Design Tips for Decorating
on the Cheap
Five smart ideas to make your place instantly look better (without going broke).
Oak tripod lamp,
$79.99 by Threshold
Outfitting your home is no small task. And it certainly comes at a cost. You don't want to cheap out when buying major furniture pieces like your sofa, dining table or your bed—those should be investments that can stand both time and the abuse you'll put them through. But thankfully, there are pieces out there that look like they cost a lot but thankfully don't. We scoured the market for handsome design finds that are surprisingly inexpensive.
Shown above:
Oak tripod lamp, $79.99 by Threshold and leather butterfly chair, $224.99 at Overstock
Leather butterfly chair,
$224.99 at Overstock
Cotton rug (6.5' x 4.5),
$79.99 at H&M
If you've ever shopped for rugs, you know they can be a serious investment. Places like H&M offer lightweight cotton rugs that can easily be layered over carpets or pieced together to look like one large rug.
Mango wood drum table,
$199.95 at Pier 1 Imports
Midcentury modern nightstand, $87.55 at Target (with code EASTER10)
Midcentury modern nightstand, $87.55 at Target (with code EASTER10)
We don't like the name "poufs," but these sturdy upholstered cubes are great to have on hand. The serve as seating options, foot rests and can even double as a side table. And they're usually pretty affordable.
Kilim pouf, $115, at One Kings Lane
Percale sheet set, from $139 by Authenticity 50
You can easily overspend on luxury linens, but Authenticity 50 is new start-up that offers quality 250 thread-count sheets crafted from California-grown Supima cotton for an extremely fair price. Because they're sold direct to customers, you get them for less than half the usual retail cost.
Some art doesn't have to cost you a thing. Simply download these images and have them printed out in whatever size you want.