People always ask me if I took classes on interior decorating. It's a great compliment. Well, I have never taken classes, but I have certainly studied my fair share of magazines, HGTV episodes, Pinterest, Houzz, and other similar sources. However, so much of what I have in my home is re-used and re-purposed! It's great fun to find treasures at garage sales, thrift stores, and in the many re-sale groups I belong to on Facebook.
I absolutely LOVE Pottery Barn! So, I have tried to create similar looks throughout my house. And, for a fraction of the cost!
The lovely rug in this picture (my Greatroom) is from a site called
varagesale.com. They have them in many cities and it's a fabulous way to find items and sell them too! I paid $90 for this giant 9x12 rug in excellent condition. The couch and matching chair/ottoman were $400 on a group called
From my House to Yours on Facebook. It was started by a friend of mine, and has really taken off! Anyone can start one in their town. I have even started one for just my neighborhood. The wicker table tray was a garage sale find, and so was the magnolia wreath inside, and the candle holder set. All for $10! The great brushed nickel tall floor lamp was from
Lowes at $69, and I used a 10% off coupon from Home Depot which they matched. I also used my Lowes Charge to get an additional 5% off.
The leaf above the fireplace was $2 from a moving sale on Craigslist! The box under the TV was from the same sale for $15! I made the picture canvas on the fireplace mantle myself for about $13. The tall candle holder was $8 on the clearance aisle of Homegoods.
This was $15 and I purchased 2 of them for my hallways. They were also on "
From My house to Yours". I love wrought iron art, verses paintings. I also try to keep Eucalyptus in baskets throughout the house. It smells and looks great! The best place to buy it is at
Michaels when they have the 40% off coupon (which you can almost always find on your smartphone as there is an actual app for Michaels coupons)!
This is one of my favorite finds! It is an $800 World Market Farm Table that I purchased on Craigslist for $300. The 4 wood chairs were garage sale items (also made by World Market) that I scored for $30 total, yippee! The 2 cute padded chairs on the ends are from
Tuesday Morning and were $89 each. I then added the place settings:
The brown dishes were from
Big Lots (believe it or not) and cost $25 for a 4 piece place setting. I purchased 2 sets. The risk you take purchasing from there is that they are often discontinued items. I found that out the hard way when I wanted a third set and they were gone! The tropical set by Gibson Elite, was from
Bed, Bath and Beyond for $69, but I used my 20% off coupon for an even better deal! The silver napkin rings and the ultra-cool leather place mats are from
Pier 1. The silver chargers were from there also. The rings cost $2.50 each and the placemats were $6 each. The chargers were $5 each. I also had a coupon (of course :-))! The cute wicker star basket in the middle was from a thrift store for $4.
This is another great wrought iron piece that I got in my facebook groups for $8. I thought I would hang it on the wall, but just didn't find the right spot. So, I lean it in a corner of the kitchen, with some cute silver Pier 1 frames I got for $1 each at a garage sale. The potted silk plant was $5 from Varagesale.
This is a great touch to any kitchen. I saw it at a friend's house and really liked it. It is from Bed, Bath & Beyond and cost $10.
Kitchen Canisters add so much to a home. I loved these and always wanted them, but wasn't going to shell out $140 for the set! I kept searching Craigslist till I found them. I paid $30 for all 3!! You can also find great deals on eBay for them.
Wreaths are another warm touch to any household. I have made them, but also purchased them. This one came from a local consignment store for $12. I added the burlap bow to it later. It hangs on the pantry door in my kitchen.
This is one that I made for my front door. I had seen a similar one on Etsy for $100! I purchased a completely ugly wreath at a garage sale for $1. I took the ugly flowers off of it and kept the grapevine backing portion. I then went to
Michaels and purchased the picks & stems to place in it. It cost me about $30 total and took about 1 1/2 hours.
This foyer look all came from different homes via Craigslist. The gorgeous mirror was $50, the lamp was $15, and the best deal of all was the Pottery Barn Console Table for $85!!
This is my absolute favorite room of the house! Most of it is second hand too.
The great Pier 1 couch was bought on Craigslist for $175.
The 2 chairs were from a furniture consignment store and I repainted them to dark brown. I made the cushions (but didn't do a good job...will try again later :-)).
The brown trunk was $10 from a garage sale. The great tiger rug is a Pottery Barn rug I bought at a garage sale for $5! The birdcage was from a thrift store for $20.
The end tables were brand new in the box from Ikea, but I found them on Craigslist for $30 total. The fabulous lamps were purchased new at Marshalls for $29 each. The exquisite tall palm tree was a $300 item I got for $25 at a moving sale. However, it took weeks to get the smoke smell out of it, AGH!! Well worth it though, especially since I put cute dragonfly lights in it. The adorable bird clock was from
Steinmart for $29. I used a coupon (of course). People forget to check out Steinmart for decor but they have great and unique stuff! You can almost always find coupons on your smartphone too!
This is my guestroom. It is mainly taupe and black (a bit minimalist :-)). The bed is a converted baby crib :-)!! I got it, and the mattress/boxspring all for $75 on Craigslist. The 3D artwork above it is from the clearance section of Bed, Bath & Beyond for $9. And, I used a 20% off coupon which made it even less! The side table was $45 on Craigslist. The lamp was $5 at a Salvation Army Thrift Store.
Another small touch of animal print with this great chair I purchased for $75 on Craigslist! The bedding is from Homegoods and Big Lots and cost $65 total. The throw pillow was from a garage sale at $2.
This is the top of my guestroom armoire. I filled it with garage sale and thrift store items that totaled about $30.
This is a great 3-piece shelf set I bought for $10 on "
From My House to Yours". As seen in my previous post below, I am making picture canvases, and here is how I used one in my guest bath.
I built my home on a budget. Therefore, I didn't add the multitude of upgrades that the builder tried to sell me. I knew that I would add them later, and for much less money! These are the brushed nickel cabinet knobs they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars for. I ended up buying them on eBay for $67! That included 27 knobs and 19 handle pulls! There are various vendors on there that sell them. Just make sure they have excellent feedback and lots of previous sales history.
My 2nd favorite room! This is the master bedroom and such a place of serenity for me. The furniture is by Cindy Crawford and purchased on clearance at
Rooms to Go 9 years ago. It still looks great. The bedding is a "Bed in a Bag" set from
Bed, Bath & Beyond and was $120 (with a 20% off coupon). The off-white coverlet was $5 from a moving sale, but it is by Better Homes & Gardens and I have seen it at Walmart for around $70. It adds a great touch to the bed! Everyone loves the round wrought iron wall art above the bed that I bought for $3 at a garage sale! The ruffle pillows were $10 each at
Ross.
I LOVE this window treatment look and had seen it in magazines. However, the short rods were ridiculously expensive! So, I purchased an 8 ft wood rod at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $39.99 (but less when I used my 20% off coupon), and just cut them myself...well, actually a friend did it :-)! I purchased the finial sets for $9.99 each and the bracket sets for $14.99 each (added a coupon) in the clearance section. The 96" lovely sheer curtains were from
Homegoods at $19.99 per set. They are made by "Rodeohome" and the color is Ecru. They flow so beautifully when the windows are opened. The taller placement of the brackets is to emulate the look of Victorian Days when they used it to frame the majestic doors in grand estates.
My fab find was this fantastic mirror! It is a giant leaner mirror that retails for over $300! I got it in Savannah at an estate sale for $75 (he wanted $100 but took my offer :-)). Fitting it in a car was a challenge, but we did it!!
I will post more pics soon and add to this. But, by now I am sure that you get the idea. Anyone can have a gorgeous home without spending crazy amounts of money! Just invest the time to navigate nearby sales and the sites I mentioned. Spend a little time reading catalogs and magazines of your favorite design houses, then just do it yourself...for much less! It's such a great feeling of accomplishment, and fun too!!
