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Top 5 Ways to Save Money on Home Decor

posted 821 days agoComment

When it comes to buying furniture and accessories, things can definitely add up. So, how do furnish your home on a tight budget? Here are a few clever ways to save on home furnishings without breaking the bank. All you need is additional time for treasure hunting, creativity, and willingness to work on DIY (do it yourself) projects.

#1 – Thrift and Second Hand Stores

Shopping at thrift and second hand stores is a very cost effective way to find loads of cool stuff for your home. Although, most of the furniture there needs updating so you might have to use your imagination to see the potential of each piece. Occasionally you can find things in perfect condition at low prices. Some stores like Goodwill, have half off sales on certain days, so make a call to check on their next sale date. The trick is to arrive right when they open for first dibs on the best furniture pieces. Thrift stores are typically non-profit organizations so you can feel good about your purchases since it’s going towards a good cause.

#2 – The best things in life… can be free!

If you’re strapped for cash, FREE is always nice. My top resources for complimentary home furnishings is the “free stuff” category on Craigslist or Freecycle. Some people just want to find a good home for their furniture and post them on these sites. What better way to save money!

#3 – Classified Ads

Another effective way to save on furniture is to search classified ads in local newspapers or online. Craigslist and Recycler are the most popular classified websites. One of my friends furnished her entire apartment with cool finds from Craigslist. With a little patience and persistance you could do the same thing.

#4 – Estate and Yard Sales

Going to estate or yard sales is the ultimate treasure hunting experience. You can find furniture in wonderful condition at very reasonable prices. These sales are usually on the weekend and picked over by the early afternoon, so you’ll have to set your alarm clock early in order to get the best steals. My mom attends yard sales quite frequently and always finds incredible pieces worth more than she bargained for…literally! Her tip is to drive around wealthy neighborhoods and look for signs early in the morning and check out at least three sales. Moving sales are the best, because these people are on a time crunch to get rid of their furnishings. They are usually more than willing to bargain prices with you too.

#5 – Refurbish What You Already Have

Transform your old piece of furniture with a fresh new finish, upholstery, or decorative accents to update the look. You can easily upholster a dining chair cushion with a staple gun, piece of foam, and a few yards of fabric. Sometimes, fabric stores will have sales on remnants up to three yards, which is ideal for upholstering a stool or side chair. Slip covers are a quick, cheap, and easy way to change the look of your sofa or arm chair. If you have a piece you think has potential but have no clue how to update it, our designers will come up with a few good concepts for your furniture with our Design Analysis. We can also pick out finish or paint colors for each piece and directions on how to apply it with our Color Palette option.

Best of luck bargain hunting for your home. “A man who both spends and saves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments.” – Samuel Johnson

- Day Design & Decor

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Paint Your Walls Like a Pro

posted 869 days ago1 Comment

Ever wonder why your paint job doesn’t look quite as nice as a professional? I asked an expert house painter, who happens to be my brother, his advise on what every amateur painter should know before they start smearing color on their walls.

Tip #1 – Selecting Paint

When choosing paint, don’t skimp and buy the cheap stuff. Stick to better brands like Dunn Edwards or Sherwin Williams. They have great quality paints that make painting easier and the job go by much faster. The problem with cheaper brands is they tend to dry out your roller, making the paint absorb less and causes splatter marks. In other words, generic brand paint means more work and coats for you. The sheen is also an important factor when selecting paint. Here is a helpful graph on which gloss to pick depending on the room from Dunn Edwards:

Tip #2 – The Right Stuff

When purchasing brushes and rollers, it’s important to get the right ones for the job. For most rooms, you will need one 4 inch brush with a straight edge, a 2-4 inch angled brush for edging, and a 2 inch for trim. Look for brushes that have various lengths that are split at the ends. This helps the brush hold more paint for better application. When it comes to rollers, size matters. Larger rollers are best for big walls and smaller ones are great painting tiny areas and small spaces. The knap is important too. The thicker knaps work wonders for ceiling because it holds more paint, although it can be quite messy. A medium knap is perfect for regular rooms and a light knap is great for trim and moulding.

Tip #3 – Best Way to Start

Clear the room of furniture so nothing can interfere with your painting. This goes for removing hardware like electrical plates, hardware, and wires. Safeguard your floor and furnishings with plastic or cloth drop cloths. You can use blue painters tape to secure the cloths from moving. For slippery floors like tile, use a combo of plastic and a heavy canvas to avoid sliding accidents. After the area has been prepped, it’s time to start painting. Section off a large wall in 5×5′ sections and begin with dipping your roller in the paint and drag it in a W, starting at the top corner and ending at the opposite corner. This helps with making the paint application even and lessens drip marks.

Tip #4 – Edging Crisp Lines

When edging ceilings, baseboards, and corners try using orange or blue painters tape and a bottle of clear acrylic gel medium, found at any art supply store. Adhere your tape to the area you don’t want painted. Then paint clear gel medium with a disposable brush over the edge of the tape meeting the space to be painted, so the gel is covering part of the tape and the wall. Wait a few minutes for this to dry and then start painting one to two coats, going over the tape just a smidgen. After your walls are completely dry, remove the tape and be amazed at your crisp clean edge lines.

For help in selecting paint colors from professionals, try our Color Palette service and let an expert colorist pick the right shade for your home.

Happy Painting!

Day Design & Decor

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Identify Your Decorating Style

posted 928 days ago17 Comments

Pin-point your decorating style with our interior design theme guide.

Traditional Style

This timeless style can be defined as classic, elegant, and formal. Typically, furnishings are in 18th Century English, 19th Century Neo-Classical, and British Colonial Revival designs. Color palette is in the mid-tones with rich solid floral, plaid and stripe fabrics. Shop at Ethan Allen and William Sonoma Home for traditional furniture.

Transitional

Transitional is basically a combination of Traditional and Contemporary designs. Mix and match formal traditional pieces and modern sophisticated lines to pull off this look. Pottery Barn , Crate & Barrel and Day Design & Decor are popular sources for Transitional furnishings.

Contemporary Style

Clean crisp and linear furniture with little frills or decoration define Contemporary style. Sleek geometric shapes with neutral to bright color palette with the latest modern trends or classic pieces. The best shops to find contemporary furnishings is Day Design & Decor, Bo Concept or West Elm.

Mid-Century Modern

Modern classics designed in post war 1950′s & 1960′s era heavily influence this design genre. From warm Danish wooden furniture to modern leather and chrome tubing chairs. You can achieve this look by shopping at Design With in Reach and Antique Stores.

Hollywood Regency

Hollywood Regency is essentially all that glitters, making each rooms red carpet ready. Think of what classic movie stars of the 50′s would buy for their home and shop at 1st Dibs, Day Design & Decor, or Estate sales.

Spanish Mediterranean

This decor embodies all the warmth and romance of Spainish culture. Ornately carved and rustic woods, rich velvet textures, and warm spicy colors achieve the look and feel of the Mediterranean. Achieve this style by shopping at Accents of Salado.

Eclectic

Anything goes in an Eclectic room. Mix colors, textures, patterns, shapes and design styles to make your own artistic statement. Take your pick of unique accents from ZGallerie, Plantation Design, or Day Design & Decor.

Shabby Chic

Vintage antique furniture that appears to be painted several times is the charm of Shabby Chic. Fabrics are inspired by old french linens, usually tea stained or bleached out cottons with muted pastel accents. The best place to shop for fancy distressed painted furniture and accents is at Anthropologie or local antique stores.

Coastal

A cool misty breeze coming off the ocean is what I feel when entering a Coastal designed home. Relaxing, warm, light and airy with soft linen fabrics mixed with woven sea grass accents. Get this look from stores like Pottery Barn and West Elm.

Rustic Lodge

This decor is fit for the Great Outdoors. Furniture made of unfinished wood, neutral color palette, hand forged iron hardware, leather and cowhide fabrics, and rural accents form a Rustic Lodge interior. Shop at Cabela’s for furnishings suitable for a cabin in the woods.

Tuscany

Sunny and cozy sensation of an Italian Country side villa is the allure of Tuscany design. Soft fabrics drenched in sunshine colors with dark distressed wood, ornate iron accents, and ancient stone finishes bring this look together. Obtain this style from stores like Drexel Heritage.

Zen / Asian

Peace and tranquility of a Zen home is accomplished through warm rich colors and minimalistic and Asian inspired furniture. This is a perfect design to incorporate elements of Feng Shui, especially when advised from my favorite expert The Feng Shui Guy.