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I was browsing through Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel last weekend.  Generally, I prefer the affordability of say TJ Maxx and Home Goods, but this time around I needed drapes for my windows – and Pottery Barn was the only place that had the color I needed.  So, begrudgingly I spent the exorbitant price and bought the extra wide drapes for my picture window.

As I was wandering through the store, I confess – I absolutely love the style of simple elegance in many of their displays, but I wondered how many people could afford this stuff.  After all, the average U.S. household income before taxes was only $63,091 last year.  One couch from Pottery barn is easily 5% of the take home income for the year.  And I only bought my house recently because it’s the best time to buy with low mortgage rates, low property values (I got my  house for $60,000 less than it was three years ago), and the first time home buyer tax credit.

So for the rest of us who cannot afford to decorate our entire homes in Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, or some exquisite boutique, how can we create the picture perfect home without spending tens of thousands?

Interior Design for Cheap

After pouring over quite a few catalogs and design magazine, my very unprofessional opinion is that you don’t have to spend the money for the tasteful and expensive look.  While there are certain pieces that just don’t look the same from any other store, a majority of the look can be replicated for much less.  Here’s my two cents on interior design:

1. You have to begin with a plan.  Picking up random vases, fabrics, and side tables do not add up to a matching living room.  To do this, I would recommend leafing through design books or magazines to pick a room you would like to create (or with features you want in your home).

2. After you have a plan, start looking for each of the pieces that make the room look good.  There are certain things that just look cheap if you’re not careful.  For example, the drapes I initially bought were 1/3 the price and looked like old sheets hanging from my window.  To accurately design your home with a specific style in mind – you can’t go cheap on all the pieces. 

Instead, you can get furniture from a cheaper store, but buy some well-made pillows to decorate it that are more expensive.  When you mix the cheap and expensive – it hides the flaws of some of the cheaper stuff.

3. Buy fabrics with strong textures.  Generally speaking, textures make things look heavier, and more luxurious.  For my living room, I’m thinking about getting a Persian area rug, which will hopefully become the focus rather than the much cheaper couch.

4. Don’t overdo the room with too many colors.  One trend I noticed was that most well designed rooms had 2-3 main colors (of course you can always add little things like a patterned pillow that includes more colors), but the large and highly visible items are all part of a color scheme.

5. Mix bold patterns with minimalistic solids.  Doing an entire room in solid colors can get pretty boring, and too many loud pieces can make the room look chaotic.  Instead, mix and match both smooth textures with rough, and wild patterns in a mostly solid-colored room to create a more interesting and rich view.

What’s Your Home Decorating Experience?

So what do you think?  Is it possible to have beautifully decorated rooms on a dime?  What’s your secret to having a well decorated home without spending a lot of money?

(Photos courtesy of Pottery Barn)

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