Put on your decorating thinking
cap to save money and add style.

1. The Price Is Right

Genuine satisfaction in decorating comes not from writing checks but from devising affordable solutions to vexing problems. Resolve from the outset to be resourceful and you can achieve high style on a shoestring budget.

Let's face it, few of us have the luxury of a sky's-the-limit budget for home decorating. As appealing as it sounds, "money is no object" is just a phrase we fantasize about using right after the lottery pays off or the Prize Patrol comes calling. Even for top interior designers, an unlimited budget is a rarity. Many confess they actually do their best work when they have to rely on creativity instead of cash. So whether you're frugal by nature or necessity, consider these four guiding principles for getting the most out of your decorating dollars.

 

High style doesn't have to mean
high cost.

• Use inexpensive materials lavishly and expensive materials judiciously. Rely on cotton sailcloth for slipcovers, table skirts, and draperies, and save the pricey textiles for throw pillows and trims.
• If you have to decide between costly materials and costly labor, choose the labor. An artisan can make your dollar-a-yard fabric look like a million bucks. Elegance is found in details, whether it's sewing trims, borders, and appliques or painting color washes and stries (thin lines or bands) -- touches of finery many of us can't craft for ourselves.
• Remember that the objective is not just to see how inexpensively you can get by but to make every money-saving method count. If you do your own painting and paperhanging, you'll have more funds left for furnishings, frills, and labor.
• Make the most of what you have, then fill in the blanks. Some of the best design ideas are free. Simply rearranging the furniture -- floating it away from the walls, or turning it on the diagonal -- can transform a tired room. Moving a piece of furniture from one room to another can improve the look of both. Experiment with what's on hand before you go shopping for replacements.