Redecorating on a Shoestring

Want to give your home a new look but don't have a lot of money to spend? Here are some room-by-room ideas for updating your decor without breaking the bank.

Mix and match these ideas based on your own tastes and your own budget. With even just a few inexpensive new accents, your home can look as though you spent a fortune on redecorating.

Living Room

Has your favorite chair or sofa seen better days? If so, you do not necessarily need to replace it or pay for expensive reupholstering. Inexpensive yet fashionable slipcovers can give your furniture a fresh new look. Some are even machine washable!

Then, remember that your furniture is only the beginning. Accessories can give a room a whole new look. Add a colorful throw rug, new lamp shades, wall art, or toss pillows. Complete the look with some candles in fancy holders, or some fashionable picture frames for your favorite photos.

Bedroom

There is no need to completely refurnish your bedroom in order to update the look. If you want to splurge, simply update the bed linens. Buy a new comforter and dust ruffle, and add a few accent pillows.

If you are happy with your existing bed linens but want to add some pizzazz to your boudoir, focus on accessorizing. Add some romantic candle arrangements, pretty picture frames, or new wall art. Purchase a basket or two to hold bedside reading materials. Set a bowl of potpourri on your dresser to treat your nose as well as your eyes.

Bathroom

Purchase a new shower curtain to give your bathroom a whole new look. If you want to spend a bit more, get new towels as well, in a striking new color.

On the other hand, if you don't want to spring for new bath linens, simply pick out a few eye-catching bathroom accessories. Add some new wall art, a new tissue box cover or toothpaste holder, or a colorful throw rug that will compliment your bath linens.

Kitchen

In the kitchen, accessories are the key to low-cost redecorating. You can give your kitchen some fresh new appeal simply by hanging some new wall art, picking out some colorful new kitchen towels and potholders, and perhaps adding a new throw rug or curtains. Get a couple of ornate bookends to display your favorite cookbooks on the kitchen counter, or store your flour, sugar, and other dry goods on the counter in beautiful colored glass jars.

If your home has an eat-in kitchen, decorate the kitchen table with new placemats and a pretty vase filled with fresh-cut flowers.

If your kitchen has a breakfast bar, some new seat covers or cushions for the barstools can complete the new look.