10 Steps To a New Room Design for Free
Room design for free was my only option for a while. When A & C first started, I was struggling as a young twenty-something trying to live within my means and decorate my apartment to look like I had spent more money than I had.
Room design can be pretty pricey, so I broke it down into 10 simple steps to redecorating your home with stuff you find for free or things you already have. This is something anyone can tackle to make a change in their space.
I want to empower you to redecorate at least one room in your home. I know you can do it!
When you have nothing it forces you to flip the creativity switch. Sometimes the best ideas come from being forced to use what you have.
1. Purge Clutter.
What is it that Elsa sings about in the Disney movie? Let is GO. LET IT GO!
Get rid of stuff you don’t need. One of the first things I recommend for someone to do is to purge some items. Here is a great article called Decluttering Your Home Room By Room that can assist you more if you have a hard time getting rid of possessions.
You probably deal with clutter as I do. I have always wanted a home that felt more styled and clutter-free. This is proving to be an ongoing struggle that I have. I hope I am not alone.
The next awesome thing about purging some of the clutter is that you might realize that you have enough stuff to get rid of that a garage sale might be in order. If you do want to drum up some quick money to spend on supplies like paint or furniture pieces then that is awesome. However, I really want to focus on using just what you have already to redecorate your home. Here is an awesome article on decluttering that I found that will help you!
2. Remove Everything from the Room.
It’s best to start with a blank canvas. This is great because you may see new ways to place your furniture and home decor pieces. You may also discover that you may need more furniture pieces to fit your needs in your space. You do not need to spend a dime on furniture. I will tell you why in the next tip.
3. Search Craigslist or your streets to find furniture for FREE.
Sometimes people get rid of perfectly fine furniture because they do not want to move it. Simple as that. You can benefit from their laziness. I have found a few pieces on the side of the road when driving by to or from work.
My hatchback car can fit a decent-sized piece of furniture thank goodness. Here is a great example of a side table that I got from Craigslist for free. It was a Drexel heritage mid-century modern table and I made it over into something and unique.
4. DIY Your Existing Home Decor.
This part can be fun. If you want to change up the look more so than just moving the furniture around. You can take a piece of furniture and make it over or you can take a decorative small and change the look of it.
With the help of a little spray paint or little decorative additions, you transform an old boring piece into something metallic or colorful for some pop in your room.
5. Swap Pillows.
I like to play this game with my bed pillows, sofa pillows, and banquet bench in my kitchen. I swap the pillows between these places throughout the year. Accent pillows help give a space some personality and texture.
If you have a sewing machine, you can easily make pillow covers for accent pillows to change up your look on a budget. Accent pillows can be a somewhat pricey purchase if you can believe it. Work with what you have for now. Check out my no-sew pillow cover tutorial which I think you will find helpful.
6. Create Vignettes.
Once you have placed your furniture and swapped your pillows, you can start adding small decor. You will want to style vignettes throughout your room. This can be done in a variety of ways or styles. A plethora of styles suit my taste, so I have pretty eclectic decor. This is a mix and match of different styles of decor but tied together in a unified way.
7. Bring in Some Nature.
By adding some greenery to your home with a real or fake plant or flower, it really can give some new life to a space. Nature is really pleasing to the eye. You can also do cool things in the fall like displaying bowls of pine cones or acorns (remember to freeze or bake them first to get rid of creepy-crawlies.) In the spring flowering tree branches are beautiful to display, and of course, summer flowers are always a treat.
Fake flowers are perfect for me because one of my felines LOVES to eat flowers. (If you don’t know this, a lot of beautiful flowers and plants can be toxic to cats.) I always stay cautious and I have more peace of mind with fake plants. There are pretty convincing ones out there. But the 2 types of flowers I will bring around are roses and orchids.
9. Display a Collection.
I envy those with extensive collections. Collections are such an easy way to accent your decor. Gather a group of like items and arrange them on a shelf or other surface that needs a little interest added. This is also a great way to create another focal point in the room design.
10. Celebrate Your Room’s New Look!
This is where I light some candles, break out the champagne or wine and CELEBRATE!!! It is important to celebrate moments like this. If decorating isn’t your thing. If it doesn’t come naturally to you then it is even more important to do this step. Don’t skip it. Celebrate in whatever way you want.
So what do ya say? Are you a believer now that you can complete a room design for Free!?? Would you be willing to tackle one room in your home? If so, which room will you be starting with? Please let me know which room in the comments below!
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