom into a natural-looking sanctuary.
• Display towels and toiletries in a large basket and arrange then creatively.

 

Use the right kind of cleaners. – It might be basic, but that’s the name of this category…  Don’t use furniture cleaner on your windows and vice versa.  NEVER mix cleaning solutions.  Some, like ammonia and bleach, can be toxic. Use a lint free cloth (not all paper towels are lint free) on windows and mirrors.

 
Wash up afterwards and use gloves.  Change your clothing immediately after you’re finished with your cleaning.  You’ve just made your house spic and span and now those germs may be on you! Anti-bacterial soaps are made for a reason.

To avoid running back and forth between rooms, put all your cleaning supplies in a caddy and take it with you as you move from room to room.

Wash windows on a cloudy day instead of a sunny day.  The heat from the sun will make your cleaning solution dry more quickly, causing streaks.

To make it easier on yourself, listen to music.  Cleaning is one of the best workouts you can have; consider your day of cleaning equivalent to two days at the gym!  And reward yourself when you’re done with a giant bowl of Ben & Jerry’s!

Keep your mind off it by listening to a book on tape or cd.  Get wrapped up in the latest romance or mystery and your cleaning will be done before you know it.

Stick with it!  Pick a day, figure out your plan and then go to it without interruption.  Turn off the TV and don’t pick up that phone call.  It’s much easier to keep with your project than to go back to it after an interruption.

Repairing and Replacing
To repair cigarette burns in a carpet – Cut out blackened rug fibers from the hole, fill hole with super glue, trim fibers from carpet remnants (or if you don’t have any, from a hidden part of the carpet) and place trimmings in the hole.

Small holes in window screens can be patched up with clear nail polish.
Use a Q-tip to rub toothpaste on glass tabletops to smooth out scratches.

Other Interesting Cleaning Tidbits

Hairspray can be used to kill flies.

Use paintbrushes and cotton swabs to dust hard to reach cracks (in a stereo system, on a computer, in the crevices of cabinetry, etc.).

Use nylon covered sponges to clean window screens.

Car wax can be used on a door that sticks.

If your dinner du jour drips over in your oven, sprinkle salt on the spill.  When it’s dried, you’ll easily be able to sweep it up without the crust.  Or, line the bottom of your oven with tin foil; it’ll catch the spills completely.

Spray your broom or dust mop with furniture polish, it’ll help collect dirt, but be careful, sometimes wood floors can get slippery, so walk with caution!

Clean your shower stall and fixtures after a steamy bath or shower.  The steam will help loosen dirt and grime.

Sick of your plastic ware getting stained from red sauces?  Before you store that marinara, spray your plastic bowl with cooking oil or wipe with vegetable oil.  The oil will prevent the food from soaking into the plastic.

Get rid of those stinky sponges!  Sponges breed bacteria and should be tossed every couple weeks, throw them in the dishwasher after each use to keep them as yuck free as possible.

Use cooking oil (any kind will work) for lubricating hinges, tools and other squeaky things.  It’ll also help keep them from rusting and its non-toxic!