Setting up a house can be a very exciting time. Whether it is your very first place or your fifth relocation, decorating and furnishing your home is a fun experience. Placing art on the walls, arranging furniture and laying out rugs turns a house into your own personalized home. A challenge for many people, whether it’s their first house or a cross-country move, can be in furnishings.
While places like Park West Gallery have sought to bring affordable art to the masses, there are still many home implements that are quite costly. If you don’t have the budget for the best of everything, you may need alternative options. Included here are a few tips for furnishing your home on a budget.
Buy Secondhand
The easiest way to begin developing your home furnishing collection is by shopping in thrift stores. This could be a viable option if you have relocated to a new place. This is because unless you have access to Atlanta Home Movers (https://www.atlantahomemovers.com/) or similar reliable moving companies, relocating all your belongings can be a hassle and costlier. In such cases, people tend to sell their old furniture and look for similar items in thrift stores in the new location. You can find furniture, artwork and dishes in secondhand stores. For furniture, you may consider only purchasing pieces that are leather or can be re-upholstered. However, you may be able to afford higher quality pieces used that you could never buy new, and gain lasting quality.
Shopping for dishes and kitchen tools used is a no-brainer. All dishes, pots, pans, cups, mugs and skillets can be scrubbed down before use, making them like new. If the mismatched look does not appeal to you, you may be able to find complete sets of dishes that have been donated.
Attend An Auction
For art lovers, blank walls can be abhorrent. Unfortunately, buying or commissioning fine art may still be out of the budget. By attending art auctions, you may be able to get a great price on art created by professional artists. Additionally, finding an up-and-coming artist, who has not yet made a name for themselves, could allow you to afford beautiful pieces at a reduced price.
Make It Yourself
The website Pinterest allows people to make almost anything they want out of reclaimed or salvaged materials. For instance, some people are able to create beautiful coffee tables, benches or end tables out of free pallet wood. You could also create furniture from other reclaimed materials or garage sale finds.
Even if you lack artistic talent, many people can create decorations for their home following a simple pattern or crafting technique. For instance, hammering a pattern of nails into wood and running strings between them can create a beautiful modern art piece with little required talent. Additionally, gluing crayons to a canvas and melting them with a heat gun can create an intricate rainbow piece of art with no artistic skill.
If you are looking for rugs or mats in the home, those can be made from recycled materials as well. Consider doing a woven rug with recycled jeans or old plastic bags. Additionally, those with a crochet hook may be able to create different patterns in rugs or even curtains.