As designers, more times than not the projects we work have a budget associated with them…an amount the homeowner has agreed to spend in lieu of creating the space they dream of and envision in their heads.  More times than not, that budget falls short of achieving every little thing we want in a space and the budget gets manipulated to achieve the best results possible.  More times than not us designers have to work our magic, challenge our creativity and in the words of Tim Gunn, “make it work” so that the end result is nothing less than  the vision.

Room designs by Massuco Warner Miller Interior Design & Decoration

When it comes to designing a beautiful space and wanting to save money along the way, there are a few tricks you can employ. Using the room images above, I’m going to point out  FIVE cost cutting measures you could make without negatively impacting the look of the room.

1.  Instead of purchasing an expensive woven area rug, head to your local carpet store and find a broadloom carpet, otherwise known as your wall-to-wall carpeting, and have it cut and bound to fit your space.  And don’t fret, the designs, textures and pattern options now available in broadloom are endless.  Creating an area rug from broadloom is far less expensive than a typical pre-designed woven area rug and it’s a great way to maintain the style the your room while saving money.

2. Pillows are one the most important decorative accents within a beautifully designed room.  While my personal taste seems to be for fabrics that cost upwards of $80 a yard, I know that making pillows with yardage this expensive is not always in the cards.  Rather than give up on the look I want, I create pillows with split personalities.  I use the expensive fabric for the front of the pillow and use a less expensive fabric for the back side which is less visible.  Taking this approach, you can create a designer pillow for a fraction of the cost. 

Here’s a great example using Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon fabric which is so popular right now.  At about $135 a yard, this pillow with Chiang Mai front and back can be found on Etsy for $230.00.

CALICO CORNER SLICK AQUAMARINE  $26.99/YD

If you take the split personality approach and use Chiang Mai fabric on the front, with a less expensive complimentary fabric on the back, you could get your Chiang Mai pillow for about $ 150.00

 p.s.  one thing I dont’ skimp on is the pillow inserts–down or a down mix is the only way to go!

3.  When it comes to the furniture in a space, I’m always on the lookout for accent pieces at flea markets, thrift stores and online shops.  My goal is not to find a “cheap” piece of furniture but rather pieces constructed well but maybe needing a little TLC to bring it back to life.  See the round wood side table in the room image…you can find looks like this for less than $100 at flea markets and antique stores.   Here’s almost the same style table on sell via Etsy for $75.00.  Just refinish and you’ve got the look.

4.  Accent seating can make or break the look of a living room or family room.  While I am all for investing in high quality upholstered arm chairs, I do think you can take the flea market, thrift store or big box discount store approach when it comes to wood accent chairs.  The red chair in the room image definitely creates a focal point in the space and because it’s a unique color, finding a less expensive chair that you can paint and achieve the look will save you money. 

I’ve seen this chair style at HomeGoods on may occasions and found this one below at Overstock.com for $176.99. 

Also, when it comes to accent chairs keep your mind open to slight variations in the style of chair.  You might find a chair like the style above ($128.99)  that is a bit different from what you originally planned but keeps the overall look and feel of the room intact.

 Again, all it would take is a little DIY and you’ve saved a lot of money without compromising the look.

5.  And the last cost cutting measure for decorating High Style and On A Budget is don’t go overboard with the drapes.  Curtains are a great addition to any space, adding softness and texture while in many cases making a room feel taller too.  One of the ways I would save money in the room image above is to eliminate the center panels.  The impact of the curtains comes from the color, the valances and the overall scale of the window treatments.  Eliminating the center panels would not impact the look and in my opinion would actually be a bit less distracting to the room.  Side panels hung on a great curtain rod are your first choice for drapes and will give any room in your home the impact your desire.

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 I love designing and love working with spaces where budget is of no concern but since that is rarely the situation and given the economy, it’s great to know a few shortcuts you can take in the design process and still come out with a space that’s everything you want!

If you have any cost cutting tips you use when decorating, I’d love to hear about them and share them with everyone via my Facebook page.  And, if you haven’t LIKED ConfettiStyle Interiors on Facebook yet, hop over there now and hit that button.

Thanks for joining me today….see you back here tomorrow.