Bargain Re-Decorating

[coke]

When i lived at home, it was always fun to change around my room and paint over the walls in crazy colors and make curtains out of fun fabrics, but now...

I am a college student on a budget with little to no money to spend on decorating my small apartment...i want to know your ideas on how i can fix up a blank room using very cheap things, and also if anyone knows of any decorating multi-taskers that would be great by the way, i live in new york city if anyone knows places here that would be helpful as well

 

[softgrey]

all of our 'home' threads are in our art and design forum so i am moving this over there...

you will probably find some good ideas if you look over that forum as well...

 

[cupkate]

There a lot of inexpensive decals for walls that add some spice, especially for a college room.

Wal-mart or somewhere similar always has $1 a yard fabric.

 

[Trista]

Yeah go to a store like JoAnn Fabrics or check their website because they'll occasionally have sales where it's an additional 50% off all clearance fabric. Also Michael's has their faux flowers on sale occasionally.

It would help to know what style you are going for...I know my style of yellows, oranges, and pinks with tons of fake flowers isn't appealing to most people. Check out Target because they seemingly ALWAYS have stuff on clearance there.

Sales are your best friend

 

[bluebutter]

Flea markets and thrift stores are also really good places to look for ideas and for trinkets and what nots.

 

[softgrey]

maybe check out apartmenttherapy.com...

 

[quimby]

you can frame your own photographs. ikea frames are good for this. they're graphic and looks good in groupings.

posters aren't so good if you're trying to get away from the dorm look, but when i was in college, they were useful in dressing up a wall.

i liked tearing pics out of magazines like national geographic, or travel magazines, and then taping them really high on the wall, almost at the ceiling. it imparted a magical feeling, i thought. places to dream to go...

you can make a grouping of chinese lanterns for mood lighting and decoration.

curtains are one really fast, easy, and relatively cheap way to make a room feel more homey. store-bought ones are rather spendy, though. you can just get some fabric at wal-mart or joann and hem the edges with a big straight stitch (helps if you iron it first). doesn't need to be all that neat. or else, ikea sells some cheapy versions. thrift stores are great for curtains, too.

more ideas at digsmagazine.com too. they have weekly articles, an archive, and a forum there with threads on this very idea.


good luck! nesting is fun.

 

[Trista]

^Actually I tear adverts out of Vogue for my room decor and I would rather keep my Vera Wang advert (with Hanne-Gaby and Eva Helene) above my window than have the parents get the window replaced. A bit OT, sorry, but it's a good way to make US Vogue worth the money.