Super Fast, Super Easy, Super Cheap Ways to Make a Big Decorating Impact

I love your page I have a question my mother-in-law has just passed away and the house was hers well it was a generation of the family and now they all passed away I want to make the place me an my husband and not so old fashion were do i start in other words help.

Well, that depends. Are you planning to keep anything that’s already there? If the house was a generational home, I doubt you (or your husband) really want to pitch everything and start over from scratch, but there are smart, relatively easy (and cheap) ways to reinvent rooms and pieces of furniture, putting your own stamp on them while honoring their heritage.

First off, as the article says, paint, paint, and paint some more. A fresh color is a simple, low-demand, amazingly effective tactic to change the look of a room. You say the decor is “old-fashioned”; is there wallpaper? Try stripping only the upper or lower half of a wall, painting the newly bare section a contrasting but complimentary color, and install chair-rail moulding at the intersection.

If there’s a coffee table or some other piece of furniture that you simply can’t stand, or you just need to make room for your own stuff, don’t feel guilty about finding it a new home. That said, there may be many worthwhile pieces among your mother-in-law’s collection which could benefit from a pick-me-up. Try sanding them down to the bare wood (I don’t believe in using chemicals to remove an existing finish, it’s messy, exhausting, and potentially dangerous not only to you but also to the piece you’re working on) and re-stain them to match your decor. A great trick for leftover (latex) paint is to mix four parts paint with one part water (MIX THOROUGHLY), and apply it by hand with a paintbrush to bare wood. The paint will soak in somewhat, adding color without obscuring the wood’s natural grain. Just allow plenty of time to dry, preferably outside, and seal with clear polyurethane.

Try to recycle as much as you can. Hate the heavy drapes but love a set of bed linens you found in a closet? A handful of grommets (found in any craft store) can turn those forgotten sheets into light, airy sheers. Hate the heavy hutch in the corner dripping with outdated china? Refinish the hutch, take the doors off of it or replace the hardware, and fill it with seashells or stuffed animals or whatever suits you. Sell, store, or give away the china, but keep one or two pieces to shadowbox or mount on a piece of padded, fabric-covered, moulding-framed plywood. (Nothing screams old-fashioned as much as the plates hanging on the wall by themselves in those little metal holders.)

The point is, think outside the box. Watch a little HGTV and don’t be afraid to experiment. Flex your creative muscles, and you’ll be surprised not only at the beauty of your new home, but at your sense of accomplishment.

please!! i need help.i am moving back into an apartment for the 1st time in 20years.
the wall have tan wallpaper on them “all” w/dark brown rugs. i like bright bold colors. what can i do to the
wall w/out damaging them??
THANK YOU, BILLIE

ilike want paint pink or brown . ithink accpt paint other own apatment. i want diffent color paint

I moved into my first apartment over the summer. I had nothing to my name except a few nick-nacks. I started at the local thrift store and was shocked and amazed to find two of the most beautiful pieces of furniture for super cheap. Also try the dollar store, there you can find the best accessories that no one will no only cost a dollar. Also head to T.J. Max or a similar store. I love antique looking things and they’re home decor is beautiful yet inexpensive. You would never guess the true cost of things in my home by simply looking at them.

Hobby Lobby is a fab place to find items to accent any decor. They aren’t just for glue guns anymore! Walk in, look around, you will gather ideas galore! Go home and sit with pen and paper to plan, then go back to buy, or you’ll buy out the whole store if you buy the 1st time you’re there.

I will be moving into my first apartment in the spring of next year. The apartment is in Atlanta,GA and it is unfurnished where would I be able to find some decent looking furniture at an affordable price?

Designer gift baskets are a sweet,yet inexpensive way to decorate also. I know this because I design them,and usually that’s what the customer says they are doing with the basket. Depending on the decor,The basket can truly light up the room,because creativity is endless when it comes to the contents inside your basket. They are made to order. What do u think?