I LOVE to decorate and source budget friendly decor! I love it so much and friends have told me that I’m really good at it so much so that at one point in my life, I literally wanted to go to school to be an interior designer.
The first thing you want to know about decorating anything is that you have to find your OWN style. I buy pieces I like and I have a good sense of what I like and my style, so that I can pull from many different places to put together ideas for a cohesive look.
Some people like traditional, some modern, others like contemporary design, and some like an eclectic mix of styles!
I’m not really sure what you call my style. I like a lot of wrought iron and black. But I also like white and beige. I think it comes out in my wardrobe as well. On an average day, I’m found in a black shirt, black pants and coral Skechers #13550CRL shoes (which always gets me tons of compliments by the way). I like basics, but I also like a pop of color.
I want my home to be an expression of me and yes, everything has to match. 🙂
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For my fireplace, I found the wrought iron wall decor at ShopKo. It was on sale for something like 50% off, which was still too much in my opinion at $30. But, I knew it was perfect for my space and I knew I’d never find another piece like that cheaper, so I bought it. I think it gives the fireplace height, draws the eye up, and ties into the rest of my decor.
I found the candle stick holders at Ross. They were on clearance for a few bucks each and when I saw them, I knew they’d go perfect there. The candles were purchased at Target. They are not a regular red color, more like a deeper Burgundy red, which is the color scheme I have in my home. I love red for home decor. Red is the color of passion and I’m a pretty passionate person in all that I do. If you are decorating for a bedroom, you want to go with cooler, calming colors like blues and greens, as they help with sleep.
After I had those pieces in place, I found it really hard to decide what to put above the mantle on the other side of the fireplace. I had originally thought I’d put a plant or something there, but I just didn’t like how it looked in my head.
While at a yard sale, out of the corner of my eye, I saw these beautiful white flowers. They ended up being only $1 for the whole bunch! I knew I already had the tall vase from a previous Craigslist purchase, but it needed something at the bottom of the vase.
I had my son go into the backyard and pick out some rocks from the landscaping. I told him to get the prettiest rocks he could find and he came back with a small bucket of rocks that my daughter and I lined the bottom of the vase with. The rocks have a blue tint to them, so I think it looks really pretty with the white of the flowers. We put just a few at the bottom so as not to detract from the flowers, but it does help weigh down the vase as I didn’t want it to fall over.
I’m a pretty visual person, so I can see things in my head, but if you can’t, I would say as you’re shopping, to take a picture of the place in your home that you want to decorate so that you can reference it when you stumble across something that may work well for your space.
Another thing I’d say is to not rush it.
Of course, immediately we want things to look “pulled together” and complete, but it takes time. If I had of rushed out and got a small plant for the top of the mantle, it would have not looked good and I would have wasted money. The height of the particular flowers I found work really well there and it looks finished and complete. I’m really happy with the results.
Last, I’d say, don’t be afraid to buy something with the intention that you may return it. If you get it in your space and it looks horrible, take it back. Especially if it’s a home decor piece that you’ve not used, it’s totally fine. Just keep the tags on while you’re still deciding if it works in your space.
Now that I have my fireplace decorated in the living room … it’s time for the rest of the house! Let me know in the comments if that is something you’d like to see when I’m done. 🙂 If there’s enough interest, I can share more posts about how I’m decorating and where to find pieces on a tight budget. Low cost home decor can look just as beautiful as super expensive pieces!
Kim Levick says
I would love to see more pics of your home. Seems like we have a similar decorating style. Thank you for sharing!
Sarah Titus says
Thanks for letting me know Kim. I’ll keep that in mind. 🙂
Reelika says
Very nice, I like your style 🙂 The truth is, we really don’t have to spend fortune on decoration, we just need to be creative. I would love to see dining table decoration 🙂
Sarah Titus says
Great idea Reelika. 🙂
Gina says
I would love for you to list other, maybe internet, places to get great decor at cheap prices. I love the cottage, vintage look. Thanks!
Sarah Titus says
Thanks for sharing Gina. 🙂
Sue says
Very pretty. I’d love to see more decorating posts. I’m using a lot of red in my new home too.
Sarah Titus says
Thank you for sharing Sue. 🙂
Aime says
Sarah- Two things in particular resonated with me. One: Don’t rush it. That’s perfect. When I was younger, so much money was wasted on items that weren’t right. Two: taking a picture of the room(s) you’re decorating. Such a smart idea! As a decorator, it’s easy to get side tracked in a store and lose ‘sight’ of the room as a whole. Pictures help immensely with focusing. I love your blog!
Sarah Titus says
Thank you Aime. Yeah, pictures in the stores really help as I’m a visual person and get sidetracked too. 🙂 Or I forget the EXACT color shade of something. Really helps!
Bonita Lillie says
Yes, I want to read more about decorating, particularly how to find furniture and also practical tips for those of us who don’t have an eye or flair for decorating. I took away several tips from this post.
I also enjoy looking at photos of how you decorate your lovely home. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah Titus says
Absolutely Bonita. Glad you like it and I’ll keep that in mind for the future.