Decorating your home on a budget can be a real challenge. Trying to furnish your living room can be the most challenging. Most people spend thousands of dollars on furniture alone, blowing thousands more on wall decor and light fixtures. Is it possible to furnish an entire room on a $500 budget?
Goodful content creator Rachel took this challenge to heart. It’s more realistic to have high expectations for a room’s design while being confined to a tight budget. Find out how she stretches $500 to make the living room of her dreams without hurting her wallet.
Shopping Secondhand
There’s a lot of stigma that comes with shopping secondhand. People think that buying used items is “gross” or “dirty,” but it’s a lot more resourceful than buying new. On top of low prices and significant sales, it’s thrilling to turn your house into a home by adding your personal flare.
Getting a couch at a thrift store might require you to steam clean it once you get home, but you only pay a fraction of the cost that you would pay at a furniture store. Shopping secondhand also significantly reduces your carbon footprint because you’re not causing a higher demand for a new production of that same product.
Refurbishing Furniture
If you’re willing to put a little bit of effort into fixing up your decorations, you’ll save money while furnishing your home. The first step is to be okay with buying furniture with significant flaws- tables with scratches, wobbly coffee tables, tears in couches, etc. All of these problems are completely fixable if you take on the project yourself.
Some basic painting, sowing, and carpentry skills can go a long way in decorating a space with a tight budget. You can buy pieces that you’re not totally in love with and turn them into a DIY project. Suddenly, the ugly nightstand that you found on the side of the road is a shabby-chic side table painted in your favorite color.
Anything is possible with a little bit of craftiness and a lot of imagination!
If you want more than just how to furnish a living room, check out our article Tips for Decorating Small Spaces!
