It is easier than ever to learn how to decorate on a budget. Budget decor retailers are quickly adding locations across the country as demand heats up.
Today, decor and furniture can now be found to fit smaller budgets without sacrificing too much in the way of quality.
To help you achieve the look you want without overspending, I'm sharing what we learned along the way. Follow these tips for how to decorate your home on a budget.
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When we bought our home, we had very little decor or furniture to come anywhere close to appropriately filling each room. Our guest bedroom was near empty for quite a few months, while the media loft space was completely empty.
I didn't want to rush the process. At the same time, I didn't want to overspend. After renting and moving around the country for our careers, we were ready to buy high quality furnishings that would last. Here is how you can get there, too!
Shop Discount Retailers for Decor on a Budget
Discount retailers are one of my all-time best tips to get home decor on a budget. Don't look at discount retailers as cheap decor. There are a few well-known home decor stores that carry an ever-changing assortment of high-end decor that will elevate your home for a reasonable price.
The TJ Maxx family of stores, including HomeGoods and Marshalls, offer high-end, designer home decor at a fraction of the original retail price.
Shop the photo: Round marble lidded dish | Interiors for a Life in Good Taste book | Diffuser | White alabaster box with lid (similar)
How do they do it? I'm no expert, but I read an article years ago about how the company can afford to sell high-end goods at discount prices and it was fascinating.
From what I recall, as retailers order goods, inventory that doesn't sell for some reason, is out of season, or the retailer changes design direction and cancels the order, is optioned to be purchased by the palette at a discount by other retailers. That discount is then passed on to the consumer when it arrives at stores.
At least, that is one such way I read how TJ Maxx company buys goods to offer such incredible prices.
Shop the photo: Paper mache bowl (similar) | Chinoiserie blue & white ornaments (similar)
Check the Furniture Section
While looking for decor, check the furniture section. Look past things you don't like about an item in case you can DIY a piece or furniture or decor from a discount store. You never know what you find!
I had been searching for years for a pair of large nightstands for our primary bedroom. Given we have a California King bed, we needed large nightstands of the appropriate scale. At one point I had fallen in love with a set of designer nightstands in a lovely faux white Belgian linen. Substantial in size, they met all of my criteria for nightstands. When they would go on a rare sale, I still could not bring myself to spend over $2k each, even though they were high quality pieces.
One day on a visit to HomeGoods, I found a pair of solidly built large nightstands for $200 each. They were an unfortunate shade of mint green, but met all of my other criteria. So I bought them and painted them a lovely shade of BM White Dove.
Shop the photo: Upholstered bed frame (Classic Linen Talc) | Nightstand (similar, but smaller) | Knot object (similar) | Cashmere plaid throw blanket (similar) | Basket (similar)
You can read the full story (and see all the before and after pictures, of course) about this Stunning Nightstand Makeover with just a little paint and how incredible they look now!
I also changed out the hardware at a later time.
Shop the photo: Table lamp (similar) | The Beauty of Home book | Bone inlay tray (similar) | Ball cabinet knob, standard size unlacquered brass
Budget Friendly Decor to Look For
There are a few categories of home decor items I can't resist from stores like HomeGoods, Amazon, thrift stores, and other retailers.
Large Decorative Vases and Jars
It's actually quite challenging to find large vases at a reasonable price, for obvious reasons. To decorate your home on a budget, look for large vases and jars both at local brick-and-mortar stores as well as online.
For instance, the two gorgeous white cachepot vases with lids below I found online on sale! They are very high quality and I just love how they look styled on our fireplace mantel. I added the stripe ribbon when I decorated a Coastal Christmas theme a couple years ago, but I loved it so much I left it on year-round.
This is the small white cachepot vase and this is the medium white cachepot vase.
The large white vase cachepot below was from one of my favorite shops, Brooke & Lou. I got it on a sale as well.
Be sure to sign up for their emails and follow them on social, along with their sought-after design firm, Bria Hammel Interiors.
Shop the photo: Rattan chain link decor | Faux white hydrangeas | Presidential Residences in France book (top, dust jacket removed) | AD at 100 book (bottom) | Dusty blue velvet ribbon ⅜ inch (similar)
Coffee Table Books
You can find coffee table books at some of the best prices across TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls. Online retailers like Amazon are the best places to buy books online. Not only does Amazon have the widest selection, but if you have a Prime membership, you may get free shipping.
Shop the photo: Suzanne Kasler Edited Style book | Elements of Timeless Style book | Interiors for a Life in Good Taste book | Made for Living book
I have talked about my love of interior design and architecture coffee table books here on Mornington Lane a few times. Read Pretty Coffee Table Books for Styling and Gift Guide to Coffee Table Books for more ideas as well as pictures to help you decide if there are any books that should become a part of your home library.
Shop the photo: The Joy of Home book | Timeless: Classic American Architecture for Contemporary Living book
Decorative Boxes and Bowls
I have rarely met a marble bowl or set of decorative boxes I didn't like. HomeGoods, McGee & Co., and Amazon are a few of the best places for such decor. They are highly versatile, allowing you to store remotes, tech gear, and other knick knacks you don't have a place for. Plus, you should be able to find a style that matches your personal aesthetic fairly easily.
It seems I have started a collection of marble lidded bowls or boxes. My favorite is the large marble dish with a lid shown below.
I have two versions of the same bowl that I found on separate trips to HomeGoods a number of years ago. Honestly, I could not believe how beautiful they were when I saw them in the store. I could not add them to my cart fast enough (if you know, you know).
Here are a few alternative marble bowls that would look great in any space:
One of my latest Amazon finds was this small marble bowl with a lid (3x4 inches) that has a cute little marble knob. I could not pass it up as it is just too cute! You could set it on a tray on your coffee table (like I did), or use it in your bathroom to store hair binders and barrets, or for shelf styling.
Decorative boxes are great for storing things away that you don't want to see but that you need close at hand, such as remote controls, ear buds, and other gadgets.
I bought these large rattan boxes (set of two) some years ago. Gorgeous with all their natural texture, the lids are glass and rattan around the edges.
Bone inlay decorative boxes elevate any surface they touch and are usually reasonably priced. From seagrass to bone inlay decorative boxes, I found these that you may love:
- Large bone inlay decorative box
- Wicker storage box (set of 2) with leather closure
- Seagrass decorative boxes (set of 2)
- Braided bone inlay box
Trays for Decorating
Corralling things together using a tray is a great way to decorate on a budget, because there are so many options at reasonable prices today.
Take the absolutely stunning marble fluted tray below that I found for a song at, of course, HomeGoods.
I realize you don't have all the time in the world to wait for a tray you like to come in stock at HomeGoods, it is an ever revolving stock of new things after all. So, I have you covered with several beautiful trays pf different materials that you may be able to order today:
- Marble fluted tray
- Rattan tray
- Carrara marble tray
- Arabescato marble tray
- Provence rattan rectangle tray - Gorgeous tray by Juliska that also comes as a round rattan tray
- Square rattan pedestal tray with cute feet
Artwork
Finding one-of-a-kind artwork decor on a budget is another challenging category.
Original art is wonderful, but that may not always be possible on a limited budget. Check places like Etsy, estate sales, and thrift stores, but also check out HomeGoods. If you can find realistic looking artwork (i.e., hand embellished, hand finished), yet mass produced, it can be worth it.
On a related side note, I spent some time trying to find a painting in the "Adrift" series by Sarah Brooke of the Middle of Nowhere Studio out of Australia. (In the U.S., Middle of Nowhere Sarah Brooke artwork is exclusively sold across the TJ Maxx family of stores.) I found one at a local HomeGoods one day.
Sometimes no matter how long (far and wide) you look, you can't find the art you want. That is when you should try a DIY project. I talked about my love for antique intaglio art, but I have only once ever come across any in person. In the end, I decided to make my own DIY Framed Intaglio Art that I absolutely love and that you can make too!
Decorative Accessories
Over the years, I have found many decorative accessories at local shops as well as online.
Maybe you just need an object to place atop a stack of books, or a trinket dish to store rings on your bedside table. These are key items that elevate your console table styling, nightstand styling, or shelf styling. From candles and rattan chain link decor and baskets, you can easily decorate on a budget for many areas of your home.
Sign-up for Emails to Get Sale Alerts
Many retailers have membership programs you can sign up for to get coupons, discount codes, and more delivered right to your email.
Smaller boutique shops usually have a newsletter or membership as well, so don't rule them out. You can sometimes realize lower prices than larger, more well-known retailers.
I signed up to receive emails from one of my all-time favorite shops, Brooke & Lou. Now, I get early access to sales and collection launches before they happen. Same with McGee & Co. and Lulu and Georgia.
Be sure to also utilize "wish list," "favorites," or other similar tools at each retailer.For instance, if I want to buy a home decor piece on Amazon, I add it to my cart and then move it to "Save for later." As I'm browsing for decor on a budget, I will pull up the saved for later list and reference it. Amazon's wish list features are helpful as well, but I find the save for later is much better for how I use the site.
Wayfair, Bed Bath and Beyond, and TJ Maxx family of stores are just a few places you can "favorite" items. Want to know a secret? If you favorite items on TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and the other brands, when items go out of stock, they still appear in your favorites. It's helpful if you want to remember what the name of a budget decor product is to search for it elsewhere.
Compare Prices with Google
Did you know you can search Google to compare prices? A simple Google search can help you find home decor on a budget. Google aggregates content from all over the web, surfacing the same or similar item, allowing you to quickly and easily compare price across many retailers in one place.
Google Shopping works the same way, but has additional functionality. For instance, you can set up price alerts to get an email when the price of a specific item changes.
Use the "Track price" feature in Google Shopping to receive an alert when the price drops. It's one more way to get decor on a budget. Keep in mind that browsers display results slightly differently. I prefer Safari search results when comparing prices.
Shop Antique, Vintage, and Thrift Stores
There is a common misconception that vintage and antique home furnishings are expensive. If you've ever been happily lost in the wonderful maze that is a local antique shop or Etsy, you know that is not true.
Local antique and vintage shops are a great place for decor on a budget. Moreover, shopping local helps support local businesses as well as your community.
After we bought our house, and as we were furnishing it, I spent countless hours meandering around any local shop that sold home decor. Once you get into the hunt for unique, one-of-a-kind pieces, it motivates you.
The architectural salvage French black finials are from a local antique mall. The basket is from the same antique mall and was at least 50% off when I bought it. I think I paid $20. The handles are real leather in a beautiful cognac finish. Each piece was reasonably priced and now I have one-of-a-kind home decor.
Giving a second, third, or fourth life to something that was once a prized possession, is rewarding in its own right.
Second-hand shops, such as Goodwill, arc Thrift Stores, and The Salvation Army, further support those in need, as these retailers are typically non-profits.
Both vintage and second-hand stores provide opportunities to do some DIY projects. A lower price point makes it more attractive to try your hand at modifying decor without the fear you'll ruin it.
In my post How to Get the Timeless Nancy Meyers Aesthetic, I briefly talked about one of my best antique shop finds of this plaster depiction of The Odyssey. It just goes to show you can get amazing one-of-a-kind pieces shopping second-hand.
Check Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a place you should absolutely check out to get furniture and home decor on a budget. It's thrift shopping from your sofa and you can find great deals on solid wood furniture, original artwork, and so much more at sometimes a fraction of the cost to buy new. You can find practically anything you can think of.
I penned My KitchenAid Stand Mixer Story about finding the 100th Anniversary limited edition mixer on Marketplace, along with tips on how to shop.
Also, YouTube is filled with DIY projects of items discovered on Facebook Marketplace. Look past paint or stain colors, search for what you love, and don't be afraid to make it your own with a little DIY.
Decorating your home on a budget can be exciting. There are so many options available, from online-only retailers to local shops, big box retailers, and more.
In the end, beautifying your home should be fun! The advice I will give you is to take it slow and try to enjoy the process. You are making a home, after all.
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