Decor can be expensive, or have you never seen a 50cm diameter decorative mirror going for ksh.15,000? Or an accent chair for 45k?
Some prices may even look insane. To be fair, it takes alot to put together one of those. Talk of the creativity, the intelligence and skill it takes to put an idea into an actual item, marketing…I don’t need to go on. Point is those items are worth every cent but if you are looking to spend less:
Refurbish and repurpose
Nothing is useless, nothing can’t be upcycled. Find items that have been abandoned and see how you can salvage them. Instead of spending 35k+ on a new 3-seater, you could have your mom’s old couch refurbished for lesser. Who knows, you could end up with a side table using scrap from your backyard.
DIY
‘How can I make this?’…that’s me anytime I think I need an accessory. Or any time I run into something on the internet that I’d want to have. Some things are easier than others, some taking longer…sometimes it takes practice to get it right, but it saves money.
Imitate
You can get faux anything; designer books, fur, name it. You can even mimic textures using wall paper and contact paper. It is cheaper and easier to maintain. House plants for instance occasionally need to be taken out for sunlight, watered, checked for infections… Plastic plants need none of that, false flowers don’t die. Even as you faux it till you make it, try to mimic the real thing. Like add moist soil to the planter of your faux plant, or mix fake white roses with a few real red ones.
Make items locally
Have your local artisan replicate some Pinterest ideas, change a few aspects and you end up with a masterpiece for less.
Go minimal
A little goes a long way. When it comes to home decor, I love neutral colours, simple patterns and I’m light on decor. I am minimalist for its convenient and obvious reasons; coordination is very simple and you don’t have to be extravagant on anything. You already see how cheap that is, don’t you?
Thrift
Get second hand items from flea markets and thrift shops. You can get stuff that is still in good condition, or that you can restore, for half or less the price in the shop Try auctions too. These places usually have inexpensive hidden treasures.
‘Buy 3 get 1 free’
You are likely to get items for cheap if you purchase in bulk. Check which shops or items can give you such deals because you don’t want to end up with a dozen plain white pillow cases(unless that’s what you are going for of course), just because they were cheap.
Sale! Sale! Sale!
Most stores have a sale period at least once a year with the biggest being around end year. You can wait around for this time and shop at slashed prices.
Lastly, as you plan to shop, compare prices of the item from different places and buy from the one that is cheapest.
You don’t have to break a bank to have a beautiful space. Be creative and make do with what you have.
But also be careful about making your house look cheap. See what you must avoid here.
ArtToHome 