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Budget Decorating Comparison:
Real Life vs TV
by Kathleen Wilson
Have you ever watched those tv decorating shows, you know, the ones that
promise to help you redecorate your home on a tight budget? Were you
ever amazed to then find, by tight budget they mean $500, or even $1000?
I have, and I don't know about you, but their budget is WAY out of my
budget! Now don't get me wrong, these shows have great ideas, I watch
them all the time for ideas myself. But I thought it might be fun to do
a breakdown of a simulation of a typical show, and then show you The
Budget Decorator's way!
Typical Living room re-do on tv:
Paint $25 Fabric for Curtains $80 Accessories $100 Extra Furnishings
$150 Rug $150
Grand Total $505
Typical Re-do for a Budget Decorator (Not unlike yourself!)
Paint $15 (Decent brand on sale) Fabric $12 (Sheets on sale, stamped or
stenciled yourself, even extra for pillows!) Accessories $10 (A few
dollar picture frames filled with garden catalog photos, ceramic pitcher
from the kitchen filled with flowers, books stacked, dollar store
candles on homemade candleholders, plants from cuttings, you get the
idea!) Extra Furnishings $15 (Tables made from glass rounds and clay
pots, garage sale dresser painted by you for a side table, thrift store
entertainment center with a great faux finish, done by you, of course!)
Rug $16 (Floorcloth painted by you on a clearance piece of vinyl
flooring, I even included the price for a quart of sealant!)
Grand Total The Budget Decorator's way? $68.
Now that is a difference of $437. I don't know about you, but I have a
whole lot of better places to spend my $437. A little creativity and a
little work, and you can spread your expenses over time if you need to.
And visit me at TheBudgetDecorator.com for more great ideas!
About the author
Kathleen Wilson is the editor of The Budget Decorator, a free ezine
dedicated to the "budget impaired" home decorator, and author of "Quick
Decorating Ideas Under $20".
Visit her online at
http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com for more free ideas and projects.
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