When we first started January Revival, we only ever intended to showcase our home renos and DIY projects and share our tips for those interested in creating something similar.
Styling was never really part of the plan – because what the heck do we know about styling?!
When we bought our house, we pooled all of our spare cash into our deposit and anything left over went straight into our early renovations. And, given that we were still adjusting to #mortgagelife, there wasn’t a whole lot leftover for styling and decorating.
But as things have progressed and we have continued to tick projects off our list, we’ve started giving more thought to how we style our home. Having lived here for a few years, we now have a much clearer plan of what we think will work best and how we want our home to feel.
We’ve also realised that styling is actually a really important part of the equation – because even the most lovingly renovated room is going to look and feel a bit ‘blah’ if your styling is a hot mess.
While it can be tempting to want to spend big to create a beautiful home environment (especially if you spend as much time as I do drooling over immaculately styled homes on Instagram and Pinterest as I do), styling your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Here are our tips for getting the best result when styling your home on a budget.
Shop your home
One of the simplest ways to refresh your styling is to shop your home and use things you already have lying around the house or packed away in storage.
Have a look through your cupboards and keep an eye out for anything you think might suit the space you’re planning to style, like candles, interesting vases, beautiful books or different sorts of cushions and textiles.
Even something as simple as a glass jar with some fresh foliage from your garden can bring so much warmth to your home – and the best part is that it won’t cost you a cent.
Get creative
While going through all of your old treasures, you’re likely to come across some items that might have potential but don’t really suit your current décor. This is when it’s time to get creative!
A simple coat of paint can give new life to so many different pieces and can be a really easy and affordable way to give unloved items a serious glow-up. If you haven’t already tried Geneva Vanderzeil’s #trashtoterracotta chalk paint hack, this is a serious must to achieve that beautifully textured look that is so highly sought after right now.
Pinterest, Instagram and DIY tutorials like our recent mirror upcycle can also be a great inspiration for different projects and even help you come up with your ideas to revive decorative objects from around your home.
Shop second-hand
When looking for new pieces to add to your home, shopping second-hand can save you thousands – and even help you to score some beautifully unique and vintage items that you won’t find elsewhere.
While vintage stores and op-shops can be a great place to start, it’s also worth looking at online marketplaces where people can easily sell their unwanted belongings.
eBay, Gumtree and Facebook marketplace are hugely popular in Australia right now, and if you commit a little bit of time, you’re likely to find some real bargains. The best part is that you can set alerts to particular key terms to help you nab those special pieces in your local area as soon as they’re listed.
Save for special pieces
Although it’s always nice to save money, you might come across some special items that you simply have to have – and if you ask me, that’s okay! For many of us, our homes are our happy places, and if you find something that truly sparks joy, I think it’s okay to spend a little extra to make it your own.
If it’s something you can hold off buying right away, see if you can save up over a few weeks so that it doesn’t feel like such a big expense. And, if you’re buying online, be sure to subscribe to the retailer’s mailing list incase any unexpected sales or discounts pop up.
A sneaky little trick I’ve learnt is that if you create an online account and add something to your cart then leave the website, you may find a reminder in your inbox the next day – often with a discount code to incentivize you to complete the purchase! It doesn’t work every time, but it’s worth a shot – right?
Find your style
To me, the most important step to styling your home on a budget or otherwise is to forget about what everybody else is doing and find your own style. I don’t believe this is something that happens overnight and it certainly evolves over time, but I think most of us want our homes to feel like ours – not a carbon copy of somebody else’s.
I’m still very much finding my own style, and while I used to dream of a home with all-white-everything, Chris and I both seem to now be drawn to the striking contrast of black and white balanced with beautiful natural elements and small pops of colour.
It’s interesting to see how our individual styles over time, and I’m sure they will continue to change as life goes on. Trends come and go, but I truly believe that if you love something, you can always make it work.
Do you have any tips for styling your home on a budget to add to our list? If you do, I’d love to hear them – so let me know!
