Decorating with a Creative Flair, but with a Budget

It is hard to decorate a bedroom, office, dorm room, family room or even an entire home. How do you make your house a home? How do you achieve that feeling of comfort, a place to go to shut out the world when you have a limited budget?

Are you just moving in to a new place? But can't afford to buy a new living room set? Don't get rid of the old couch or lazy boy! Here are a few tips for each room in your house that will make each room feel more like home, all at an affordable price. Making the best of what you already have:

1. Den: Make this room a place to go and cozy up with a book. Gather all of the books you have and store them here. A book shelf, end tables, or shelves will suit for a place to store the books. Add a couch and maybe another chair. Put up your favorite photos of those you love. Make this your destination to relax and get away from reality.
2. Kitchen: You don't have to spend a ton of time or money on your kitchen. Keep it simple. Clear the clutter. Covert a closet into a pantry and store your big items there. Add a few plants, some brighter light bulbs and personality to the outside items on your fridge and you have a place where you don't mind baking cooking.
3. Living Room: Here is where many people would probably want to spend some money. If you do, spend it on the decorations. It can be a large print or a water fountain. It could be a nice set of lamps or end tables, but don't stress about the furniture. If you have a couch and a couple of chairs, coordinate the colors with covers for these items. Cover up the couch and furniture with slipcovers. (They look a lot better now then what they did at one time.) These add a little character to your room and you can coordinate the slip with how fancy or casual you want the room to be.
4. Family Room: This room can be casual. Add bean bag furniture, your entertainment equipment and furniture, and a card table. The walls can be painted a bright color to create an atmosphere of fun and creativity. Decorate the walls with the photos you have taken, the projects your kids might have completed, or things that you cherish, but would never hang in the living room. Make it your family hall of fame that speaks to each member in the family!
5. Bedrooms: Painting your bedrooms and adding a design to the walls is the best and cheapest way to decorate a bedroom. Use the paint wisely and have fun. Each color can speak to the occupant of the bedroom. Just think about the natural light coming in from the windows. You don't want something too dark if there is little or no light during the day.

Author: Julie Nordstrom, Ecreativeworks Inc.